Each of our eighteen Funeral Homes has been serving its local community for many years; some for over a century and in many, members of the original families continue to be involved.
Our company Funeral Services Northern Ireland (FSNI) was first formed in the 1980s, when a number of local Funeral Homes came together.
Our combined expertise means we can provide very high standards of care and support before and during the funeral. Perhaps more importantly for some, we also provide support afterwards through our 'Living With Loss' programme.
More recently FSNI became a part of The Co-operative Group which also has interests in food, pharmacy, travel and banking.
Since the Co-op was first established in 1844, it has been owned by members rather than financial investors, so it can afford to do business in a way that’s good for everyone, something which has a strong fit with our business ethics.
The term for this type of business is a social economy organisation. We are often asked what this means and find that the simplest way to explain it is to use the example of The Co-operative Bank. It is well known for ethical trading, which means that for example, they refuse to become involved with lending to projects which might damage the environment. At the same time, they offer special facilities for charities, churches and such organisations.
We adopt the same principles as The Co-operative Group. Our policy of involvement within the community around our Funeral Homes has helped to educate children, involve teenagers in sport, contributed to health and wellbeing, and created jobs.
An important goal within our business is to ensure transparency, something we consider essential when making the funeral arrangements with the bereaved, who may feel vulnerable. For example, we developed a price list to provide a clear picture of all of the possible costs involved in a funeral; this also confirms that our staff members do not receive any financial benefit, whatever is decided.
