SAIF Golden Charter

First chance to see West Sussex crematorium

Families in West Sussex will soon get their first look at a brand-new Crematorium which will serve the communities in and around Arundel, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Selsey and Worthing.

A community open day is taking place at Arun Crematorium, in Yapton, on Saturday 16 September between 10am and 4pm.

Arun Crematorium is opening its doors this month and the open day will give local families an opportunity to visit the beautiful site and meet the team.

Arun Crematorium has been built by Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 38 other sites across England, Scotland and Wales, all set within beautifully-landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.

Open day visitors will be able to take tours of the crematorium and its landscaped memorial gardens, and will also be able to see the cremator, too, if they wish.

At the heart of the new crematorium is a light, airy and welcoming contemporary chapel, capable of seating 112 people, with additional standing room.

Its windows provide wide, pleasant, private views of the surrounding grounds while a door leads mourners to a sheltered floral tribute area.

There are 120 parking spaces, including six allocated for disabled access, and lovingly tended grounds, with a row of mature trees which provide a unique backdrop to the crematorium.

Adam Westwood, the first manager of Arun Crematorium, said: “I am excited for local people to see our site, which is one of the most modern crematoriums in the business, with a focus on the eco-side, from ultra-low emissions to wildlife grounds, where we can have beehives and wildlife ponds.

“I am looking forward to opening our doors and providing local families with the exceptional care that Westerleigh Group is renowned for, working with them to provide uniquely personal services and memorials for their loved ones.

“I also hope to build relationships with local schools, who can visit our grounds for their school related projects.

“I want Arun Crematorium to be part of the community, to be the hub, and a place of peace. I am looking forward to helping Arun to provide a very positive presence in the area and to meeting and getting to know our neighbours.”

To help personalise services, Arun Crematorium offers an almost unlimited choice of music, while high-resolution screens will allow services to be customised with a slideshow, photographs and suitable written words.

The chapel’s portable catafalque offers families an option to select its exact location in the chapel and provide more flexibility to the position of the coffin during the service.

The chapel’s size and décor will provide an intimate environment for smaller gatherings, seeking privacy and seclusion, while larger congregations will benefit from its overall seating capacity, further enhanced by additional standing space.

Adam added: “No appointment is necessary for the open day, and we very much look forward to welcoming local families to our lovely grounds.

“Our open day offers an opportunity for anyone to come and visit our beautiful site and ask any questions they might have, in an informal setting, about what we do here and the support we provide to bereaved families.

“We look forward to welcoming people to our crematorium and starting to build those relationships which will ensure we provide a very positive presence within the local community.”

For more information about Arun Crematorium and the exceptional care it will provide, visit the website.