Funerals

Has someone died?

After the death of someone you love, it is natural to feel a great sense of loss. The next of kin have to arrange the funeral service, and because there are often a lot of things to organise, and everyone is grieving, it is easy to overlook some important communication issues.

These are some things to think about

Tell the Funeral Director when there are Deaf friends and family members who will be coming to the Funeral Service.

Decide where you want the service to be –
at the crematorium or a local Church.

If the service will be in the local Crematorium:

Most Crematoria allow 20 minutes for the actual service, because the other 10 minutes is the time it takes for people to walk in and out of the Chapel. For signed services, this may not be enough time, especially if members of the family or friends wish to take part. If you feel you need more time, please ask the Funeral Director to book a double slot. However, you may be charged extra for this.

If the service will be in a Church:

There can be more time flexibility by having the service in the Church. It is also easier to use a screen to project the words of the service and pictures of the person who has died, as this is often greatly appreciated by the congregation.

It is wise to discuss what you want to have in the service before booking the time, as the priest will know how long to allow. The Funeral Director will then be able to make all the bookings so the Church service can be smoothly followed by a Committal in the Crematorium or at the graveside.

Think about which language you would like
for the funeral – full BSL, or English. Do you need a qualified interpreter, with a hearing priest, or would you prefer for a priest to be able to sign the service? The Chaplain is available to lead funeral services, or sign for the service or just be available for advice.

Who pays for the interpreter?
If the service is led by a Church of England priest then the chaplaincy can cover the cost of the interpreter. It is possible sometimes for the chaplaincy to cover the costs of the interpreter in other circumstances such as if the funeral has large numbers of Deaf people present, but please be in touch with the chaplain as soon as possible if you wish to have her help or interpreter costs covered.