Our Traditional Professional Services Include
Arrangements and Administration
- Our fully trained staff and their expertise are available to you by telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Advice and guidance on all certification and registration.
- Making all the necessary arrangements for the funeral.
- Preparing, completing and delivering all documentation required for the funeral.
- Liaising with all third parties on your behalf. Including arranging service venues, newspaper announcements, order of service sheets, music, photographs, flowers and wakes.
- Creating an online memorial page with Much Loved to manage memories & donations. The memorial page is then yours to own and keep as long as you wish.
- Aftercare, advice and guidance.
- Bereavement Support.
The Funeral Service
- Attendance and services of the Funeral Director.
- A four-man pall-bearer team. In some circumstances, additional pall bearers may be required. Where possible the coffin will be carried, on rare occasions a wheeled bier will be used but we will always discuss this with you beforehand.
- Receipt and care of floral tributes including local onward delivery after the service if requested.
Hearse
- The provision of a traditional black hearse.
You may select an alternative type of hearse in replacement of our hearse, priced on request.
Our Services to Your Loved One
- Collection of your loved one from a private residence or hospital during our normal working hours, to our private Chapel of Rest based in the tranquil village of White Notley.
- Care and presentation for viewing at our Chapel of Rest, with the choice of their own clothing or one of our gowns.
- Visiting the Chapel of Rest at any time by prior appointment, 7 days a week.
- Storage of Cremated Remains until collection.
Total Cost for Our Professional Services
You will also need to choose a coffin from our selection.
https://www.gcsfd.co.uk/coffins-memorials/
The fees for a funeral are made up of the funeral directors services and disbursements fees.
Disbursements are payments made on your behalf and include for example cemetery and crematorium fees, doctors fees for cremation and minister/officiant fees.
For all services we provide, we require full, cleared payment, of any disbursement costs 48 hours prior to the service taking place.
While it is simple to compare costs it is very difficult to compare the level of service you will receive.
Please call or visit one of our offices to discuss our services further.
Click here to view our information brochure
Our Crematoria Fees, Terms of Business, & Business Ownership details are available below:
Why choose G. Collins and Sons Funeral Directors?
As an independent family company established over 125 years, we are part of the community. Our family members and our business, all have a long and proud history of personal service to our local community. Carrying on the family tradition is a way of life for us and has been for five generations. We are deeply committed to upholding professional standards and are proud to be amongst the oldest continuously operated businesses in Britain.
What’s in a name?
In many businesses today there are big, international companies that have made their profits by taking over small firms. Sadly, the funeral profession is no exception. Many small independent funeral directors have been swallowed up by the big corporates. The problem is, there usually isn’t any change of name, or if there is, it is very discreet, so you wouldn’t know the difference. That makes it hard for you to distinguish between the independent family-owned firm and the corporate, and without asking, you may not ever know. With G. Collins & Sons you can be sure that our company is still owned and managed by its fifth generation, James Collins and his wife Haley. With us, you can be sure that the company your family has trusted for over 125 years continues to make the decisions, which will affect the service you receive when you need to make funeral arrangements.
If you’re unsure, ask
It’s important that you know who you’re speaking to – an independent funeral director or just a subsidiary of a vast corporate? When you need the services of a funeral director, you should turn to the firm which has an investment in your community and established over many years.
Why an independent family owned funeral director is a better choice
We have single-minded devotion. All our attention is on meeting your needs. We are not distracted or bound by corporate rules or profits handed down from head office. We are flexible and trustworthy.
We have personal pride, this is our business. Our community is your community. We take great pride in our funeral homes and our vehicles. We are also proud of our staff, they work extremely hard to ensure a high level of service is provided, and we maintain a regular training programme to guarantee the highest level of professional service is provided.
We are committed long-term. Not only do we want to meet your current needs: we also seek to build a relationship of trust, so that you will return to us in the future as many of our clients have done so. We have a long-term commitment to our community. This is where we live and work, and it’s where we plan to stay.
Setting national standards
We are proud to be members of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD).
Though we’re locally owned, we are not limited in our service. Through our membership of NAFD, we can also assist your family in the event of a death occurring away from home. This is made even easier when arrangements have been made in advance through a pre-paid funeral plan.
From pre-paid funeral plans to the funeral itself and any additional advice or services, you can rely on us to meet every requirement and expect a high level of customer care. Our continued membership of these societies requires regular inspections to ensure we are doing just that.
We know our community
Funeral traditions vary greatly around the counties. We know and appreciate local customs and expectations because we have served in this community for many years. By contrast, the staff and management assigned to a funeral home by a national company may be from another area. Ignorance of local traditions might cause disappointment when expectations are not met.
We have a personal investment in our neighbourhood
Just as you do, we turn to our local firms for services and products. We choose to do business with other independent people we know and trust. We accept no inducements, so you can be sure of a genuine recommendation on further funeral related services.
Whenever possible, we also support local charities and community groups
We are family
When your family suffers the loss of a loved one, it can be comforting to know your funeral director. We make every effort to be involved in our community and to create the kind of personal relationship which leads to an individual, sensitive service. If you are like most people, you find it’s easier to deal with people you know. You like the flexibility and personal service. We feel the same way. The more you are aware of local independent family funeral homes, the more you will come to appreciate the difference.
Whether you need our advice when choosing a pre-paid funeral plan or information on the choice of funeral services available and costs, we fully understand the sensitivity of such enquiries and that time is required for decisions to be made. So if you would like a friendly chat with no pressure or obligation please get in touch. Especially if you need immediate assistance at the time of death, remember we are here to serve you 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Local Crematoria & Cemeteries
Please find the relevant links to official websites and trusted sources that offer more information about each of the crematoria and natural burial sites in the local area
Our chapel is modern, light and spacious and can seat up to 108 people. We can accommodate larger funerals with extra standing in the foyer and outdoor space equipped with speaker system to still hear the service. The chapel is also multi-faith meaning we can help you arrange the service according to your cultural and religious needs.
As part of our service to you, we can provide a music system, webcasting, visual tributes and keepsakes for your service, all of which is linked to our hearing loop.
Built on a farm setting in the middle of the Essex countryside with views across the open fields.
Dunmow Crematorium is different to many other crematoriums, just trees, bushes and natural beauty. Plenty of parking and longer between services to get away from the feeling that you are in a production line.
A place to pause and remember, celebrate and mourn, in the most comforting of settings
Nestled into the landscape and screened with existing woodlands and hedgerows, Maldon Fields Crematorium provides a private, secluded spot for families to hold the dignified service of their choice.
A natural final resting place full of wildflowers and young woodland, it is a space visiting family and friends can return to and enjoy together. We offer natural burial and ash funerals, services, and wakes.
Whatever your requirements, we make the experience as efficient, comfortable, and stress-free as possible and ensure nothing is overlooked.
If you are seeking a natural alternative to traditional graveyards and crematoriums Crouch Valley Meadow offers an environmentally friendly and meaningful choice. You can choose a final resting place here in the wonderful Essex countryside overlooking the beautiful River Crouch amongst trees and wild flowers.
Help with the cost of a Funeral
Did you know that you may be entitled to help with the cost of the funeral from the following?
Deceased’s Estate
Payment of the funeral account is one of the first claims upon the estate of the deceased Bank Account(s) & Pension(s). When a bank is notified of the death of a customer no further withdrawals can be allowed on a account which is in the sole name of the deceased, or where the account was a joint account with the deceased as a necessary signatory to the operation of the account, whether it be in credit or overdrawn, although there is usually no difficulty in the Bank agreeing to accept credit for the benefits of such accounts.
However, banks and building societies will normally release funds from the deceased’s frozen account for the settlement of funeral expenses and an invoice can either be sent direct to the relevant bank or can be remitted by hand.
You may need to seek professional assistance with the deceased’s estate.
Life Insurance Policy
Did the deceased hold a life insurance policy? The insurance company will usually require:
You may need to seek professional assistance with the deceased’s estate.
Local Heath Authority (NHS)
If a person dies in hospital the hospital administrator will arrange and pay for a very simple Burial or Cremation Contract Funeral, if no relatives are able to do so and money from the estate of the deceased may be used to pay for the funeral. This arrangement includes stillborn babies.
The Local Authority
Under section 46 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 a local Authority will arrange for a simple burial or cremation of a body of a person who has died or been found dead in their area, in any case where it appears to the Authority that no suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have been or are being made otherwise than by the authority.
War Pensions
On the death of a War Pensioner, the family can claim the cost of a simple funeral from the War Pension Branch of the DWP if the death was related to the disablement. This payment is made as a grant and is not recoverable from the estate of the deceased person.
Employers’ Pension Schemes
Some employers provide occupational pension schemes that include life insurance cover. This means that a lump sum is paid upon the death of the insured to help with the funeral costs.
Trade Unions
Some Trade Unions are able to make grants upon the death of a member under certain circumstances.
Provident Associations, Friendly Societies, Clubs & other Associations
There are many clubs and associations that are able to make grants upon the death of a member or their dependants under certain circumstances.
Charities
Some local Municipal or other charities concerned with the elderly, those suffering from a particular condition or disability, ex patriots etc. may be able to assist if a need can be proved.
Benefits & Credits: Funeral Payments from the Social Fund
You could get a Funeral Payment if you’re on a low income and need help to pay for a funeral you’re arranging. How much you get depends on your circumstances and if you qualify.
If you are thinking of claiming please tell us ASAP.
Repayments
Any money you get is usually paid back from the deceased person’s estate (if they have one). For example, any money or property they had. A house or personal things left to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner are not counted as part of the estate.
What you’ll get
The Funeral Payment can help pay for: burial fees and exclusive rights to burial in a particular plot cremation fees, including the cost of the doctor’s certificate, up to £700 for funeral expenses, e.g. funeral director’s fees, flowers, coffin, travel to arrange or go to the funeral, the costs for moving the body within the UK – but only for the part of the journey that’s over 50 miles.
If the person who died had a pre-paid funeral plan, you’ll only get help for items not covered by the plan.
Other costs the Funeral Payment can pay for are detailed in form SF200.
How the money is paid
Usually, if the funeral director hasn’t been paid, the money is paid to them. If the funeral director has been paid, the money is paid into your account – e.g. a bank account.
Eligibility
To get a Funeral Payment you must be responsible for the funeral and: claim in time, get certain benefits or tax credits, meet the rules on your relationship with the deceased.
The rules are different, if the person died outside the UK.
Rules on your relationship with the deceased
You must be one of the following:
Benefits and tax credits
You (or your partner) must get one of the following:
How much you get also depends on any other money available, e.g. from an insurance policy or the deceased’s estate. If there’s a close relative of the deceased who isn’t getting one of the qualifying benefits you may not be able to claim Funeral Payment.
When to claim
You must apply within 3 months of the funeral.
You can make a claim even if you’re waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit.
How to claim
You can claim the Funeral Payment:
by post – send form SF200 to your local Jobcentre plus
by phone – Bereavement Service helpline:
Telephone: 0845 606 0265
Welsh language: 0845 606 0275
Textphone: 0845 606 0285
Welsh language: 0845 606 0295
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
What you need to know
You must apply within 3 months of the funeral, even if you’re waiting for a decision on a qualifying benefit.
You can make a claim before the funeral, if you’ve got an invoice from the funeral director. It must be an invoice, an estimate won’t be accepted.
If you can apply by phone, the adviser will help you claim any other bereavement benefits you’re entitled to.
Appeals
You can appeal against the decision about your Funeral Payment if you’re unhappy with it.
The following booklets may also be of use to you and are available from your local Jobcentre Plus:
Taking care of the future
The pre-arrangement of a funeral or the pre-payment of a funeral. For further information ask for our leaflet.