GreenAcres Woodland Burials offers invaluable support beyond the day of the funeral
Remembrance Services and Bereavement Workshops for all whether you have visited before or not
The grieving process surrounding the passing of a loved one is complex and doesn’t just miraculously stop after the funeral, with some people often finding it hard to readjust to life without the person who has died. Of course, death doesn’t mean you necessarily close the book on cherished memories, and GreenAcres Woodland Burials understands that its role extends beyond the funeral and burial services that it provides.
“We understand that support for those coping with bereavement is as essential to the needs of families and friends of the deceased as the burial ceremony itself,” commented Nicky Whichelow, Group Marketing Manager for all of the GreenAcres Woodland Burial sites in the UK. “We believe in the celebration of life, that most special and treasured memory and our stunning woodland cemeteries help people find a unique and peaceful way to say goodbye.”
With that in mind, GreenAcres Woodland Burials are introducing regular Remembrance Services and Bereavement Workshops which are open to all whether someone is buried at any of the parks or not and are free of charge to attend.
“The Remembrance Services will be a way to open our doors to those wanting to take time to reflect, and our stunning woodlands and award-winning buildings are an appropriate place to do so” continued Nicky
Starting on the 23rd February and running every last Saturday of the month, the Remembrance Services will be led by an independent celebrant to ensure that no-one feels left out based on their religious beliefs or those that don’t have any. They will provide all present the opportunity to hear readings, listen to music and light a candle in memory of the person who has died.
The Services of Remembrance will also be important for those who perhaps feel that they never had the chance to say goodbye properly, perhaps through the loss of a child in early pregnancy. “At the park we understand that everybody deals with death in his or her own unique way,” Nicky said. “Many will say it’s a journey, a process something that has to be got through and some will find that they don’t understand what is happening to them or their friends or family.”
Therefore as well as the introduction of regular Remembrance Services, GreenAcres Woodland Burials is also running Bereavement Workshops for those who want something more. Led by fully qualified and highly trained bereavement specialists, the workshop will cover key issues facing those who experience loss and help them to achieve a greater understanding of what it means. It is aimed at those who have lost an adult relationship more than six months ago and is not an individual or group counseling session. There will however be the chance to explore the further signposting available at the end of the workshop.
Contemporary thinking identifies five stages of grief linked to the death of a loved one, which have become so deeply embedded in our culture that they have become virtually inescapable. The five stages are recognised as making intuitive sense, as renown author Elisabeth Kübler-Ross explained in an interview conducted after the publishing of her book ‘On Death and Dying’.
“Any natural, normal human being, when faced with any kind of loss, will go from shock all the way through to acceptance,” said Kübler-Ross. “They can be heard recited in the form of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance and are all invoked by our emotional reaction to the death of a loved one.”
The Bereavement Workshop is a place to address this and focus thoughts on not just ‘getting over it’, but assist in the embarkation of that individual’s grieving process. Attendees will be encouraged to consider how they might want to adjust, and equip themselves with the tools to recognize an adjustment is necessary, be they husbands, wives, sons, daughters, relatives or friends.
“Life is the most precious of commodities, a miracle itself, and we aim to support those celebrating a life lived to the full and those tragically cut short way too early” says Nicky.
“This is always a personal journey and it’s important for individuals to identify with the permanent change in the landscape to their lives and to come to terms with the fact that grieving does not just end when the funeral is over. It may not be a pleasant journey, but it is not an insurmountable one, which our Remembrance Services and Bereavement Workshops endeavor to make as comfortable as possible with peace-of-mind an end goal.”
GreenAcres Woodland Burials continues to work to give the much needed support beyond the day of the funeral, the valuable support needed in coping with the loss of a loved one and to help people find their own way to start afresh, encouraging peace of mind and happy memories with the chance to heal.
To reserve a place on any of the parks events, go to www.greenacreswoodlandburials.co.uk and find your closest park. From there you can either email, telephone or simply book the event on-line.
Places on the Bereavement Workshops are limited to a maximum of 30 so book early to avoid disappointment.
You don’t need to book for the Remembrance Services which up until April are as follows across all parks :
Saturday 23rdFebruary 11:30am – 12:00noon
Saturday 30thMarch 11:30am – 12:00noon
Saturday 27thApril 11:30am – 12:00noon
For all press enquiries contact Nicky Whichelow Head of Group Marketing at nicky.whichelow@greenacresgroup.co.uk
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For all press enquiries contact Nicky Whichelow Head of Group Marketing at nicky.whichelow@greenacresgroup.co.uk
GreenAcres Woodland Burials (formerly Woodland Burial Parks Group) has been instrumental in the UK development of a unique, meaningful and award-winning concept that has revolutionised the funeral industry. The first GreenAcres site in Colney Wood in Norwich quickly became an award-winning business and was considered a leader in the funeral sector. This flagship example led to further expansion, Epping Forest Woodland Burials 2008, and Chiltern Woodland Burials in 2009. At 72 acres, Chiltern is believed to be the largest of its kind in the UK. Permission has just been granted for a new site in Liverpool due to open in early Summer 2013.
GreenAcres Woodland Burials are unique and stunningly beautiful places where burials and ash interments take place within a mature woodland landscape. The woodland of the parks is treated with the upmost respect and the woodland teams actively encourage the landscape to naturally flourish and develop. The parks are a haven of wild life and plant growth and the spread of biodiversity is also encouraged.
But most importantly, customer service is paramount. The highly professional team is trained to the highest standard in order to provide the exemplary levels of customer service that the business has become renowned for demonstrated in it winning the coveted European Business Award for Customer Service in November 2012.. Uniquely all GreenAcres woodland sites are open and fully staffed 365 days a year providing a totally personal funeral experience. Community involvement is a large part of the GreenAcres Woodland Burials ethos and the company has been publicly praised for both its local charity fund raising as well as supporting local groups in a more practical way such as offering the use of its beautiful ceremonial buildings to local groups for free.
Compared to the operators of other cemeteries – including natural and green burial grounds – GreenAcres Woodland Burials stand out in terms of the quality of the on-site facilities and the service provided. The intention is to become the UK’s leading woodland burial provider, operating in tune with the environment, public opinion and sound ethical principles.
