Crematorium
Guide to Self-Arranged Funerals Parc Gwyn Crematorium
The following information is to help people who wish to arrange a funeral without the use of a funeral director. If you have any other queries or require any further advice please do not hesitate to contact the office.
Office opening hours
Monday – Thursday 9:00am – 5:00pm / Fridays 9:00am – 4:30pm
Tel: 01834 860 622
Fax: 01834 861 309
E mail: parcgwyn@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Self Arranged Cremations
When a Death Occurs
If the death occurs at home, contact the General Practitioner who attended the deceased during their last illness. The GP will confirm the death and issue a certificate stating the cause of death. The GP may give you the certificate straight away or advise you to collect it later from the surgery. You will also need to advise the GP that you have decided on cremation so that the relevant forms can be prepared.
If the death occurs in hospital, normally the doctor attending will issue the certificate to you or via the hospital bereavement officer.
However, if the doctor attending is unable to state the cause of death, or where a medical practitioner had not recently attended the deceased, the Coroner will be informed
Registering the Death
The next of kin or the person arranging the funeral will be advised to take the medical certificate issued by the doctor to the Registrar of Births and Deaths within five days of death. Most Registrars' operate an appointment system, so telephone your local area office first.
When registering the death, it is vitally important that all details of the deceased are provided correctly; otherwise any errors could lead to a delay in the funeral service. It is also advisable to obtain further copies of the death certificate at this time in order to be able to claim the deceased's assets at a later date.
If the Coroner has been involved and an inquest is to be held, the Coroner will issue a Form 6 (yellow certificate) for Cremation to the registrar in order to allow the funeral to proceed without delaying the process unnecessarily.
If the Coroner has been involved and an inquest is not to be held, the nearest surviving relative can register the death but only when the Coroners Post Mortem has been conducted and the Coroner has confirmed the cause of death to the Registrar.
Booking a cremation
You can contact us to book a cremation either by telephoning our office, or visiting us in person. We will then be able to book you a funeral service time. Obviously this will be subject to availability, although as we operate services six days a week we can normally accommodate your requirements. Sufficient time is needed between the death and the funeral to allow for the completion of the statutory forms detailed later in these notes. We require these forms to be submitted to us by, no later than 9:00am the working day prior to the cremation taking place.
Funeral services take place Monday to Friday between 9:15 and 4:00pm, with services commencing every forty five minutes, and on Saturdays between 9:15am and 3:15pm again commencing every forty five minutes
A total of 30 minutes is allowed for each service, although an additional time slot can be booked at an additional cost, this is advisable if you expect a large attendance of mourners, the remainder of the forty five minutes is to allow for the time it takes the congregation to enter and leave the chapel.
Did you know that you are not required to hold a service or any formality prior to the cremation, if that is your wish?
If no service is requested, we still require you to book a “service” time, and ask that the coffin is delivered to Parc Gwyn by 9:00am on day of the cremation, or alternatively you could use our ‘Chapel of Rest’ and bring the coffin to us in advance. On arrival the coffin is taken directly through the chapel and taken through to the crematory for cremation.
When booking the cremation the office staff will need to know the full name of the deceased, your name, address and telephone number to secure a provisional booking.
Once the booking is made then a series of arrangements must be made as soon as possible, but in any case no later than 9:00am the working day prior to the cremation taking place. It is important to ensure that the required forms are prepared. These can be obtained from the office staff at the crematorium, and are as follows :-
Instructions for a Funeral Service at Parc Gwyn
This form gives all the information we require in writing. It confirms all your requirements regarding the service and the disposal of the cremated remains following cremation of the coffin and we will be happy to assist you in completing it.
Cremation Form “1” (Application for a Cremation)
This form should be completed by the nearest surviving relative or executor. If not, a reason why some other person has applied must be given. The details required, are personal details relating to the deceased, once again the office staff at the crematorium can assist you in completing this form.
Forms 4, 5 and 10 Medical Forms
You must notify the Doctor of the deceased, who attended during the last illness and tell them you are arranging a cremation. Whether a GP or a hospital doctor, they will obtain these forms and complete them for you, for which you must pay them a fee for doing. In some cases if the deceased died in hospital, and a post mortem was carried out, then the 5 form is not required. We will complete the Form 10 after you have passed the completed documents to us. Please note that these must be with the office no later than 9:00am the working day before the cremation.
Registrar’s Certificate for Cremation
This will be required at all times except when the Coroner’s certificate for cremation is issued (Cremation Form 6). You will need to visit the Registrar of Births and Deaths in the district where the deceased died. The Registrar will issue a Certificate of Cremation which you should pass to us as soon as possible, although no later than 9:00am the working day before the cremation is due to take place.
You should now give thought to where you are going to store the body prior to the cremation, purchasing a coffin and how you are going to convey the body to the crematorium.
Coffin
The body must be transported to the cemetery or crematorium in a suitable container, clearly identifying the name and age of the deceased. Coffins are available in various materials, which are compliant with cremation law. The most frequently used coffin is made from chipboard, finished in a good quality veneer and the metal effect coffin decoration i.e. handles, nameplate are all made of a combustible plastic material.
You can construct your own coffin, using chipboard or wood. The materials you use must be suitable for cremation and chipboard or plywood is generally preferred. Ferrous screws are acceptable in small numbers, and wood braces will give strength but must not be placed on the underside. No heavy metals, PVC to be used.
With cremation a coffin is essential to allow us to place the body safely into the cremator; the base of the coffin must be hard and smooth to do this.
In all cases the coffin should not exceed 40 inches in width or 7 feet in length.
It is recommended that the deceased is dressed in a funeral gown approved for cremation or alternatively a garment of personal choice, provided it is made of purely natural material i.e. only cotton or wool.
Transporting the coffin to the crematorium
The transport of the coffin to the crematorium may be done in a van, or a large estate car, or alternatively you can speak to a local funeral director about hiring a hearse and driver. If the deceased died in hospital you will need to speak to the mortuary staff to arrange for the collection, and they will inform you of any necessary procedures.
Alternatively for an additional fee, you may wish to use our own Chapel of Rest facilities, once you have transported the coffin to us we will safely store the coffin until the day of the service.
Once you have discussed with your relevant mortuary what your Funeral intentions are to be, you can then plan how you will be collecting the deceased. Every hospital mortuary works differently and so you will need to logistically work out your collection around the delivery of the coffin to Parc Gwyn.
It would be advisable and beneficial to all parties involved if the deceased could be collected from the mortuary on the day prior to the cremation service, the coffin can then be securely held overnight in our own Chapel of Rest, the following morning our staff can then arrange for the coffin to be moved across into our Service Chapel in readiness for your reserved time.
You will find below a list of the most commonly used Hospital Mortuaries:
Withybush General Hospital
Fishguard Road, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA61 2PZ You can contact the Bereavement Officer during normal office hours on 01437 772 347.
West Wales General Hospital (opens in a new tab)
Dolgwili Road, Glangwili, Carmarthen SA31 2AF
01267 235 151
Morriston Hospital (opens in a new tab)
Heol Maes Eglwys, Morriston, Swansea SA6 6NL
01792 702 222
Cardigan & District Memorial Hospital
Pontyceifion, Cardigan, SA43 1DP
01239 612 214
South Pembrokeshire Hospital
Fort Road, Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire SA72 6SY
01646 682 114
Chapel Facilities
- Wesley Music System - We have a bespoke music download system designed for use in crematoria and this does away with the need for you to provide CDs or tapes. Please see our music provider at: Wesley media (opens in a new tab) for our current music library.
- You can pre-order any piece of recorded music through Parc Gwyn and this will be downloaded to our system and scheduled to play at the correct time within the funeral service and this is controlled by our organist in the Chapel on the day of the service.
- Remote viewing of a Funeral Service via the Internet – We are now able to record and play a funeral service live over the internet for friends and family who are unable to attend the service in person. A digital camera, fixed unobtrusively at the rear of our chapel broadcasts the service via the internet, which is accessed through a secure password-protected website. The funeral service can either be viewed as it takes place and up to a week afterwards.
- DVD – We are aware that it is not always possible for everyone to attend a funeral service and that this can be distressing for families. In this case families may be comforted to know that we can arrange for the service to be recorded onto a DVD on request and this can be purchased to share with other family members.
- CD – For families who only wish to receive an Audio only recording of the service this is also possible and can be recorded direct to a CD.
- Tribute Screen – Families are now able to provide a digital photo or collection of photos of their choice on a USB memory stick for displaying on a large screen at the front of the Chapel during the funeral service. If more than one photo is provided then these can be set to be displayed as a slideshow. Photos need to be supplied in .jpeg format only.
- Overflow Screens – Screens are installed for mourners to view the service when they are unable to enter the Chapel, the screens have all been wall mounted and are located within the waiting room, entrance lobby and outside under the port-cochère.
Service Type
The style of the service is entirely your choice and may be traditional or contemporary, religious or secular, though you will have to appoint someone as soon as possible to conduct the ceremony.
It is always advisable for you to inspect the Chapel by prior arrangement in advance of the service taking place.
Miscellaneous
Flowers
You can supply your own flowers and local florists will advise, if you wish these can be delivered directly to the Crematorium on the morning of the service. There is a floral display rack situated to the side of our exit door where your flowers will be placed following removal from the coffin during the service. You are welcome to take your flowers when leaving the crematorium otherwise they will be retained onsite for a period of 7 days following the service.
Obituaries
You should contact your local newspapers press office for advice and assistance.
Fees
A table of fees should be found within this guide. Fees increase each year on the 1st April. The cremation fee covers chapel use, use of the organ and music system, cremation and placing of the remains in the gardens of remembrance or alternatively if the remains are to be removed from Parc Gwyn we can supply you with a ‘Certificate of Cremation’ which may be needed depending on their final resting place.
All fees are due before the funeral takes place, payable to:
Pembrokeshire County Council
Natural Death Centre
For those who wish to consider the subject of funerals and dying, the Natural Death Centre offers a range of services. You are able to purchase a handbook, which explains the process of obtaining coffins and organizing funerals, in a new and innovative way, as well as much other detail.
Request a leaflet on the Natural Death Centre if you require more details:
The Natural Death Centre
In The Hill House
Watley Lane
Twyford
Winchester
SO21 1QX
Tel: 01962 712 690
Email: rosie@naturaldeath.org.uk
Website: Natural death (opens in a new tab)
Recommended Companies that manufacture Coffins and Urns
The companies listed below will sell to the public direct. However, some may only do this if a Funeral Director is not being used at all. Most should be able to provide a next day delivery service. Please be generous with the internal measurements, it can be distressing to discover that the coffin you have ordered is too small.
Eco-coffins
Tel: 07931 792947
Email: info@eco-coffins.com
British pine rope handled traditional shaped coffins
Ecoffins
Tel: 01795 830688
Web: Ecoffins (opens in a new tab) Email: info@ecoffins.co.uk
A variety of fair-trade and environmentally coffins
English Willow Coffins
Tel: 01823 490249
Web: English Willow Coffins (opens in a new tab) / Email: info@englishwillowcoffins.co.uk
Traditional British hand made Willow coffins
FTP Eco-Coffins Ltd
Tel: 01584 819981
Web: Fine Timber Products (opens in a new tab) / Email: admin@finetimberproducts.co.uk
Many varieties of woven coffins and urns
Greenfield Creations Ltd
Tel: 01440 788866
Web: Greenfield Creations Coffins (opens in a new tab) / Email: info@greenfieldcreations.co.uk
Many varieties of cardboard coffins, plus bespoke designs made to order
J Funerals
Tel: 01382 732767
Email: info@jfunerals.com
Solid bamboo coffins with jute interiors
Musgrove Willow Coffins
Tel: 01278 699162
Web: Musgrove Willow Coffins (opens in a new tab) Email: info@musgrovewillowcoffins.com
Handmade Somerset willow coffins
Natural Endings
Tel: 0161 969 6690
Web: Natural Endings (opens in a new tab) / Email: enquiries@naturalendings.co.uk
Willow, bamboo and sea-grass coffins
Sunset Coffins
Tel: 01453 890804
Email: sales@sunsetcoffins.co.uk
British made conventional-shaped coffins from recycled newspapers, with a choice of colours
The Coffin Company
Tel: 01453 890804
Web: The Coffin Company (opens in a new tab)
Wide range of coffins including a bespoke ‘design your own’ service
Winter Willow Eco-Coffins
Te: 01223 518140
Email: tracy@winterwillowsales.com
Charity supporting and training the homeless