SAIF Golden Charter

Innovate and educate: SAIF Education Day

SAIF’s Autumn Education Day, which took place at The Vale Resort in Cardiff on 30 September and followed the National Education Day in June, has been declared a huge success.

Delegates earned seven hours of continuing professional development (CPD), which was acknowledged with a special Certificate of Attendance.

The day opened with SAIF’s National President Mark Horton welcoming almost 80 attendees as well as thanking the key sponsors and those exhibiting.

We then heard from Professor Heather Conway, who attended remotely and provided an update on the laws around cremated remains in Wales and England. In the members’ area of the SAIF website, there is a useful document on this topic by Professor Conway titled Who Owns the Ashes. It sets out who has the right to a person’s ashes.

Amy White, Head of Training and Wellbeing at Loch HR, who delivered a presentation on menopause in the workplace during the National Education Day in Leicester, was also among the Cardiff speakers. This time she discussed how to manage difficult staff.

Gemma O’Driscoll stepped in for Nicola Jarmaine, IFD College Chair of Governors, and provided an update on the College and IFD Diploma. She also mentioned that Gerallt Lewis, of Alun H Lewis, was the second student to have completed all modules of the Diploma in Funeral Directing.

Before lunch, Declan Maguire, SAIF’s 1st Vice President, provided an update on direct cremation and how members could improve their online digital presence.

Following lunch, Angela Maguire, who also presented at Education Day in Leicester, provided an insight on how to notice the signs of and cope with stress at work from both an employee’s and manager’s perspective.

Katie Stevenson, Personal Trainer – Mental Health and Fitness, explained how to use exercise to promote positive mental health, while developing key skills that can be used in everyday life. Katie, at the end of the presentation, asked for a volunteer (or actually requested Mark Horton, with the support of those attending) to demonstrate an exercise designed to raise endorphins levels. It was difficult to tell from Mark’s scarlet face how effective this was.

The day finished with Dr Jason Shannon, Lead Medical Examiner for Wales, providing an update on the model being delivered in Wales. Throughout the day, delegates were able to visit the exhibition area where exhibiting SAIF associates were on hand to talk about and showcase their services.

There was a raffle in aid of The President’s Charity, Honeypot, for one night’s stay at The Village Hotel and a tour of the Principality Stadium. The draw raised a total of £435 with the prize going to Dafydd Iles, of Harp Funeral Services. The organisers wish to thank all those who attended and exhibited, as well as the key sponsors: Golden Charter, SAIFInsure, Ecclesiastical Planning Services, Laurelo, Obitus, Westerleigh and Kenyon.