Cannine support at a time of loss for Wigan families

Usually a funeral arranger would be able to comfort families and sit by their side as they make choices for their loved one’s funeral.

But due to this not being possible because of restrictions - one Wigan funeral home has come up with an innovative way to provide comfort to people who have lost relatives.

It has seen visitors to Pemberton Co-op Funeralcare able to bring a dog to help support them if they are returning to collect their loved one’s ashes or belongings.

Amber McGowen, funeral arranger at Pemberton Co-op Funeralcare, said they wanted to help families feel calm and relaxed when they made a visit.

Staff also have dog biscuits at the ready and even a water bowl out at the front for the pets.

She said: “Visiting a funeral home can seem quite daunting to some, especially if they are returning to collect their loved one’s ashes or belongings.

“We wanted to help families feel calm and relaxed when they visit us, so decided to ask them to bring along their furry companions for extra support.

“Our past clients love to stop by and say hello whilst they’re out walking their dogs, so we now have dog biscuits at the ready and have even left a watering bowl out front.”

And Amber said that government guidance and lockdown itself has meant it has had to change the way it arranges funerals.

Where possible, the home speaks to families over the phone and asks just two family members to visit if necessary. However, it said that, despite the restrictions, it has continued to create “beautiful and fitting tributes” for lost loved ones.

Amber said: “Social distancing guidelines have certainly impacted how families say goodbye, but our clients have been so compassionate and understanding.”

“Supporting families and communities is at the heart of what we do, so we introduced a number of new services to ensure everyone was able to say their last goodbye.

“Our cortege service allows families opting for direct cremation to arrange one last journey for their loved one, be that to the family home or another place of

significance.”

She added: “Funerals have certainly changed, but the lockdown has also opened up new ways of conducting funerals.

“From outdoor services to online live streaming – we’ve even brought back the old tradition of stopping to pay your respects as a hearse passes by. I think some of these changes will be kept long after lockdown.”