SAIF Golden Charter

Firm backs SAIFSupport

Polstead Press Ltd has announced its backing for SAIFSupport, the free support service for Independents. The scheme provides advice and guidance for funeral directors and their staff who look after families during the most difficult time of their life, but often neglect their own mental wellbeing.

Chris Hutchinson, Managing Director of Polstead Press, knows only too well how vital that support can be.

Chris said: “Mental health and its complications has been a subject close to my heart for a very long time, since the company was initially set up as Ghyll House Publishing and mainly due to my father being offered early retirement, as my younger brother had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. We purchased Polstead Press a few years later.

“Unfortunately, my younger brother died a few years ago, which led to me suffering mentally quite badly. However, the silver lining was that I was diagnosed with severe ADHD. Having known something was not quite right for many years it was a huge relief to finally seek some professional help and be listened to, as well as being offered the support and medication I needed.”

Chris added: “Over the last 15 years we have built the company into a small steady business specialising in funeral orders of service and other specialist printing for funeral directors. Our range of high quality products includes personalised memory books and other bespoke items, such as memory boxes and key rings. We can also supply, at competitive prices, a full range of general and specialist printed items such as books, banners, leaflets and brochures, and have our own in-house designer.

“Today, we have five full-time members of staff, and recently started trialling a part-time employee from Realise Futures, an organisation supporting those with a range of mental health issues to obtain employment in any industry on a part-time basis.”

As part of its support, Polstead Press is offering 5% cash back to SAIF and SAIFSupport for all new customers who purchase funeral orders of service from them. The offer will first go on trial in Cambridge, before opening up nationally.

Chris said: “We will be writing to all SAIF members in Norfolk and Suffolk in the near future setting out the services we can offer and our price structure. We look forward to working with you.”