Yesterday on Saturday 13th July 2019 we held a launch for the official opening of Hadaway & Denton Independent Funeral Directors Limited. We were overwhelmed with the support from our local community; The Worshipful, The new Mayor of Ashford Cllr Jenny Webb spoke warmly about our clear determination to serve the community and care for others before unveiling our stone plaque made for us by Cleverly and Spencer Stone Masons in Dover, Kent. Reverend Rob Sylvester from Ashford Baptist Church made a blessing upon the office, the chapel and all who enter the premises as well as all who will work there with Carl. Friends were present from our local Ashford Rotary club showing support alongside Alan Jose; the Westerleigh Ambassador, local residents from Upper and Lower Denmark Road, friends from Ashford Baptist Church and our families. Before reflecting upon the event itself and our thoughts surrounding the day I wanted to tell everyone a little about the hour we spent together…

After welcoming everyone present that had come to help us mark this special day and serving refreshments, I gave a short speech; both Carl and I wanted to take this opportunity to tell our guests a little about our journey to this point and our aims. We started to develop the idea of opening our own business almost 2 years ago now. It started with discussions at home about our frustrations with lack of standards in customer care, consideration of others and compassion – this was not from just within our industry but generally how the level of materialism has grown and the dominance of large corporations has resulted in personal levels of care often being absent. In short, we had a strong desire brewing to make a stand and ensure people had the opportunity to be cared for by a family who care deeply about equality, dignity for all and a belief that at the time of losing a loved one people often need the most support and compassion and an ability to entrust their loved one into the care of a professional. We believe in the strength of good independent firms and the need for a personal service. We also knew, when our discussions became more involved, that we had the potential to charge a great deal less than corporate firms and enable a higher level of service to all but especially, to those with more financial needs. We told our guests more about our connection with Ashford in Kent; Carl’s parents – Barry and Catherine having lived and worked in Ashford many years ago and his sister’s family living and working within the town presently. In more recent years, Carl was the manager of the firm Earl & Co Funeral Directors, before the handover of the firm to the corporate firm ‘Funeral Partners’, and has shared his gratitude for his experiences whilst working under the Pullen family firm. It was these connections alongside the loss of an independent firm in this town that led us to strongly sense that our business belonged here and that we should set up our family in Ashford. We looked for our first joint home and worked on our blended family – (a story for another completely different blog!). I won’t go in to detail but it has not been an easy journey; I don’t think anything worth it’s weight in gold every is. There have been many times we’ve felt pushed to give in but with prayer, the love and support family and friends we have been driven to this stage and keep on driving with determination and will! Our main aim shared is our focus to be considered as caring and compassionate, as well as offering the highest levels of service and direction, to the community. We are a part of the community and in short, care deeply. It was important for us to share these thoughts with friends and family who have shown their support through our journey. It is important to us to also highlight in writing Carl’s parents have been an unstinting support throughout in so many ways and we would have not been where we are now without Maria and Syd, Carl’s grandparents. The love and support we have received is overwhelming.

After the unveiling of the plaque by The Worshipful, The Mayor of Ashford Cllr Jenny Webb and the blessing by Reverend Rob Sylvester, I played the piano and was blown away by the volume of singing! We wanted to finish the short event with a song of blessing.  A heartfelt thank you to all who attended.

Since yesterday, we have had a chance to reflect on the day and our journey to this point; up to now it really has been a hard and fast ride of ups and downs without a chance to stop and appreciate how far we have come. A community is to us, is a group of people who work together to achieve common interests and goals to improve their lives and others in the area they live. We have learnt from the Rotary club, Ashford about the power of service before self and how members are working together to better the lives of others; this rings true with us. Before this time in our lives, Carl and I have shared how we are frustrated, or even concerned, over the lack of sense of community in places we have been and the need for more awareness of each other. However, now reflecting on our most recent accomplishment, we are realising how strong a community spirit can be and how there are so many people willing to give up their time and support one another, which yesterday included us as a couple and a new business.

In a time when we appear to arguably be living in a culture of separation; whether from nature or from each other human to human rather than in screens, on devices or through social media, the sense of togetherness and wholesomeness of community, which is made up of a diversity of people who complement and support each other, is still strong and we hope it grows as we learn even more that we need each other to shape our lives and for human spirit to thrive. We felt this strongly when we discovered Martin from Hinge and Bracket, a well known family firm based down the road from our premises, had drawn an arrow and pointed locals in the direction of our place for our launch on his A board outside his shop! When Carl went to invite Martin to the launch, also inquiring where he could get some fabric locally, Martin immediately called his wife who supplied beautiful satin fabric to cover our plaque ready for the unveiling. We were pleased to see Martin himself join us delaying his shop opening just to wish us well! Community spirit in abundance!

I will sign off here, on this Sunday evening due to the fact my body is crashing from an action packed emotionally overwhelming weekend and will upload our photos of the day very soon, taken by the wonderful John Lynch…