We received fantastic news at the end of last year – our rounded end coffins are now approved for cremations. This means that we once again can help families choose a locally made and responsible produced willow coffin for both burial and cremation.
You might be wondering, why is this such a big deal?
Weren’t they already?
Our coffins were accepted at my local crematorium in Hereford. However last year, like many crematoriums around the country, they changed their position to only accept accredited coffins. The reason being that this provides confidence to both the funeral director and the crematorium that the coffin being used has been thoroughly checked and tested to a recognised standard. It also means that they can refuse any coffin that isn’t accredited, which is why it has been challenging for small, independent coffin makers such as myself.
Currently, the accreditation can only be issued from two organisations: the CCSA (Coffin Casket and Shroud Association) or the FFMA (Funeral Furnishing Manufacturers’ Association). The latter being who we chose to go with, but getting a coffin accredited does not come cheap. Fortunately we applied for and received a generous grant from the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers‘ 2011 Charitable Trust. They recognised that with almost 80% of the population choosing cremation (Source: The Cremation Society) gaining this accreditation would benefit Wegnalls Willow Coffins, but it is also a huge financial barrier to a small business.
So what does the accreditation mean?
How do you get the accreditation?
A coffin or casket has to pass the following tests before it can be approved for cremation and allowed to bear the FFMA ‘pass’ stamp:
1: Coffin Strength (Wegnalls Willow Coffins have a recommended carrying weight of 25 stone / 159 kg but have been successfully tested to 31 stone / 200 kg!)
2: Roller Bearing / Ball Bearing Functionality
3: Auto Charger
4: Mechanical Insertion
5: Ignition / Radiant Heat
6: Ash
7: Handles, (is optional, our willow handles are weight bearing)
8: Residue
9: Coffin Lining
As you can see, there are a lot of different tests to pass. These are all undertaken by a third party and involved delivering a coffin to them in order to perform the above tests. You can read more about the testing protocol here.
Fortunately our coffin passed all of the tests and they are now approved for cremation across the UK.
By choosing a Wegnalls Willow Coffin, you can be assured that you are choosing a product that is strong, safe, and crafted to the highest quality standards, thoroughly tested for your peace of mind.
Want to find out more?
You can read more about my accredited coffin with the FFMA here: https://ffma.co.uk/author/wegnalls-willow/
You can also leave me a comment or get in touch if there’s anything else you would like to know.