Making funeral arrangements

There are many things to think about and decide when arranging a funeral. The person may have left plans for the funeral they want, or you may need to arrange the funeral yourself. It can be a good idea to ask family and friends for help. Or you may want to pay for the services of a funeral director, who can take you through the whole process step-by-step.

Whilst planning a funeral, it can be useful to consider: 

• waiting until you have the death certificate and green certificate for burial or cremation before finalising any arrangements making any arrangements
• if the person has left instructions in their will or a letter about their wishes
• letting people know about the death and funeral details by organising an obituary in a newspaper or other.

View further information on arranging funerals on GOV.UK

You can pay for a funeral director to arrange the funeral or you can choose to do it yourself.

If you decide to use a funeral director, we recommend that you choose one who’s a member of either:

• National Association of Funeral Directors
• The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)

Brent Council has its own funeral service, which provides for all faiths. A Funeral Advisor will be with you to plan, support and guide you through the funeral service.

Brent Funeral Services

Call: 0208 937 2390

Visit:

Humanist's UK and Institute of Civil Funerals can also help with non-religious funerals.

Arranging the funeral yourself

If you would like to arrange a burial yourself, comprehensive information is available from the Natural Death Centre.

Alternatively, contact our Cemeteries team and they can help if you have specific questions or want to make an appointment to look at the graves that are available.

Arranging a loved one’s funeral is difficult enough without having to worry about the cost. However, the average cost of a basic funeral in the UK is around £5,000.

The total cost of a funeral will include the costs of burial or cremation, the grave, the coffin or casket, the funeral service and any professional fees if you use a funeral director. You may also pay additional costs for flowers, venues, catering and you may also wish to purchase a memorial headstone at a later date.

If you’re arranging a funeral, you will be responsible for paying the costs, so you should find out if the deceased:

• has paid into a funeral plan to cover the costs of the funeral
• had an occupational or personal pension
• has any life insurance policies or was a member of any Trade Union, professional body or other association

If you are struggling to pay for the cost of a funeral, you may be eligible for help from the government.

If a person dies within the Brent area and there are no known relatives or friends able to make the necessary arrangements, please see information about funerals arranged by the council.

The burial service will typically take place after the main funeral service, (if you have one). It is a short ceremony held by the graveside as the coffin is lowered into the ground. Depending on your beliefs or the wishes of your loved one, the service can be religious or non-religious.

There are different burial options available:

• Traditional burial – a coffin or casket is lowered into a grave following a funeral service. Find out more about cemeteries in Brent
• Woodland burial -  a more environmental option where you lay a body to rest without a traditional coffin or headstone.
• Direct - a burial without the funeral service
• Burials at sea – contact us directly to arrange the correct licences and for more advice

In Brent there are four cemeteries in which to hold a burial service.

Find out more about cemeteries in Brent

Whichever option you choose, our cemeteries team are on hand to provide advice and guide you through the process.

If you are planning a burial, you will need the following paperwork before you can begin:

• The burial certificate (also known as the green form): you will receive this when you register the death.
• Grave plot application: you will need to complete this if you want to buy a new grave plot or re-open an existing family plot.

An on-call service is available at weekends and bank holidays if you need to arrange a funeral that needs to take place within 24 hours.

You will need to call the registrar between 9am and 11am to make a same-day registration appointment that will between 11am and 1pm.

The on-call registrar will issue the burial certificate if:

• you can provide confirmation that the burial is to take place within 24 hours
• we have received a correctly completed medical certificate of cause of death or stillbirth from the doctor
• the death or stillbirth does not have to be referred to the coroner.

Please contact us on 020 8937 1010 for further information.

Cremation is where the body is turned into ashes.

Whether you choose to cremate or bury your loved one will be a very personal decision and can depend on a number of things. If you are concerned about cost, cremations can be less expensive than a burial.

The service will typically take place in a chapel at the crematorium. Almost all crematoriums are multi-faith and will allow the venue to be dressed appropriately to respect the religious beliefs or you and your loved ones.

A cremation service can vary in length but is normally between 30-60minutes. It may be possible to book a double time slot if you want to hold a longer service. You should check with your local crematorium to see what options they offer and the fees.

After the service, the coffin will be taken to be cremated.  This is known as the committal.

Once the cremation has taken place, the ashes will be returned to you so you can scatter or keep them. You can also talk to the crematorium about burying the ashes or memorial options.

The council does not directly manage any crematoriums in Brent. The nearest ones to Brent are:

Kensal Green Cemetery (General Cemetery Company)
Harrow Road
London W10 4RA
Call: 020 8969 0152

Hendon Cemetery and Crematoria
Holders Hill Road
Mill Hill
London NW7 1NB
Call: 020 8346 0657

Breakspear Crematorium
Breakspear Road
Ruislip HA4 7SJ
Call: 01895 632843