A comprehensive funeral service for Uttoxeter and the surrounding area in a relaxed setting
Our Co-operative funeral service branch in Uttoxeter High Street was refurbished in 2016 to create a homely interior where people could feel relaxed when discussing sensitive matters.
New furniture, carpets and floral displays were brought in, along with inspirational artwork to give the funeral home a fresh look and uplifting atmosphere.
The result is a place where families can find both comfort and peace. The main reception area has the air of a living room with a cosy settee and an oak sideboard, while the arrangement room has been fitted out with a table and chairs to provide a more formal setting.
The chapel of rest has undergone a makeover too with pictures of butterflies on the walls designed to symbolise resurrection, like the caterpillar that appears dead when it makes a cocoon, but emerges as a butterfly.
This theme is picked up in the cushions scattered on the sofa in the reception area which is also adorned with butterflies, providing a sense of co-ordination.
Funeral director Tina Goodwin said: “We deliberately keep the blinds open as well to make people feel welcome and dispel any idea they may have of a funeral home being a gloomy place. The opposite is true here, especially after the refurbishment. It’s a light and airy place, with an optimistic feel to it which we believe is important to cultivate, even in difficult times, because it gives people a sense of hope.
“The overall aim is to provide a home from home environment where families can talk over their requirements, either from the comfort of a sofa or in the more formal setting of the arrangement room. It’s up to them. We also offer them refreshments when they come in.”
New office equipment completes the modern look given to the funeral home which was once a butcher’s shop. Original tiles upstairs provide a clue to its former use.
The branch can provide information on a wide range of funeral services, including details of local catering establishments offering competitively priced buffet menus for the funeral reception.
Hours of business
Monday to Friday 9am-4.30pm
Saturday and Sunday closed
Uttoxeter Funeral Home Staff
Deb Styles is an experienced funeral arranger who joined the profession in 2010. She has worked for two different Co-operative funeral providers and loves her role at Uttoxeter.
Before entering the funeral industry, Deb worked for courier company City Link for a number of years.
When her father died in 2008, she experienced first-hand just how important funeral professionals are to families mourning the loss of special people in their lives.
She says the love and care she received that day from Co-op funeral staff fostered her own interest in becoming a funeral arranger herself.
“We received a lot of guidance and kindness during a very difficult time, and it made me realise how rewarding the job could be.”
Deb is married to Mike and has two grown-up sons. Outside work she loves spending time with friends and family.
Andrew Cooper worked for 35 years in the railway industry before changing track to become a funeral arranger.
His new role is a far cry from managing a large team of people in the ticket office at Birmingham’s New Street station. He still catches a train to get to work, but it is a much shorter ride from his home in Tutbury.
Andrew became interested in joining a caring profession after his mother died and he experienced the invaluable support that funeral arrangers offer. He also empathises deeply with the bereaved, having lost his mother, mother-in-law and father in close succession.
“I had to go to my mother-in-law’s funeral the day after I started my new job in Uttoxeter and then my father died at the end of the same year,” he said.
“I find it very rewarding to have a job where showing kindness is at the heart of everything you do. Having experienced the loss of loved ones myself, it is very satisfying to be able to help other people in the same situation.”
Outside work, Andrew enjoys regular drives to the Peak District with his wife Joanne. He is also a keen football supporter who became a member of The 92 Club after visiting all the league grounds in the country.
