The life-and-death talk we all need to have
24 April 2019
Following on from my last blog on the best way to start talking about death with your loved ones (which in short, is to think about and share your own ‘good death’ story), today I’ve put together some questions that might help nurture the conversation. Before we begin, it’s really important that if you’re going […]
How to bring up the dirty ‘D-Word’ in conversation
18 April 2019
If you read Gareth’s blog last week, you’ll have probably sensed his frustration that people (even those close to our family of funeral directors!) find it so difficult to discuss end of life, death care, and funeral preferences with their loved ones. We find it difficult – because it is difficult. But it’s not impossible. […]
A solution to the most common issues faced by grieving families
29 January 2019
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: My blogs so far this month have been about the financial reasons for taking out a funeral plan – and the key reason most people haven’t done so yet: “they just haven’t got round to it!” But today, I’d like to share some insights that demonstrate why getting organised and […]
Have you resolved to get organised this January?
15 January 2019
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Last week, my blog shared some key findings from the annual Cost of Dying report* published in 2018. It explained why more than half of people who have ever organised a funeral have thought about their own funeral… and why many of those people haven’t got round to doing anything […]
A New Year’s Gift for You
7 January 2019
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: As we look to the year ahead and make resolutions to take stock, get fit and try to save money after the big festive blow out – my blog today is about making sensible decisions about your future… and getting a little something back in the process.If you’re a regular […]
2018 – What a year for Coles Funeral Directors!
31 December 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: What a year for the Coles Team! It has been pretty non-stop as we launched our new Direct Cremation service in January, opened our new premises in Heath, and expanded our fleet with a striking Silver Hearse and Limousines. These landmark changes mean Coles Funeral Directors has been able to […]
Caring for Cardiff’s community – in life and in death
26 October 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Earlier this week we were at Cardiff City Stadium meeting with Care & Nursing professionals from all over Cardiff and the surrounding areas who gathered together for their annual ‘Care Roadshow’. The seminars this year focussed on the significant changes in the sector including funding, recruitment and government policy.Margaret Rooney […]
Is there a Funeral Price War raging – and if so, who started it?
7 September 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Over the summer you may have been made aware of the considerable turmoil in the funeral industry at the moment… Well, behind the scenes here at Coles we’ve been pulling out all the stops to campaign on your behalf for fairer funeral prices for all – and wanted to share […]
When should funeral arrangements not be a personal choice?
28 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: If you’ve read my previous blogs this month, I’ve been writing about the importance of personal choice when it comes to making funeral plans and arrangements. There really is no right or wrong way to say goodbye to a loved one, and at no point should you feel pressured by […]
What will your favourite flower say about you?
22 June 2018
Written by Services Manager, Claire Robertson: This month we’ve been talking about how it’s important to have choice when it comes to end of life care and funeral plans. There is always a lot to think about when somebody dies and making funeral arrangements can be stressful. All too often, people feel hurried into making […]
Our step-by-step guide to personalising a funeral
14 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: Last week, there were lots of news headlines about the lack of transparency and ‘confusion’ in the funeral industry, particularly around pricing. We couldn’t agree more with Senior Director of Markets at Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Daniel Gordon, when he said to BBC News: “People can understandably be very […]
Funeral Industry under Scrutiny in the News… and its about time!
4 June 2018
Written by Director, Gareth Coles: If you’ve listened to the news over the weekend you may well have picked up a story that is also making newspaper headlines – about the price of funerals, the choice available to people, and the conduct of companies selling pre-paid funeral plans. In the last couple of days, Ministers […]