Archive for the ‘Natural Burial Ground’ Category
WinterWillow will be at the forthcoming Open Day of The Woodland Burial Trust in St. Albans.
The event takes place on Saturday 12th May, 2012 from noon onwards.
‘St Albans Woodland Burial Trust is one of only two consecrated sites in the country and falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of St Albans. Consecration provides the greatest protection that can be afforded in English law, and can only be changed by Act of Parliament.Whatever religious faith you may or may not have, you can nevertheless be assured that this will always remain a special place, sacred to the memory of those who rest in peace’.
Visitors on the day can enjoy free refreshments in the Trust marquee and will be able to view the new glade and see the newly extended 12 acres of woodland on the site.
Set in beautiful countryside in Keysoe, Bedfordshire and surrounded by 60 acres of woodland, access to the woodland is through the College Equestrian Centre, Church Road, Keysoe, Bedford. MK44 2JP
We are holding a Green Burial Awareness Day on Saturday 19th November 2011. See more on our awareness page here.
There will be a wide choice of information , advice and practical sessions on the ‘green’ burial movement – all held between 11.00am and 3.00pm at Barton Glebe Woodland Burial Ground, Barton, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7BN.
You can see the burial ground on the map with the link below.
We hope you will let us know if you can attend, we have funeral directors, craftsmen and women, as well as bereavement care specialists and humanist celebrants in attendance.
Come along and find out more, in a practical and supportive environment.
Contact Tracy at WinterWillow on 01223 518140 or use the contact us page on our main WinterWillow web site to reserve your place at this fascinating event.
The WinterWillow team…
We are out and about in the next few months with our coffins.
WinterWillow are delighted to have now confirmed attendance at the following coffin related events.
10-12 June 2011 National Funeral Exhibition – Warwickshire http://www.nationalfuneralexhibition.co.uk/
22 June 2011 – The Arbory Trust – Open Day at Barton Natural Burial Ground http://www.arborytrust.org/index.html
9 & 10 July 2011 – London Funeral Exhibition (incorporating the ‘Handled with Care’ Coffin Exhibition – Epping Burial Ground http://www.londonfuneralexhibition.co.uk
24 September 2011 – Bennetts Funeral Home Open Day, Brentwood, Essex http://www.bennettsfunerals.co.uk/areabennetts-funeral-directors
For regular updates on the exhibitions and shows we are attending why not bookmark our WinterWillow events page – you can find it here.
Thanks for visiting us – The WinterWillow team
We mentioned in a previous blog entry our attendance at the Natural Burial Conference at Sheffield University.
You can see a full conference report, with some of the questions the debate raised on our main web site.
It was a great event, with much lively debate and new research evidence about the motives, considerations and development of those providing services and using natural/woodland burial as an option in their final ceremonies.
The conference audience was an eclectic mix of funeral directors, woodland site owners and managers, clergy, academics and recently bereaved individuals who had agreed to take part in the research exercise. This body of academic work was funded by the ESRC for three years.
The closing conference session was by the Chair of the Association of Natural Burial Grounds, whose work is complimentary to the Natural Death Centre.
If you are provoked to comment on our musings – then use the comment button below and let us know at WinterWillow.
How were social enterprises doing in 2009?
This research paper from The Social Enterprise Coalition offers us a view of the movement.
You can download the 2009 survey results and analysis here.
The social enterprise movement and the businesses and activities that make up the sector are doing well it seems.
Not only are social enterprises remaining profitable during the long recession, but the key players in the organisations surveyed remain optimistic about both their ability to trade and be profitable, as well as remaining confident about the future.
Interestingly, the survey suggests that social enterprises in terms of their outlook and returns are more closely modelled on SME organisations generally, rather than other charitable, third sector bodies - who undoubtedly benefit from the enterprise model accordingly.
If you have any observations about WinterWillow after reading the report – use our comment button below and let us know. We’ll be glad to hear from you.
You may need a free copy of Adobe Reader to see our document.
During March 2010 WinterWillow will be attending the Natural Burial Conference at Sheffield University.
The conference looks to examine …the cultural, social and emotional implications of natural burial.
Part of the Natural Burial Project, the research is being undertaken by the University Department of Landscape and the Department of Sociological Studies .
The study, part of a three year project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council is attempting to look at the ways in which natural burial affects individual choice, how it affects the emotions, how it may be symbolic of our return to greener, more sustainable practices and how we might remember loved ones differently.
We think it will be interesting to see how our research as a social enterprise in the green funeral field and our interaction with our funeral profession partners marries with the findings of the research team. We’ll let you know how we got on after the event.
We were absolutely delighted to be reviewed in The Natural Death Centre newsletter this month.
We were able to see Roger Fowle, our weaving tutor at work on a coffin in our workshop and to read how well our manufacturing ethos and distribution ideas fit with people who are interested in holding a green funeral.
Our WinterWillow coffins are all made with passion and care, involving no nails or metal fixings and using water based glues and sustainable timber and English willow.
Thanks to the NDC for the feature, we really appreciated it.
