Community open day at North Wiltshire Crematorium

North Wiltshire Crematorium & Memorial Gardens is looking forward to welcoming visitors to a community open day on Saturday, July 11.

An invitation is open to anyone to visit between 10am and 4.30pm, when they will be able to tour the crematorium’s beautifully maintained gardens as well as the welcoming and comfortable chapel.

Visitors will have an opportunity to take a tour of the crematory, if they wish, and meet the crematorium’s friendly and supportive team.

They will also be able to find out more about the forthcoming refurbishment of the crematorium, which will transform it into a funeral SuperVenue, where state-of-the-art technology is used to enable services to become more uniquely personal than ever before.

Visitors can also talk to several local funeral directors and celebrants and a number of the crematorium’s business partners, including Aura Flights, EverWith, Anglia Casting Signs, Coleman Milne, the Wiltshire Registrar, the Mortuary Manager at Great Western Hospital, local charities, and others.

North Wiltshire Crematorium & Memorial Gardens is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 42 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, and which is trusted by more families than any other provider to deliver funerals for their loved ones.

All Westerleigh's locations are set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide peaceful places for people to visit and reflect, while benefitting from exceptional care and support from its teams.

Manager Loraine Beckinsale said: “Our open day presents people with the opportunity to visit our crematorium and its grounds in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and learn more about everything we have to offer.

“Visitors can meet the professional and dedicated team here, who take pride in providing exceptional care and support.

“It is an opportunity to ask any questions they might have about what we do, especially the various service options we offer to help with making the right choice for themselves or a loved one.

“We recently announced that we will be temporarily closing our chapel from Saturday 22 August in order to undergo a refurbishment which will include the installation of the technology needed to transform our crematorium into a funeral SuperVenue.

“When services resume on Tuesday 8 September, we will be able to project a range of dynamic themes onto the entire front wall of the chapel - canvas - and use synchronised soundscapes and lighting to offer innovative immersive experiences which will make funerals more uniquely personal to the person being remembered than ever before.

“Research carried out recently by Westerleigh Group with more than 2,000 people aged over 55, who have planned a funeral over the past five years, revealed that 92% of respondents said that having a personalised service is important.

“Therefore, the upcoming refurbishment is all part of our commitment to upholding the highest standards for the families we serve, working closely with industry partners, delivering exceptional care, peace of mind and the most uniquely personal farewell options to every family.

“We will also be glad to speak to anyone about options for memorialisation, whether that is in our grounds, ash scattering away from a crematorium or other options, such as personal keepsakes.

“Should they wish, visitors are also welcome to write a letter or card to someone they have lost and place it in our Letters to Loved Ones memorial post box.”

The community open day on July 11 is free of charge, there is no need to book in advance, and light refreshments will be available.

For more information about North Wiltshire Crematorium, visit: www.northwiltshirecrematorium.co.uk