Written by Funeral Director, James Rogers:
On Saturday 15th September, I’m heading to Bournemouth with Gareth, Steven and Francesca to attend the Good Funeral Awards 2018. When I received the news that I have been nominated by the families I work with as Funeral Arranger of the Year for the second year running – I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Last year I had the privilege of attending the Awards Ceremony in London and it was a fabulous celebration of the talented people working in the death care and funeral industry… can’t wait to do it all again on Saturday!I started in the funeral industry on 5thOctober 2001. I remember the day clearly, having just left college 2 weeks previously. My first career step was into a funeral arranger’s role making arrangements and fulfilling administrative duties, but my eagerness to learn a lot more about the industry and the business I was working for at the time, meant I was encouraged to train as a Funeral Director in early 2003. This involved working directly with the bereaved families and caring for deceased persons.
After just over a decade working as a Funeral Director, the business I was working for was taken over by a national consortium, and after much deliberation, I decided to make a move that would mean I could remain in the private sector of the funeral industry. Hence, in 2015 I had the opportunity to join Coles Funeral Directors – which I knew to be an award-winning, independent, family-run business that sets the bar extremely high for all their team and is constantly driving the funeral industry forward, particularly here in Cardiff. Exemplary customer service, strong values and impeccable standards mean that the standard of care for Coles’ customers is second-to-none.
Since joining the team, Coles Funeral Directors has helped me grow, gain further knowledge and invested in my training and development. I have recently completed my Management & Team Leading Diploma. I enjoyed studying for this leadership and management qualification immensely, and it has meant I am now further able to apply my skills and knowledge to guide and develop my team. Sharing my 18+ years’ experience in the funeral arranging business with newer recruits to the Coles Team is really very important to me, as I wouldn’t be the Funeral Director I am today without the guidance of some truly remarkable ladies and gentlemen that I have had the privilege to meet and work with along my journey. I’m delighted to be able to ‘give something back’ by now sharing my wealth of knowledge and experience with others: after all, “from small acorns, mighty oak trees grow.”
I truly believe it is important for Funeral Arrangers to be at the forefront of providing innovative services to cater for the ever-changing needs of the community and clients we look after. There are many, many choices available to customers now, and I believe my role is to guide families through the options available to them to make the funeral service completely individual and always extra-special.
If you’ve got any questions about my experiences as a Funeral Arranger (perhaps you’re considering this career for yourself?) I’d be only too happy to have a chat so please drop me a line!