Arranging a burial

For many people it may be the first time they have to make funeral arrangements. The may not be clear as to whether they intend to use a funeral director or make arrangements themselves.

Some want to make funerals less formal and more a celebration of the life of the deceased, or about being more natural and green.

The advice on this page is intended to widen choice and help the bereaved and others obtain a meaningful funeral. Salford City Council does not wish to promote any particular type of arrangement or choice and it is hoped that the information does not imply this. Salford Bereavement Services does not provide a funeral directing service and cannot collect bodies and convey them to the cemeteries that they operate.

Choosing a funeral director

Funerals can be arranged from anywhere in the country without difficulty, although the distance can increase costs. If you use a funeral director, you can choose one from your locality or alternatively, contact one in another part of the country. Some funeral directors are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and have a code of practice. Under this code, they should offer you a price list, at your request.

Provisional funeral booking

The offices are situated at the entrance gates and you can make your funeral arrangements there either by calling in or by telephone.

Please state that you require a burial booking (not a cremation). You must also inform the office at this stage whether you require the use of the burial chapel for the service. This provisional booking ensures that a day and time is reserved for your funeral arrangements and so all other aspects can now be organised.

Service times

Monday to Thursday:
9.00am, 9.40am, 10.20am, 11.00am, 11.40am, 12.20pm, 1.00pm, 1.40pm, 2.20pm, 3.00pm

Friday:
9.00am, 9.40am, 10.20am, 11.00am, 11.40am, 12.20pm, 1.00pm, 1.40pm, 2.20pm

There are separate burial chapels at Peel Green and Swinton cemeteries, therefore the above times may be adjusted to accommodate family wishes. Please discuss with the cemetery office.

A limited service is provided on Saturday morning. Please discuss the availability with the office staff (an additional charge is made for weekend funerals).

We will require the following information over the telephone:

• Funeral location (we have four cemeteries):
  • Agecroft (Northern) Cemetery - Langley Road, Pendlebury, Swinton
  • Weaste Cemetery - off Eccles New Road, Salford (managed through contacting the Agecroft office)
  • Peel Green Cemetery - 716 Liverpool Road, Eccles (managed through contacting the Agecroft office)
  • Swinton Cemetery - Cemetery Road South, Swinton (managed through contacting the Agecroft office)
• Funeral date and time
  This will be when the funeral will arrive at the cemetery. A member of staff will be waiting to supervise your funeral. We will normally require a minimum of three working days notice in which to get the grave excavated and ready, this also allows the administration work to be done in the office.
• Details of deceased
  We require the name, age and address of the deceased.
• Funeral type
  This will depend upon how your funeral is organised. If you have a service elsewhere than the cemetery, you will simply go directly to the grave when you arrive. The grave will be prepared and you will be met by a Bereavement Services Funeral Attendant and then have a committal service or any such service as you require. If you prefer to have a service at the cemetery you can use one of our burial chapels for a 40 minute service. Peel Green and Swinton cemeteries have heir own burial chapel, at Agecroft the crematorium chapel is used for this purpose but unfortunately, Weaste cemetery does not have its own chapel facilities although one of the other chapels may be used. We are sympathetic to all cultural religions and non-religious services to be held in our chapels or at the graveside. If you require any further details or are not sure what you can do please telephone the office. There are no legal restrictions to the use of burial chapels as long as the service is not offensive to other mourners -then the service may be personalised to meet the need of the family and mourners.
• Person arranging funeral
  We require the name, address and telephone number of this person who can be a family member or funeral director, who must also pay the fees required. A table of fees is available upon request.
• Grave number
  If you already have a grave, the number is on your deed. You need to say who is already buried in the grave, which the office will confirm. They will also check to see if there is sufficient space for another burial. If a new grave is required it will be necessary to state the maximum number of burials required. The graves in Salford are lawn type graves.
• Coffin size
  You may not know these details at this early stage. If not, you will need to notify us so that we can ensure the grave is dug to the correct size. The size required will be the outside dimensions of the coffin or casket, including handles (see 'container or coffin' details below).
• Religion of deceased
  As a multi-cultural society we need to know the religion of the deceased as it does enable us to anticipate the type, length of service and graveside requirements. This information is required two days prior to the burial service and can be completed on the 'Notice for Interment' form.

This completes the telephone arrangements and you must now proceed as follows:

Legal requirements before burial can proceed

Registration of the death - the death must be registered with the registrar of births, deaths and marriages, who will require a certificate of the cause of death issued by a medical practitioner (either from the local GP or from the hospital). The registrar will issue a Certificate for Burial (green disposal), which you must pass to us as soon as possible as without it, the funeral cannot take place.

The above certificates will not be issued in some cases, for example if the cause of death not known, no medical attendant, accident, sudden death, etc. which may result in the coroner being involved. If this is the case then the coroner will issue an alternative certificate (Coroner's Inquest Form) which again must be passed to us. In this instance, a post-mortem may be required or other investigations, which may delay the funeral.

Notice of burial

You must complete and sign a formal application to us for the burial - this form is called an 'Order for an Interment'. This can be obtained by post from us or you may use a similar form from your local cemeteries department. This form confirms your telephone booking and completes a binding contract over the funeral. It is required by 10.30am two working days before the funeral is due to arrive.

This will complete the legal requirements and you must now:

Consider the funeral arrangements

Container or coffin - A traditional coffin, biodegradable coffin or alternative can be used for burial. The container must be interred with the body and it is not possible to remove the deceased from the container during the ceremony. The container must be environmentally acceptable and biodegradable without using lead, zinc or such metals during the construction. It is preferred that a nameplate or other form of identification is placed on the container. It must be noted that fluid can leak from the body, particularly when the funeral is delayed due to the coroner's involvement or an inquest has been held. The use of plastic sheets and or wadding can prevent or minimise this.

The container must be lowered into the grave when the burial takes place. We have graves of varying depth in our cemeteries. As it is neither safe nor sensible for anybody to enter the grave, in order to help a body being lowered, tapes/webbing straps should be used for lowering from the gravesides. For traditional coffins and rigid containers, we have tapes available at the graveside to lower the container. For other types of containers, the method of lowering must be considered very carefully.

You need to provide sufficient bearers to carry the container and lower into the grave. The cemetery staff are unable to assist you in this task, although they can advise you on the safest method to use.

Information about biodegradable and standard coffins and other alternatives are available from the office upon request. Please ask for a leaflet and check for details.

Conveyance - Any form of suitable transport can be used to convey the body to the cemetery as well as a hearse. An estate car or van would seem suitable, depending upon how easy it is to slide the container in and out of the vehicle. It may be possible to hire a hearse from a local funeral director and do the remainder of the funeral yourself.

Service - You can devise your own service and deliver it yourself or, through a family member or friend. This can make the service a meaningful experience, which can be more personal and moving. The deceased may have composed the service with the family carrying out their wishes. If you ask a minister to officiate check he/she is happy with your wishes for the services.

Additional information and advice

Location
We have four cemeteries, for which we can provide a plan showing their location related to main roads. Please ask for a copy from the main offices at Agecroft and Peel Green.

Fees
A table of fees can be requested which sets out Bereavement Services charges. The particular fees you need to consider are:

• Right of burial - This gives the deed for the exclusive right of burial for 75 years. This in effect makes the grave private, allowing the grave owner the right to instruct the cemetery office as to who may be buried within the grave space. The rights can be bought in advance by calling into the cemetery office to make the necessary arrangements. This is usually called ‘Reserving a grave space'.
• Burial fee (interment fee) - This is for excavating and securing the side walls of the grave, dressing the surface with timber and grass mats providing lowering tapes, re-filling the grave and leaving it neat and tidy with any flowers carefully place over. A member of staff is included to supervise the burial.
• Chapel - A fee is payable to use the chapel for a service The chapels have taped music upon request or you may use your own music. Please provide tapes or CDs 24 hours before the service takes place.
• Erection of memorials - A fee is charged for registering and recording the memorial in the statutory registers, checking the inscription and grave owner in the registers and ensuring the memorial is placed on the correct grave.

Please note that all fees may be subject to an increase each year. If you arrange a funeral directly with the cemetery offices only the fees mentioned above will be charged. These cover administration, registration and all other costs mentioned. The cost of the container, conveyance, flowers, obituaries, etc, will be your responsibility.

All fees must be paid to the cemetery office before the funeral takes place and are payable to Salford City Council.

Disbursements

Flowers
You can provide your own funeral flowers or alternatively, ie rosemary for remembrance, dried flowers, garden flowers can be picked from your garden. Alternatively, you may use the services of a commercial florist.

Obituaries
If you require these in the local newspapers then you need to make these arrangements yourself or through your funeral director. Some newspapers, due to hoaxes do not accept telephone bookings and they may require you to call at their offices to make the booking, supplying evidence of the death or they will check where the death was registered or with your funeral director.

Service
You may wish to devise your own funeral service with someone either family or friends who will deliver it at the funeral. The city of Salford is a multi cultural society with many types of services taking place, which we are sympathetic to the needs of the bereaved and we will help all we can.

Green funerals
A natural alternative - Salford City Council is committed to improving the environment but whilst we do not provide Woodland burials ourselves, there is a natural cemetery in Ellenbrook who can provide a natural setting for this type of funeral service. There is no memorialisation as the woodland is the living memorial to your loved one. Further details can be obtained on planning a funeral.

Memorial services
We hold two memorial services a year on Mothering Sunday and during Advent, to remember our loved ones. Ministers from the Church of England, the Catholic Church and the Free Churches officiate at these services and a candle may be lit during the service to remember your loved one. Our facilities are available for any religious or non-religious group to hold a memorial service. Please contact the office for further details.

For those who wish to consider in more detail the subject of funerals, making the right choices for a personalised funeral and dying, the National Death Centre offer a range of services and information that will be useful to you. They are located at The Natural Death Centre, In the Hill House, Watley Lane, Twyford, Winchester, SO21 1QX. Telephone 0871 288 2098.

Charter for the legal requirements before burial can proceed

The charter for the bereaved was launched on 2 September 1996 in London by the Institute of Burial and Cremation Administration. Salford Bereavement Services are keen to adopt all of the 33 rights specified in the charter, copies of which are available free of charge. There are a number of other free charter leaflets available upon your request.

This information is offered as guidance and is updated when new information is sourced. No responsibility can be accepted for the fact that these details cannot be correct in every case but we will try to give you accurate and up to date information whenever possible.

Useful contacts

Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages
Town Hall
Chorley Road
Swinton
M27 5DA

Telephone: 0161 793 2500

Mortuaries
Hope Hospital
Stott Road
Salford

Telephone: 0161 789 7373