Funeral Guidelines & Costs

St. John’s Contacts for Funerals:

• • All arrangements must be made directly with Fr. Harriott prior to arranging Service/Burial.

    • Fr. Harriott can be contacted on 0191 2500200.

  • Should there be a requirement to contact the parish when Fr. Harriott is not available, please contact the Full Parish Council via:

  • Gerry Killen (Tel: 01670 714089) (Mob: 07963 515190) (gerry@killens.co.uk)

Funeral Guidelines:

• • Unfortunately, space within St. John’s cemetery is at a premium and as of 1^st February 2014, the Parish Council had to set out and adhere to the following guidelines in order to meet the demands of parishioners and to make sure all was fair and transparent.

    • All local Funeral Directors are aware of these guidelines.

    • General Guidelines are:

  • Burial or interment in the church grounds is only permitted for church going parishioners.

  • However, if there is an existing family grave and there is available space for the burial, then subject to approval and confirmation by the gravediggers, the Parish Council will likely grant approval to the family.

  • The Gravedigger has informed the Parish Council that all future burials will be into a single depth grave, however this can only be confirmed by a trial dig. Should it be discovered that a double depth grave can be provided. The Funeral Director and the Parish Council will be notified accordingly.

  • For all other requests for burial within the church grounds, then you are asked to contact Fr. Harriott or the Parish Council, as these are the ONLY people able to grant special permission.

    • PLEASE NOTE - Funeral Directors or other similar bodies do not have the authority to grant such requests.

  • For all requests for burial or interment made by the bereaved family, every effort will be made to grant a request for burial.

  • Fr. Harriott or the FULL Parish Council ONLY to have discretion to grant special permission for non-parishioners to be buried in the church grounds.

    • The Erection of Memorial/Headstone:

  • All such works are to be the responsibility and performed by the other party and not by St. John’s.

  • All arrangements to be co-ordinated with St. John’s Head Gardener, Frank Swindle (Tel: 01670 713058).

  • The Head Gardener strongly recommends a minimum of 4 months to have elapsed from the time of the burial before the erection of the memorial.

  • ONLY Memorial/Headstones are permitted.

    • Kerbstones around the grave cannot be installed with the Memorial Headstone, or at any time after the burial. This is due to on-going costs to St. John’s and the maintenance of the church grounds.

  • The Memorial/Headstones to be mounted onto a concrete sub base finished at ground level.

    • This work is to be carried out by the Funeral Director.

  • For Memorial/Headstones up to 500mm (20”) in height; a ground support system need not necessarily be used.

    • However, the base must be doweled to the foundation using 2 solid threaded stainless steel or fully galvanised dowels. Galvanised to B.S. 729 (1971) and the number and size of dowels and dowel hole must be the same as the minimum for fixing memorial plate to memorial base.

  • Where a Memorial/Headstone is over 500mm (20”) in height; The National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) recommend that a ground system is used that is suitable to the height and material of the memorial. If a ground support system is not used, the base must always be doweled to the foundation using the correct size dowels. Where a ground anchor fixing system is used an asterisk (*) should be etched onto the reverse of the memorial, beside the number of the grave.

  • Headstones for installation in designated cremation burial area(s) - No greater than 60cm wide and a height of 55cm with a maximum thickness of 40mm, to be mounted on a concrete base no wider than 600mm.

  • Headstones for standard grave not to exceed a height of 90cm x 60cm wide. A larger headstone may be considered for approval subject to it's location within the graveyard

  • A 300mm maximum area from the Headstone (grave width) for flower holders etc.

  • Any cost of remedial works required following the erection of a memorial will be the responsibility of the Memorial Contractor.

  • Where a burial is carried out to an existing grave with insufficient depth and there is a requirement for a concrete capping, the concrete capping must be below ground level to allow for topsoil and grass seeding.

  • Any existing graves with kerbstones that need replacement or renewal must be of a similar type and to the same distance above the ground level.

  • All the above must only be carried out AFTER the approval of St. John’s Head Gardener or the approval of the FULL Parish Council.

Internment of Ashes ONLY (No Church Service):

• • The Funeral Director to agree the location with St. John’s Head Gardener and be responsible for all ground works prior to and after the internment.

On-going Maintenance of the Graveside:

• • After settlement of the grave, St. John’s will level and grass seed the top of the grave.

  • Thereafter, the gardeners will cut the grass and keep the general appearance of the grave tendered.

Costs Payable to St. John’s:

Please contact St. John’s for the current costs.

All cheques for the above costs should be made payable to St. John the Baptist RC Church and not to an individual minister.

Costs Payable to Other Parties:

Please contact St. John’s for the current costs.