Funeral Plans
A funeral tailored to your wishes, planned in advance
A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance. A plan allows you to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. As customers often tell us, that can bring peace of mind to you and your family. A plan from Golden Charter also includes an allowance towards third party costs. These are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service.
At Coles Funeral Directors, we work in partnership with Golden Charter to provide you with a simple way to plan ahead. As one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers1, Golden Charter has helped over 900,000 people to plan ahead2, so we’re completely confident in offering their plans to you.
Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans we offer are as flexible as possible. When you get in touch, we’ll be happy to discuss your funeral requirements and tailor a plan to suit you. Rest assured a plan from Golden Charter is available to all UK residents regardless of age or state of health.
1Based on a Golden Charter analysis and independent research of the funeral plan market size as at January 2023.
2Correct at October 2023.
Examples of Plan Packages
The plan options listed below provide an illustration of the funeral plans available. The retail price of your funeral plan is representative of the equivalent cost of a funeral today plus an arrangement fee of £325 which is retained by Golden Charter to help cover the costs of setting up your plan. Also included in the plan price is an allowance towards third party costs. Prices are applicable from 22nd October 2024 and subject to change without prior notice. Plans and prices are examples only. Contact us for more details.
Natural Plan
Base price £6,364
Details:
If you would like to take a ‘natural’ approach, this plan includes:
- A meeting with a funeral director in the comfort of your own home
- Choice of date and time
- Provision of professional services and making arrangements for the funeral
- Funeral procession from family home or other location
- Service in a church or a venue of your choice
- Transport for clergy
- Natural coffin made with sustainable and eco-friendly materials that are biodegradable.
- Bio-degradable shroud
- Funeral director and four funeral staff to attend the funeral
- One limousine
- Flexible viewing times
- Guidance on natural burial grounds
Superior Plan
Base price £6,234
Details:
An example of a superior plan package:
- A meeting with a funeral director in the comfort of your own home
- Choice of date and time
- Provision of professional services and making arrangements for the funeral
- Funeral procession from family home or other location
- Service in a church or a venue of your choice
- Transport for clergy
- Superior veneer coffin (light or dark oak)
- Funeral director and four funeral staff to act as pallbearers
- Two limousines
- Flexible viewing times
Most Popular
Classic Plan
Base price £5,769
Details:
An example of a classic plan package:
- A meeting with a funeral director in the comfort of your own home
- Choice of date and time
- Provision of professional services and making arrangements for the funeral
- Funeral procession from family home or other location
- Service in a church or a venue of your choice
- Transport for clergy
- Basic wood effect coffin
- Funeral director and four funeral staff to act as pallbearers
- One limousine
- Flexible viewing times
Simple Plan
Base price £3,584
Details:
An example of a simple plan package:
- Meeting with a funeral director at our office during office hours
- Date and time allocated by Coles
- Provision of professional services and making arrangements for the funeral
- Hearse direct to local crematorium or cemetery for funeral service
- Transport for clergy
- Unfinished MDF (medium-density fibreboard) coffin
- Funeral director and three funeral staff to act as pallbearers
- A viewing appointment allocated by Coles during office hours (09:00-17:00 Mon-Thurs, 09:00-16:30 Fri)
Direct Plan
Base price £1,669
Details:
An example of a direct cremation plan package:
This plan is an example of an unattended direct cremation with no funeral service:
- Bringing the deceased into our care from a local hospital within a 30-mile radius
- Management of all professional arrangements
- Cardboard coffin
- Dignified transportation of the deceased to a local crematorium
- Crematorium fee
- An unattended cremation
- Ashes returned in a biodegradable casket
A plan to suit your needs
A plan to suit your needs
As an independently owned funeral director, we’ll take the time to understand your wishes and tailor a plan to suit you. We can discuss these at our premises or in your home, at a time that is convenient for you. If you’d prefer to discuss this over the phone or via email, we can assist with this too. You can tell us about any preferences you have in mind – the type of funeral you would like to have, hymns, music, or any other personal touches – and we’ll make sure your plan takes these into account.
What’s included in a pre-paid funeral plan?
Our funeral director’s services will be covered in your funeral plan, which means our fees will be fixed at today’s prices and protected against rising costs. These services typically include:
- Professional services and making arrangements for cremation or burial
- Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to our funeral homes, chapel of rest or other suitable location
- Care of the deceased and preparations for family viewing if requested
- Advice on the certification and registration of death and related documentation
- Provision of funeral vehicles
- Advice on bereavement counselling
- Coffin or casket requested
Although a pre-paid funeral plan can cover all the services above, there are some additional third-party costs to consider. These are the costs for essential, non-funeral director services required to carry out a cremation or burial which need to be paid at the time of the funeral. These costs are outside our control. Depending on the plan type chosen, a Golden Charter funeral plan can include a contribution towards some third-party costs. They may include:
- Crematorium fee
- Minister or officiant’s fee
- Cemetery fee: the opening of a new or existing grave for burial or interment of cremated remains
Other third-party costs that may be associated with a funeral include:
- Purchase of grave or lair
- Hire of church or other venue
- Fees for organist or soloist
- Memorial, such as a headstone, entry in a book of remembrance, or the planting of a tree
- Catering, floral tributes and newspaper announcements
There will only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if the third party costs exceed the allowance when you buy your plan, or if the costs increase by more than the growth of your plan.
However, even if prices rise in the future, you’ll have the reassurance of knowing there’ll be nothing more to pay for our funeral director’s services included in the plan once your plan is fully paid for* – guaranteed.
*or after 12 consecutive payments and as long as your payments remain up to date if you choose the instalment payment option.
Payment options to suit you
With a Golden Charter funeral plan, you can pay for your plan in several ways. Spread the cost or make a one-off payment – simply choose the one that’s right for you. We will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.
The retail price of your funeral plan is representative of the equivalent cost of a funeral today plus an arrangement fee of £325 which is retained by Golden Charter to help cover the costs of setting up your plan.
Your payments are held within the Golden Charter Trust. With almost £1.2 billion under management*, the Trust is operated by a Board of Trustees, completely independent of Golden Charter. Their role is to hold your payments and ensure that the funeral director services in your plan can be paid for at the time they are required – however far into the future that may be. For more information on how your payments are protected, please visit goldencharter.co.uk/faqs
*Confirmed by Golden Charter Trust’s audited accounts at 31 March 2023.
Looking after you as a customer
As a Golden Charter plan holder, you’ll receive personalised plan documents, which include a summary of your plan, our details, your plan holder certificate and a personal membership card for you to carry in your purse or wallet. You can add a nominated representative to your plan if you wish to do so. Your nominated representative will receive a letter which will provide details of your plan and our details, as your chosen funeral director. They will have no authority to make changes to your plan but will be aware of your wishes and plan details.
You’ll also receive a statement from Golden Charter every three years which will be sent via post.
As your funeral director, we’ll hold full details of your funeral plan. When the time comes, one phone call is all it takes to activate your plan and get the arrangements underway.
Ready to take the next step?
As well as the comfort of having a funeral plan in place, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with being able to help save your family from future worry and expense. And if you’re looking for more information before getting started, our Funeral Plans brochure is filled with helpful advice and examples of the Funeral Plans we have available.
Appointed Representative of Golden Charter
Coles Funeral Directors Ltd is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).
