North Tyneside Council has once again received national recognition and praise for the services it provides to families at their time of loss.
For the seventh year running, the local authority has been awarded gold charter status for its cremation and burial service.
The prestigious award is given to organisations which demonstrate the highest possible standards in cemetery and crematorium management, following an in-depth assessment by the Institute of Crematorium and Cemetery Management (ICCM).
The judgment is based on guidelines called the Charter for the Bereaved, a national benchmark that assesses burial and cremation services by awarding gold, silver or bronze awards.
Speaking about the award, Cllr Carl Johnson, cabinet member for Environment and Transport, said: “It is vital that families and friends receive the best care and support when arranging a burial or cremation for a loved one, so we are very pleased that our bereavement services have once again been awarded an industry gold. I must thank the team for all of their hard work.
“We are committed to maintaining and improving the service, which is why we have invested heavily in it in recent years, and we will continue to meet the very high standards of customer care, information and choice for bereaved people.”
The assessment covers cremation and burial procedures, grounds maintenance, communication and environmental issues.
In recent years, the council has invested heavily at Tynemouth and Whitley Bay crematoria, ensuring it can offer quality services and facilities to families when they need it most.
The £2.7m investment at Tynemouth Crematorium included extending and refurbishing the chapel, an enclosed entrance lobby and a new waiting area, as replacing the cremators and fitting new mercury abatement equipment, which helps the council meet national targets to reduce the amount of mercury emitted into the atmosphere.
And improvements at Whitley Bay Crematorium included the sanding and recoating the pews and hardwood flooring, the replacement of all carpets and curtains, a full redecoration of the facility, which included the careful restoration of lettering and ornate plaster work within the chapel. Other elements of the project included roof repairs, damp proofing and specialist maintenance works to the cremator.
ENDS
