Losing a child can be one of the most painful experiences any of us can face. Arranging a funeral for an infant is a task no parent wants to undertake, we are there to help and guide you through the arrangements. It is important to take the time you need to grieve and not to rush the funeral arrangements.
Service
You may wish to have a private funeral or have a large gathering with family and friends. Depending on the number of people you wish to attend, the service can be held in church, the crematorium chapel, our service room at Kingshill House or at any other venue.
Time
It is important to take time to grieve and not to rush into decisions before you feel ready. Don’t feel pressurised by anyone and take time to mourn privately. Once you feel ready, contact us and we can guide you through everything.
Arranging a Funeral
We know for many of the families that we see, bereavement is one of the most traumatic events they will be confronted with. Our highly trained staff will assist you professionally in the practical issues of arranging the funeral and will support you with compassion through this difficult time.
We are committed to supporting families after the funeral with our Bereavement Care Service, where you are able to talk to someone in complete confidence.
Meeting Us
We can visit your home or you can visit either our Head Office in Kingshill House, our Chapel of Rest in Whitworth Road, or our Highworth Office & Chapel to do the arrangement.
Every funeral we arrange will be unique to you and we will do our utmost to give you the perfect tribute for your loved one.
Questions We Will Ask
When planning the funeral we will ask you to make a number of decisions so it’s best to be prepared and consider the following:
- Is your loved one to be buried or cremated?
- Where would you like your loved ones funeral to take place? (church, crematorium, graveside, etc.)
- What type of service would you like?– religious, civil, humanist, or any other
- Would you like to come and see your loved one at our Chapel of Rest? (You can choose to have your loved one dressed in their own clothes)
- What music you would like?
- Would you like a Charity to benefit from donations?
- Would you like any family cars?
- Where would you like the funeral to leave from? (Your home, Our Chapel of Rest, or meet us at the Venue?)
- Would you like us to administer your donations for a favourite charity?
Tributes
You can personalise the service in any way by playing a favourite song, releasing balloons, releasing doves or organising floral tributes. Any tribute can become a touching reminder of the funeral service for years to come. We can compile a Photo slideshow to music which can be played during the service, We are happy to talk and help you through the options.
Chapel of Rest
- We will do everything we can to make sure your visit to the chapel of rest is as peaceful as possible. Hillier Funeral Service can arrange to have hand/footprints taken or a lock of hair for a memory box. You are also more than welcome to bring in toys or teddies to make the chapel more personal for you.
- The Chapel of Rest at Broadway is open from 9am until 7.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9.30am until 5pm on Saturdays. Please call for an appointment.
- The Chapel of Rest at Kingshill House is open Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm and 10am until 5pm on Saturdays.
- The Chapel of Rest at Highworth is open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and 10am until 3pm on Saturdays so you can spend as much time as you need with your loved one
Cars
Depending on the age of your child, it is sometimes not appropriate to use a black hearse, in these instances we have a black Volvo estate. We can also discuss other transport options with you for example: horse drawn hearse or fire engine etc
Cost
We do not charge for our services, we will only charge for any additional items such as service sheets, press notices, upgraded coffin, flower arrangements…etc) Also many churches and ministers will not charge for their fees, however there are other funeral expenses such as cemetery & crematorium fees.
If you are struggling to finance a funeral, then the Child Funeral Charity can assist anyone who needs to arrange a funeral for a baby or child aged 16 or under. As well as providing financial support, they can also provide advice and guidance. The Child Funeral Charity can be contacted Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm on 01480 276088.
Bereavement Services
Our commitment to the families we serve continues after the funeral. We are very proud of our own in house Bereavement Care Service who support you though the difficult grieving process. This is provided as an extension to our commitment of care and is provided free of charge. Please contact Sarah-Jane on 01793 522797
Other support