CRAUFURDLAND WOODS

Tranquil, natural and beautiful, this is is the oldest active private natural woodland burial ground in Scotland, which provides an alternative to a traditional cemetery or ashes interment. Set in a stunning location in the beautiful Ayrshire countryside amidst the Craufurdland Estate near Kilmarnock it is only short drive from Glasgow city-centre.

The Herald:

Surrounded by mature Ash trees and Hawthorn hedgerow, this natural burial ground is quiet and peaceful, set in a long established designated rural area it has stunning countryside views only interrupted by a scattering of farms far off in the distance. The “Woods” is part of Craufurdland Estate, lands given to the Craufurd family in 1245 which has remained in their careful guardianship ever since. The Craufurds are dedicated to the continued stewardship of the estate, and it is with this in mind that the woodland burial ground was established to allow other families in the West of Scotland and further afield to secure a beautiful and peaceful resting place for their loved ones.

Still operated by the Craufurd family today, brothers Alex and Simon, are always on hand, to walk with you and your family through the tranquil pastures of Craufurdland Woods taking time to show you around before selecting this most serene resting place for your loved one. At Craufurdland Woods natural burial ground no embalming is permitted and all coffins must be biodegradable. Types of Coffin recommended are Pine, Bamboo and Wicker – Cardboard, or any other biodegradable coffin.

The Herald:

The funerals here are as diverse as the people whom are represented or the lives they celebrate. We have prepared broad and varied funerals, several have had religious services, where the ground has been consecrated, to a 5piece ceilidh band to a biker funeral with a sidecar hearse.

Craufurdland Castle can be used for a beautiful and secluded venue for an intimate and exclusive funeral ceremony, and/or for the funeral tea.

What about a funeral director- Do we need one?  The simple answer is no - It’s about what’s important to you and how you want your funeral conducted, with or without the assistance of a Funeral director all are welcome. Having bespoke options is what makes Craufurdland Woods special for so many who have laid their loved ones to rest in this tranquil setting.

An indigenous tree of your choosing marks the graves, should you wish the graves can also be marked with engraved natural stone plaque. Early each year, families are invited to plant their chosen tree (from the list of indigenous native species). The plot is pre-prepared for the family to plant the tree, Simon or Alex is on hand should the family request help in planting the tree.

“The families who have chosen Craufurdland Woods as a resting place for their loved ones tell us they like the fact that the tree planting is sometime after the funeral as it gives them the opportunity to celebrate their loved ones continuously, long after their passing ”says Simon Craufurd. Security isn’t an issue at the burial grounds. With the gates unlocked, and right of responsible access means anyone can pass through the land. "With no tombstones, there's not much to steal, only peace, stillness and beauty to enjoy.” says Simon Craufurd.

For more information visit our website www.craufurdland.co.uk

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CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE

Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people.

Cruse offers face-to-face, telephone, email and website support. We have a Freephone national helpline and local services, and a website (hopeagain.org.uk) specifically for children and young people. Our services are provided by our network of 5,000 trained volunteers and are confidential and free. Cruse also provides training and consultancy for external organisations and for those who may encounter bereaved people in the course of their work.

The Herald:

Get Help

Grief is a natural process, but it can be devastating. For those who need help, Cruse offers free confidential support for adults and children, and this can be by telephone, email or face-to-face.

Helpline

Cruse Bereavement Care is here to support you after the death of someone close. If someone you know has died and you need to talk, call us freephone on 0808 808 1677.

The helpline is open Monday-Friday 9.30-5pm (excluding bank holidays), with extended hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, when we’re open until 8pm. 

Face-to-face and group support is delivered by trained bereavement volunteers across across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We offer information, publications, and support for children. We also have a number of specialist projects. 

Go online at www.cruse.org.uk

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FUNERAL HYMN SHEETS

GLASGOW-BASED company funeralhymnsheets.co.uk offer online Order of Service templates which allows the creation of bespoke and personal Funeral Stationery of a very high quality. They have a range of templates from Traditional to Modern which can be personalised online, or by contacting one of the dedicated team who will give personal help and attention when required.  

With a large range of typefaces, colours and template designs, customising an Order of Service is easy. Add to that the freedom to move, edit and place text as required, Orders of Service can be produced to exact specifications. After selecting the desired template, simply pick the pages, fill out the predefined text boxes and add images to create a professionally laid out Order of Service. This allows the Order of Service to be as unique and special as the person it’s celebrating. A video tutorial available at funeralhymnsheets.co.uk, will guide you through the process, as well as staff being on hand to help promptly and sympathetically.

The Herald:

The templates are designed to make placing images as easy as possible. Simply upload cherished images and drag and drop them onto the grey image areas shown. The Image Editor can be used to enhance or colour-correct photos and images. In addition, connection with social media accounts, Facebook and Instagram, allows access to photos that may be online.

The Orders of Service are printed in Glasgow on thick luxury card using state of the art digital printing presses which produce crisp, sharp lines and rich, vibrant colours throughout the printed Orders or Service which are then precision cut and mechanically creased before being hand folded, checked and packed, all under the eyes of an experienced printer. In addition to checks being made at each stage of the process, a member of the quality control team ensures that every Order of Service meets their high standards before being dispatched.

Other related printed products like Mass, Prayer and Attendance Cards, Photo Books, Canvas Prints, Bookmarks, etc., can also be produced as required by request.

The Herald:

Funeralhymnsheets.co.uk, are a division of Exacta Print Ltd, an independent family printing business trading in Glasgow City Centre since 1975.  They continuously work to achieve high environmental standards in their day to day activities and only use paper and card from sustainable forests.

The Funeral Hymn Sheet Division was created in 2009 to specialise solely on producing high quality Funeral Stationery within a tight time-frame. Orders are delivered free UK wide via courier, on a pre-noon next working day service, or can simply be collected from the Glasgow City Centre printworks. Earlier courier services are also available if required.

The full range of templates can be viewed online at www.funeralhymnsheets.co.uk

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HERITAGE FUNERAL SERVICES

Heritage Funeral Services Ltd opened in the heart of East Kilbride in December 1999. Funeral Director, John Martin Donnelly has over 25 years of experience, whose reputation and foundation of his business is built on the belief that traditions and high standards must always be maintained.

All funerals are individual, so costs will vary and we understand how important it is for each family to discuss, plan and agree upon the funeral service. As Funeral Directors, we do not take away control from the families but endeavour to guide and advise families, in such difficult circumstances.

The Herald:

We will attend to all the necessary arrangements needed throughout the process of arranging a Funeral to ensure that the Funeral is personal to your family. Our involvement begins from the first point of contact with ourselves and continues beyond the day of the Funeral. We pride ourselves on listening to every families particular needs and circumstances, to provide a meaningful and memorable day.

The only part of the process we can not do for you is register the death. Once the Death Certificate has been issued, the duty to register and provide all relevant information lies with a relative or executor of the deceased. In Scotland a death can be registered at any registry office.

www.heritagefuneralservices.co.uk

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MCLEANS FUNERAL SERVICES

MCLEANS often get asked how we can do this job. This is one of the easiest questions to answer. It’s a privilege and it’s impossible for us to call this a job when it so intertwined in our lives. It is not a case of closing the office and leaving our work behind us. Every family we meet and help their story stays with us.

For us at McLeans, as a small family team, it is about helping every family that walks through the door and treating them as if they are one of our own. No request is either too small or too farfetched. If a bereaved family member or friend find it important, it is.

From the simplest things we can do for people, which may just be to listen or to go as far as arranging a full stable of horses, if it is going to bring them some comfort we will always strive to meet there needs.

All this has been learned from Chris, Dad and Papa to us. He always taught us to have an open heart and the importance of people’s lives. We all strive to continue to meet his caring compassionate nature to anyone who passes us in our day to day lives.

With this kindness he had over 20 years in the local community helping anyone in need. He always seemed to know exactly when someone needed a shoulder to rest on or when to bring a smile to their face. We still get reminded on a daily basis through the touching stories people tell us when they pass through our doors.

Knowing that trust in the east end of Glasgow is one thing that is definitely not earned lightly we are always filled with pride and humbled by the position we hold in the community. From days gone by when all recommendations where done through word of mouth to now when every piece of information is easily accessible, we are all honoured when someone comes to us during one of the greatest times of need they may have in lives.

Bringing with them trust in knowing that us McLeans Funeral Services as a family will show every ounce of care towards them and departed loved ones.

See www.mcleansfuneralservices.com