The View: Insights from the funeral industry

How much does dying really cost? A chat with SAIF's Dec Maguire

Every years funeral directors across the nation are frustrated by the SunLife 'Cost of Dying' report, which doesn't seem to truly capture what it promises.
So this year, The National Society Of Allied And Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) has aimed to address this with a new report titled 'What is the real average cost of a funeral in the UK in 2024?'
In this episode, Dec Maguire – both National and Scottish president of the society – discusses the report with host Malcolm Flanders. They look at the methodology behind the project, the hidden impact of direct cremation, and the interesting generational changes in how we approach end of life.

Nick Douch on providing quality in the regulation era

Our current focus on multigenerational funeral firms this week takes us to Douch Family Funeral Directors in Dorset, UK.
The family business was founded in 1910 by Frederick Charles Douch and grown by his eldest son, Jack. A talismanic figure not only for the company but in the wider Dorset area, Jack played a key role as a telegrapher on the wartime destroyer Bramham, before becoming a prominent batsman for Wimborne Cricket Club.
It's Jack’s grandson Nick – our guest this episode – who heads up the business today, maintaining its well-established reputation and strong relationships with other funeral directors.
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The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves. You can find many more conversations in the on the show page, with key industry figures from the NAFD and SAIF, along with the funeral directors behind The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Tim Purves: Providing a funeral fit for a Queen

This week on The View we welcome Tim Purvis, owner, chairman and director of William Purvis Funeral Directors to the show. William Purves is a business that is family owned and goes back five generations, based in Edinburgh but extending into the North East of England.
William Purves prides itself on delivering a caring service for all families across its locations, but also has a strong connection to the Royal Family, and among other topics in this episode we hear what it was like to provide the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

CPJ Field: When a family business goes big

As part of our current focus on industry leaders of multi-generational funeral firms, in this episode we welcome Jeremy Field of CPJ Field to the podcast.CPJ Field is a 300-year-old business founded in the 17th century. The board of directors features five family members, and ten generations of the family have been involved with the business, which is currently led by Jeremy alongside his siblings Charlie and Emily. We hear how they approach the management of such a large but ultimately family-owned business, and examine the changing trends of funerals over the many generations.
The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

SAIF CEO Terry Tennens on regulation and supporing independent family funeral firms

Terry Tennens has been CEO of trade association SAIF since 2016 and is committed to ensuring the views of the independent funeral directors are heard throughout the UK.
He has been at the forefront of supporting the sector through the numerous challenges of the last few years and remains a firm advocate of navigating change to ensure all members can be the best they can be in this competitive market. 
In this episode, we're going to hear Terry's thoughts and views on how the sector is responding to the various challenges and what the big things are that he will be focusing on in the short and medium term.

Andrew Judd on how the NAFD is facing the industry's biggest challenges

Andrew Judd is Chief Executive of the NAFD, being appointed by the association's governing body in December 2022. He is a former member of the NAFD Executive Committee, President of the NAFD Western Counties Area Federation and Operations Director for Dignity PLC.
Besides operating at a senior level for many years in the industry, Andrew has also been a funeral director himself and knows what it's like to help families in their time of need and provide the service that is required.
In this episode, host Malcolm Flanders catches up with him to reflect on the past year in his new role, the big challenges facing the industry right now, and how he sees its future.

Howard Hodgson on direct cremation and other big trends in the funeral sector

In the first episode of The View, we sit down with industry legend Howard Hodgson, CEO of Memoria. 
A fourth generation funeral director, Howard took over the family business in 1975 and went on to lead an expansion that culminated in the sale of his 546-branch group. He has also served as CEO of Ronson PLC and is now the founder and CEO of Memoria, the fastest growing crematoria company in the UK. He has written four books, including a biography of His Majesty King Charles III.