Tag: William Purves

Edinburgh funeral director extends funeral care to families in north-west Edinburgh

Established independent funeral director, William Purves, is extending its support to grieving families across Edinburgh with a new branch in Barnton.

Located on 185 Whitehouse Road, William Purves’ new premise will offer premium funeral facilities to be enjoyed by residents across EH4 and EH12 postcodes.

The refurbished space will include a comfortable reception room, an arranging room and a peaceful private viewing space for grieving friends and families to visit, providing locals with the highest level of funeral care.

Previously a hair salon, the new site will further strengthen William Purves’ presence in Edinburgh, joining eight existing branches to bring the business’s unrivalled funeral service to families in the north-west of the city. This central, convenient location to surrounding areas enables families to easily access support and every stage of the funeral process.

Leading the charge at the new Barnton branch will be accomplished funeral director, Jamie Reece, who has over a decade of experience in the sector. Jamie will work alongside the newly appointed Branch Administrator, Anne Ballantyne who recently celebrated five years with William Purves and is a local resident of Barnton.

James Morris, Managing Director at William Purves commented on the new opening: “We are very pleased to be opening a new branch in the beautiful Barnton area of Edinburgh.

” Having undergone a complete refurbishment, the new space will ensure grieving families have access to the highest standard of funeral care, support and comfort when it is needed most.

“And, having established strong relationships with the local churches, celebrants and funeral service venues, we hope to provide a streamlined service to minimise any additional stress at an already difficult time.

“We are looking forward to welcoming locals into the new branch – and encourage anyone with questions about funeral plans or arrangements to pop in and say hello.”

Tim Purves, chairman and great-great-grandson of founder William Purves, said: “This is an exciting time for William Purves and the wider Barnton area, as our new branch will offer local families the dedicated support, community investment and first-class facilities William Purves is known for.

“When my great great grandfather first opened William Purves Funeral Directors in 1888, I can’t imagine he envisioned I would be here today opening our 9th branch in Edinburgh and 29th nationwide. It is an honour to preserve his legacy and to continue serving the families of Edinburgh and beyond all these years later.”

William Purves’ new branch can be found on 185 Whitehouse Road and is open between 9-5 (closed between 1 and 2 for lunch) on weekdays. However, our phone line is open 24/7 for anyone in need.

Experts in Grief: Edinburgh funeral directors first to undertake inaugural grief training

It goes without saying that the job of a funeral director can be mentally taxing and stressful and while some may say it is part of the job, over time it can take its toll.

That’s why the independent Edinburgh funeral directors, William Purves, is acknowledging that their profession poses risks to colleagues’ mental health and has therefore working with leading bereavement charity, Cruse’s inaugural Grief First Aid training.

With over 125 years of experience in the business, the family-owned funeral firm is no stranger to carefully navigating the complexities of grief.

Nonetheless, in the aftermath of the pandemic, which saw countless lives affected by grief – including members of the funeral team – William Purves stepped up to become one of the first businesses to trial this new initiative to better support anyone who may be suffering as a result of loss, grief or bereavement. 

Hazel Strachan, a William Purves Administrator and one of the course attendees said: “Our job takes us to the heart of families who are coping with one of life’s most challenging experiences – never more so than during the pandemic. During this time, we prioritised the care of others over processing the impact on our own lives – which has led to a storing up of emotions.

“Funeral Directors are also not immune to bereavement in our own lives – events from many years ago can be triggered by aspects of the job, which creates an unexpected emotional response.”

Cruse’s Grief First Aid course comprises three online modules, each four hours in length. 20 representatives from William Purves undertook the course, covering topics including ‘understanding grief’ and ‘the importance of bereavement policy’.

The participants also developed practical skills focused on facilitating conversations around grief and how best to support a colleague returning to work following a bereavement. Upon finishing the training, each representative received a certification of completion.

Gemma Halley, HR Manager who enlisted William Purves’ onto the course, said: “As a team we are now equipped with a much deeper understanding of how grief impacts everyday life. Crucially, we now have the knowledge to recognise signs of need within the workplace which we may have otherwise overlooked and the skills to respond to that need.

“While hard to select one key takeaway from the training, the importance of recognising that everyone’s experience of grief is individual to them and that the power of listening cannot be underestimated will be invaluable.

“Treating our colleagues with compassion throughout their grief journey and ensuring they feel heard, respected and supported early on can potentially stave off far more serious consequences as well as strengthen and build internal bonds of support.”  

Rachel Argyle, a representative of Cruse said: “We were very excited that William Purves agreed to undertake our inaugural Grief First Aid Training.

“Given that they care for grieving families every day, their understanding of bereavement was already very high, and they were well equipped with key skills to support those suffering.

“Where the training resonated most was in giving staff the tools to recognise when fellow colleagues might be triggered by a funeral or life event, and to be more confident in initiating conversations around grief in the workplace.”

Panic as funeral pre-payment firms collapse under new reforms

Scotland’s largest independent funeral directors, William Purves, is fielding calls from several worried customers concerned about the implications of forthcoming funeral plan reforms. 

From July 29th, organisations selling funeral plans will fall under the regulation of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which will ensure that all plans are properly underwritten. 

And while good news for customers in the long term, it is feared that many buyers will be out of pocket in the short term as some smaller funeral plan providers fold as they are unable to satisfy the FCA requirements. 

Andrew Purves, Director of William Purves explains: “Customers who have purchased pre-payment plans designed to cover the cost of their funerals are naturally concerned about the implications of the reform. 

“Thankfully we can put our customers’ minds at rest as in recent years our plans have been one of the big three providers. However, the stark reality is that some customers’ pre-bought funerals, particularly those bought from smaller providers, may not be honoured.“ 

A number of funeral plan providers have already decided to stop operating and have approached larger providers to take over their plans – sadly some are expected to fold as the July deadline looms. 

Andrew continued: “My advice is if you have concerns or worries speak to the Funeral Director who you purchased the plan from, or the plan provider themselves, and ask what guarantees they can provide.

“We are in the process of contacting all William Purves pre-payment customers to update them on the situation.

“We welcome the regulation of pre-paid plans which are designed to protect customers and raise standards for plans sold in the future; however, this is of little comfort to those people who have taken steps to put their affairs in order and who may well be penalised.

“We will continue to keep our customers informed.”