INSIGHT

We are passionate about sharing best practice insight with others. This section is our growing resource area to input into this wider conversation so that more families across the UK and world receive the best care they can.

Funeral Plans

We get asked all the time if we sell funeral plans.  We do, however in most cases, buying a funeral plan is not necessary.  We feel it’s much more important to let your family or friends know what you do or do not want for your funeral. This can really help guide the people who will be making the difficult decisions at the time.  This doesn’t mean that you have to plan every aspect of your funeral, however some pointers will most probably be very welcome.  Sometimes, just one piece of music specified in passing can make all the difference.  There is no need to offer large sums of money up front for something that can be paid directly through the person’s estate at the time of need.  Most funeral plans add on huge admin fees and charges, and the small print will hide the fact that there will always be more to pay at the time of need.

Our funeral wishes form can be a good starting point.  You can download it below or request us to send you one.

NEW Funeral Wishes

In some cases, if an elderly relative is going into care, for example, or you just want to feel that you want to put all your affaires in order, a plan can be helpful.

We can discuss this with you and explain all the options.  If you want to buy a funeral plan, we only recommend Open Prepaid Funeral Plans as we have found them to be fair and ethical.  Please get in touch with us as we can help you with this.

Funeral Plans | Prepaid Funeral Plans | Open Prepaid Funeral Plans (openprepaidfunerals.co.uk)

 

 

 

 

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Albany Funerals

Albany Funerals

Albany Funerals is an award-winning, independent and affordable funeral provider, bringing the highest standards of service to families across the whole of Kent, and beyond. Recommended by the Good Funeral Guide and led by Jo Williamson.

2 months ago

It's with great sadness that we had to say goodbye to our wonderful little furry Pix last week. She has been a huge part of our lives over the past 10 years, becoming a poster girl for the business with her natural penchant for a photo op, and a local celebrity on the news for her ability to soothe the bereaved. I know she will be missed by many of our clients too. Her calm and friendly presence put people at ease and her steely stare if you stopped stroking her was a good distraction for those having to face the unthinkable.Rest in peace dear Pix, thank you for everything. You have left a huge hole in our hearts. You were so loved. ❤️ ... See MoreSee Less
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4 months ago

As funeral directors, sometimes you just know at the time of the arrangements that there will be no one to collect the ashes of the person after the funeral. Perhaps they have outlived their family and friends, or was estranged from them. This sad situation plays on your mind, so when I visited the beautiful Holly Barrow at Dode, it seemed an ideal place to scatter some of these unclaimed ashes. After ensuring final checks were carried out and that no one would come forward, we released them on a bright and windy autumnal day amongst the trees, after a beautiful service in the chapel by Katherine Luxford Funeral Celebrant. We lit candles and remembered these six people, and Becky and Doug from the The Lost Village of Dode planted a tree in their memory. The images are courtesy of SHOT by JFKThe Holly Barrow at Dode is a truly serene and beautiful place to store ashes and well worth a visit. #collumbarium #Ashes #scatteringashes #finalrestingplace ... See MoreSee Less
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5 months ago

Another small and intimate funeral gathering at our premises this week. The celebrant Katherine Luxford Funeral Celebrant delivered a relaxed and expertly crafted service, we played favourite songs, and copious amounts of tea, coffee and cake were consumed. It was perfect for this family who spent a couple of hours in our cosy and informal room reminiscing. The coffin was taken to the crematorium the next day for an unattended cremation. We are all different, and our funerals should reflect this!#modernfunerals#directcremation#ceremonies#relaxedfuneral#informalceremonies ... See MoreSee Less
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7 months ago

Change is coming! This looks very promising to replace the toxic Oasis foam currently used. Oasis contains chemicals such as formaldehyde! ... See MoreSee Less
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7 months ago

Since we discovered that floristry 'Oasis' foam is made from toxic chemicals, doesn't biodegrade and cannot be recycled, we've been looking into alternatives as it is so widely used in funeral floristry. The thought of it sitting in cemeteries and gardens all over the country and seeping into the soil is quite alarming.Our lovely friends at Dandelion Farewells have gone a step further and have teamed up with Floristry Lecturer Dee Watkins of Seed2Design Eco Floristry Training to put on a Sustainable Floristry Presentation and Demonstration. Dee specialises in eco-friendly floristry designs and her mission statement is:- To deliver outstanding teaching, learning and products;- To offer ongoing support, advice and friendship;- To use British flowers and environmentally friendly sundries when possible.This looks to be a really interesting day - if you are interested, whether you want to go 'all-out', or simply adopt just a few changes, please contact them directly.Sunday 17th September 11 am - 3 pm.Wisborough Green Village Hall.Price including light refreshments is only £20!!🌾🌿🌺🌸🪷🥀🌹🌷💐🌾🌱🌿🍀🪴🌸🌾🌾🥀 ... See MoreSee Less
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8 months ago

The UK leads the way in natural burial. Over 270 green burial sites have been founded in Britain since the first was established in Carlisle in 1993, helping make our funerals better for the planet. The average cremation can release 200kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. Natural burial just 12kg. Our coffins are made using natural materials and are 100% bio-degradable making them ideal for natural burial. A return to nature is the future. ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

Second day at the wonderful Lovely World event. So many interesting discussions yesterday. The main themes coming out are the need for more natural burial grounds locally and that people seem to be favouring Direct Cremations (unattended cremations) to traditional funerals. Hopefully we’ve been able to advise people to ask lots of questions if they opt for a direct cremation. I.E ‘where will the body be kept?’, or ‘will I be able to spend time with the body of my loved one?’ ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

Beautiful words from Rebecca Lehmann bealehmann.co.uk and artwork by Amanda Thesiger Amandathesinger.comLovely World LovelyWorld 🌍 #greenfunerals #LovelyWorld ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

All set up at the Alexander Centre in Faversham for the Lovelyworld event organised by Swale Friends of the Earth. Many thanks to Mark from Ecoffins for bringing all these wonderful natural products to show people and Jo at gardenroomatgoldensquare.com who sourced locally grown flowers to create these beautiful natural tributes with a totally biodegradable base made from moss. Proud to present our vision of a ‘Lovely World’ of greener, kinder funerals in the future. Thanks to my lovely colleague Keris Burt who has given up her weekend to run the stall with me. ♥️ ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

Come and see us!We're in Faversham this weekend in conjunction with Albany Funerals as part of this eco minded event to show people there is a greener future for funerals. If you are in the area please pop by and see us! ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

We are really excited to be a part of this very special event in Faversham this weekend. Many thanks to Ecoffins for coming along to support us and for supplying coffins to show. The funeral industry is one of the most polluting, but we have lots of ideas on how to change this, without being revolutionaries! Come and see us there! #LovelyWorld #FriendsoftheEarth#greenfunerals#pollution ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

Two very different set-ups for two very different funerals this week. One at the beautiful Bilsington Priory Estate Ltd and the other at our premises in Ashford. You don’t have to have the funeral at the crematorium! #modernfunerals #funeralceremonies #ceremonies #funerallife #funeralservices ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

♥️♥️Happy Father’s Day to all of the Dads in Heaven. #HappyFathersDay #FathersDay #Dads #DadsInHeaven ... See MoreSee Less
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9 months ago

We want to help people leave a responsible legacy, many coffins contain plastic handles and liners and are made with high impact techniques. All our #coffins are handmade, from natural materials chosen for their #sustainability and are 100% biodegradable #plasticfree ... See MoreSee Less
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10 months ago

We are really proud to have been finalists at the Dementia Friendly Kent Awards 2023. Small changes can make a big impact and since becoming Dementia Friends, we’ve grown in confidence in communicating with people living with Dementia and their families whilst also facing a bereavement. If any other Maidstone based companies are interested in becoming more Dementia Friendly, please do not hesitate to get in touch. #DementiaActionWeek #DementiaFriendlyCommunities #dementiaawareness #DementiaCare#dementiafriendlyfunerals#dementiafriends#kentdementiashowcase ... See MoreSee Less
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10 months ago

This is such a great place to start if you need any information. ♥️Dementia Action Week is a national event that sees the UK public taking action to improve the lives of people affected by dementia. In 2023, the Week will take place on 16 – 22 May.Stand up for your loved ones and visit our Dementia Information Hub on the 16th!We will have a variety of dementia awareness charities in the centre to provide key information and support. Building a Dementia Friendly Maidstone Action For Dementia ... See MoreSee Less
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11 months ago

On Saturday we held our annual remembrance service, which was beautifully written and delivered by two of our celebrants Life and Love: Kathryn Sansom, Independent Celebrant and Helen Waters from Fondest Love Ceremonies. The service featured original poetry specially written for the event by Celebrant Marc - Community Funeral Celebrant which he also delivered with such grace and professionalism. We heard our loved ones’ names and we lit candles. We cried and we hugged each other. It was emotional but uplifting and we raised £276 for Heart of Kent Hospice. Such a worthy cause. Thank you so much to our amazing three celebrants, Rev Nicky Harvey for the beautiful blessing and Jo from gardenroomatgoldensquare.com for the wonderful flowers that lit up the room. As always thanks to the great Albany team for the love that you pour into this job. ♥️#remembrance #saymyname #griefjourney #bereavement #memorial ... See MoreSee Less
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11 months ago

Overlooking the Wye Downs, Crown Lodge in Kent offers a beautiful space to hold indoor or outdoor funerals. This cosy lodge is surrounded by ancient woodland, stunning views and wildflower meadows.#outdoorceremonies #funeralvenue #modernfunerals #funeralsThank you to Katy Donaldson for the beautiful photography. ... See MoreSee Less
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11 months ago

We have a few spaces left for our remembrance service on Saturday 29th April. See details below.Tickets are free but please either book via Eventbrite...www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/albany-funerals-remembrance-service-spring-2023-tickets-470026410647?aff=e......or contact us and we can reserve seats for you so that we can manage numbers.[email protected], 01622 746688 or via messenger.#remembering #bereavement #memorialservice ... See MoreSee Less
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Get in Touch

Please feel free to contact us at any time, whether to discuss your options, to seek our advice or to simply ask any questions you might have.

We regularly serve the whole of Kent and also more widely across the UK when requested.

Our branch in Great Chart, just outside of Ashford has also been open since January 2018. We have plenty of free parking. Please contact us on either number for information.

More Info

 Information Booklet 2024

  Funeral Wishes Form

 Greener Funerals web version

    Our Offices

    Albany Funerals Maidstone
    669 Loose Road,
    Maidstone,
    Kent ME15 9UX
    01622 746 688
    [email protected]

    Albany Funerals Ashford
    1, New Street Farm,
    Chilmington Green Road,
    Great Chart,
    Ashford, TN23 3DL
    01233 650 746
    [email protected]

     

     

    Opening Times

    Offices are open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday

    We are available to help 24/7