New Forest Crematorium

31/10/2025

Moments of stillness at New Forest Crematorium. Today, we were joined by these graceful deer, enjoying the tranquillity of our gardens. 🌿🦌

28/10/2025

A very tasty delivery today from the wonderful Maria Jones Funeral Directors Brokenhurst 🍰

27/10/2025

🌊 A Morning with the RNLI Mudeford Lifeboat Station 🚤

Yesterday, our Site Manager, Charlotte, had the absolute privilege of being invited to visit the dedicated team at RNLI Mudeford, following a £500 donation from New Forest Crematorium to support the incredible, life-saving work they do.

This donation was made possible through the Metal Recycling Scheme, an initiative run across crematoria that allows metals recovered after cremation (with family consent) to be recycled, with all proceeds donated to charities and community causes. It’s a scheme that continues to make a real difference, and it was an honour for us to see first-hand the positive impact it has.

Charlotte was invited down bright and early at 8:30am to learn more about how the team operates and where the donation will go. She witnessed a live launch of their rescue boat, enjoyed a one-on-one tour of the station, and met some of the truly wonderful volunteers who dedicate their time to keeping others safe.

A huge thank you to everyone at RNLI Mudeford for such a warm welcome and for all that you do. Your bravery, teamwork, and community spirit are nothing short of inspiring. 💙

26/10/2025

🌹 Yesterday, some of our team from New Forest Crematorium had the privilege of attending a community launch of this year’s Poppy Appeal.

We watched the young cadets proudly march with their flags, heard the bagpipes play, and joined in a beautiful prayer led by the Mayor. ❤️

We’re also proud to have two community Poppy and Donation Stations here at New Forest Crematorium, please do pop in to show your support. Every poppy counts. 🌺✨

24/10/2025

We’re proud to share highlights from our launch event- the unveiling of Scotland’s first immersive funeral venue at East Lothian.

The event brought together funeral professionals, our colleagues, and partners from Obitus to experience first-hand how innovative sound, lighting and visual technology can help families say goodbye in a more personal and meaningful way.

24/10/2025

Bringing the super venue to the South West.

Last night, we welcomed our industry colleagues to Sedgemoor Crematorium to share our exciting plans to introduce the super venue concept here this December.

Thank you Obitus for your help on the night.

Find out more: https://lnkd.in/e9XWfkXP

Images of the chapel after installation have been kindly provided by Basildon and District Crematorium & Cemetery, also operated by Westerleigh Group.

20/10/2025

🚧 Important Travel Update – Road Closures & Diversions 🚧

From 27 October, key sections of the A35 Christchurch Bypass will undergo essential resurfacing and maintenance works for approximately three weeks.

These works will involve 24-hour road closures in two phases, so please plan your journeys in advance.

👉 What this means for you:

We remain fully open as usual throughout this period.

Allow extra travel time — up to 1 hour eastbound and 45 minutes westbound.

Diversion routes will be clearly signposted, but we strongly advise checking your journey before setting off.

These works may be subject to change depending on weather and operational requirements.

📍 Main affected route:

Christchurch Bypass (Purewell Cross Roundabout to Fountain Roundabout)

🚘 Other local road closures and works:

Chessel Avenue (Bournemouth): 13 Oct 2024 – 30 Jan 2026

Keswick Road (Bournemouth): 13 – 31 Oct 2024

Palmerston Road (Bournemouth): 20 – 31 Oct 2024

Penrith Road (Bournemouth): 20 Oct – 7 Nov 2024

Sandbanks Road (Poole): 20 Oct – 5 Dec 2024

Twin Sails Bridge (Poole): 29 Sept – 31 Oct 2024
…and several others. Full details and diversion maps can be found on the BCP Council website.

📅 If you’re attending a service at New Forest Crematorium (including families, funeral directors and celebrants), please:

Check your route in advance.

Allow plenty of extra time for your journey.

Follow the signed diversions where required.

❤️ We completely understand how important it is to arrive on time for services, and we’ll do everything we can to support you.

📲 For the latest travel information and diversion updates, please visit: https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/news-hub/news-articles/areas-of-christchurch-to-undergo-essential-resurfacing-and-maintenance-works

Thank you so much for your understanding and patience while these essential works take place.

New Forest Crematorium

📞 01425201220

Essential resurfacing and maintenance works are set to take place on key sections of the A35 Christchurch Bypass and surrounding roads from 6pm on 27 October for three weeks.

16/10/2025

✨ Embracing Diversity at New Forest Crematorium ✨

Yesterday, our Site Manager, Charlotte, had the pleasure of attending “Embracing Diversity – Sikh Bereavement Rituals and Practices” at the Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib in Southampton.

It was an exciting and eye-opening experience where we learnt about the three pillars of Sikhism, the real challenges the community faces, and how we can play a part in supporting and respecting their traditions.

We were welcomed so warmly and shared a beautiful traditional meal together, a truly special moment that reflected the heart of their community.

We’re grateful to have built these meaningful connections so families can feel confident that their beliefs and rituals will always be honoured with care and respect. 💛

16/10/2025

The future of funerals is coming to Vale Royal!

This week, Vale Royal Crematorium was proud to host a preview evening for local funeral directors and celebrants, offering a first look at the immersive Super Venue technology arriving this November.

As the only crematorium in the north of England to introduce this innovative technology, we’re proud to be leading the way in transforming how families can honour their loved ones — creating farewells that are more personal, meaningful, and reflective of individual lives.

Featuring dynamic Canvas walls, atmospheric lighting, and carefully curated soundscapes, this technology brings a new level of personalisation and experience to the funeral service.

A big thank you to our colleagues and to the team at Obitus for the engaging presentation and Q&A session.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we share more glimpses of this exciting development.

16/10/2025

🌿 A Big, Warm Welcome to Charlotte – Our New Site Manager! 🌿

We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Charlotte to the New Forest Crematorium team as our new Site Manager!

Charlotte brings with her over a decade of experience in health and social care management, where she’s been a passionate advocate for people from all walks of life. She’s now stepping into the funeral industry with the same energy, drive, and dedication to making a difference.

Charlotte is deeply passionate about diversity, inclusion and community connection, she believes everyone’s story matters and is excited to build genuine, meaningful relationships with the people and communities we serve.

Full of creativity, warmth and fresh ideas, she’s eager to create spaces where everyone feels seen, heard and supported at every stage of life.

We’re so excited for what’s ahead with Charlotte leading the way. Please join us in giving her the warmest welcome to New Forest Crematorium 💚✨

13/10/2025

🌟 We're Hiring! | Crematorium Assistant – New Forest Crematorium, New Milton 🌟

💼 Salary: From £25,799 + £500 uplift after training
🕒 Full-time | 40 hours/week | Includes some weekends and early starts
📍 Location: New Forest Crematorium, New Milton
📆 Permanent position | Full training provided
🚫 No experience necessary – just compassion, professionalism, and a great attitude!

Are you looking for a rewarding new career where you can truly make a difference every day?

This is a unique opportunity to join a close-knit, supportive team in a meaningful role within the funeral sector. Whether you're looking for a career change or to expand your knowledge in this field – we’ll provide full training and ongoing support.

🔹 In this role, you'll help with services, support families, and assist with the cremation process.
🔹 You'll receive a recognised industry qualification.
🔹 A great fit for those from hospitality, retail, care, or customer service backgrounds.

💬 If you're empathetic, a team player, and ready for a career with real purpose – we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Apply today or tag someone who might be interested!
📢 Please share to help us find the right person!

Call us on 01425 201220 to find out more information!

View details and apply for this Crematorium Assistant vacancy in New Milton. Crematorium Assistant Working flexibly, 5 days per week which will include regular weekends, evenings and early mornings on a rota basis. 40 hours per week Our core operati...

09/10/2025

It’s been another productive week on site, with strong progress across several areas with City Gate Construction.

Inside the chapel, Obitus made a successful start yesterday with the installation of projectors, a lobby screen, and speakers. This week, the focus is on completing lighting and sound elements so that floor preparation can begin tomorrow.

Plasterers are back on site addressing walls now that the lighting is in place, helping to minimise future snags. Electricians and decorators continue to work efficiently alongside the mechanical team, who have confirmed that all commissioning should be complete by Friday.

Externally, all trees around the car park have now been planted, and work on the hedging has begun. The Floral Tribute area is complete and ready for fencing, with block paving and kerb work continuing. The entrance area is also being cleared, marking another step forward towards completion.

The site is really starting to take shape, and it’s great to see the teamwork and collaboration driving steady progress as we prepare to open towards the end of this month.

09/10/2025

Autumn’s colours bring warmth and reflection to our peaceful surroundings — a time to remember, honour, and find comfort in nature’s quiet beauty. 🍂

09/10/2025

Westerleigh Group has launched Westerleigh Funeral Plans - trust-backed plans designed to be fulfilled by funeral directors in partnership with Westerleigh crematoria.

Key benefits include fixed pricing, a low admin fee, and three plan options from full attended services to direct cremation.

To find out more email: fdplans@westerleighgroup.co.uk

Full details here: https://ow.ly/AEWE50WYG1V

08/10/2025

Curious about who’s joining us next on Before You Go?

Our host Matt Brook welcomes a range of guests for open and honest conversations about death, grief, and the way we remember — important topics worth talking about before you go.

Follow us on Spotify and be the first to know when new episodes drop: https://ow.ly/ytfs50X4eaa

03/10/2025

Our new podcast Before You Go is now live — with the first three episodes available to listen to today from Dr Bill Webster, Emma Britton and Duncan Reynolds.

Hosted by Matt Brook, the podcast invites guests to share open and honest conversations about death, grief, and the way we remember produced in collaboration with Empica.

Listen now to all three episodes and follow us on Spotify to stay up to date with future episodes: https://ow.ly/KZNL50X4emh

02/10/2025

Westerleigh Group now offers Westerleigh Funeral Plans, created to help funeral directors provide those looking to plan ahead with peace of mind through fixed-price, trust-backed funeral plans.

These plans guarantee a cremation at any Westerleigh Group crematorium and include flexible options to meet families’ needs, all supported by low admin fees and straightforward onboarding for a funeral director.

If you’re a funeral director interested in offering these plans, please contact us at fdplans@westerleighgroup.co.uk or find more info here: https://ow.ly/Kt6n50WYG94

02/10/2025

As we countdown to the launch of our first three episodes of Before You Go, take a listen to our latest trailer featuring Duncan Reynolds, Managing Director of Odlings Ltd in Hull — a wholesale masonry business with a legacy of over 150 years.

In this conversation, Duncan and Matt explore memorial options, clear up common misconceptions about memorialisation, and discuss its environmental sustainability.

Listen now and follow Before You Go on Spotify so you don’t miss the full episode when it drops: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4RSuEVD6DiDu3r4k19mSRa?si=6lv0df-7RiSy52KdO8EtJQ

Before You Go · Episode

01/10/2025

In our latest Before You Go trailer, host Matt Brook sits down with Emma the Celebrant — a funeral celebrant from Bridgwater who has supported more than 800 bereaved families since training with the United Kingdom Society of Celebrants in 2020.

Before becoming a celebrant, Emma spent 13 years as a BBC local radio presenter across Somerset and Bristol.

Emma shares her story with honesty and courage: in April 2025, her life changed when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer — a rare genetic cancer that is incurable but, thanks to modern medicine, can be managed.

Listen to Emma’s powerful conversation in the trailer now, and follow Before You Go on Spotify to hear the full episode this Friday: https://ow.ly/hT3f50X53uh

01/10/2025

A lovely video from Michael over at Babworth Crematorium today showing the process of our living memorials and how they’re carefully prepared for our loved one’s 🌹❤️

30/09/2025

On International Podcast Day, we’re proud to announce the launch of our new podcast ‘Before You Go’, produced in collaboration with Empica.

Hosted by Matt Brook, Before You Go invites a range of guests to have open and honest conversations about death, grief, and the way we remember — topics worth talking about before you go.

The first full episode drops this Friday, but you can listen to the trailer now featuring our first guest, Dr Bill Webster, a grief counsellor who turned personal loss into a lifelong mission to support others.

Listen to the trailer here: https://ow.ly/C5ci50X4emy

Read more about the podcast here: https://ow.ly/BXex50X4faZ

27/09/2025

Immersive funeral services are coming soon to two more Westerleigh crematoria!

Over the next few weeks, chapels in Vale Royal Crematorium and Sedgemoor Crematorium will be transformed with cutting-edge technology designed to create truly personal service experiences.

From seasonal landscapes and peaceful natural backdrops to the energy of a football stadium, families will have a wide choice of themes - each customisable to reflect the life being remembered in a unique and meaningful way.

This innovation will give even more families around the country the opportunity to celebrate their loved ones like never before.

Find out more: https://www.westerleighgroup.co.uk/blog/post.php?s=2025-09-26-westerleigh-group-name-two-more-funeral-super-venues

25/09/2025

We are pleased to be supporting Child Bereavement UK's Christmas Concert at The Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, on Monday 1st December 2025.

The concert will feature Adil Ray, Bear Grylls OBE, Dominic West, Naomi Simon (BBC Young Chorister of the Year), and Red Hot Strings.

Funds raised will help Child Bereavement UK continue their vital work supporting children, young people, and families coping with the devastating loss of a loved one.

As one of the charity’s partners, we have pledged to donate at least £100,000 over the next two years to support their work.

Tickets are £40 (early bird until 30 September) or £50 standard.
Find out more and book here:

Join us for an enchanting evening with special guests.