A Hampshire funeral home has been awarded the Southern Enterprise Distinction in Funeral Administration for its service to local families throughout 2021.
J & L Sturney Funeral Directors, Lyndhurst, impressed the Southern Enterprise Awards with its dedication to the local community by going above and beyond at a time when funeral services were restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Helen Osment, Funeral Arranger and Administrator at J & L Sturney, said: “It was a difficult year for the bereaved. Funeral services continued to be restricted in numbers, memorial services had to be delayed and some people were not able to travel and pay their respects to loved ones.
“J & L Sturney works as a team, including out of hours and at weekends, to ensure the families we serve come first. This involved keeping families up to date with the latest guidance and offering them meaningful ways to mourn their loved ones.”
The funeral home was nominated for the award by Mr and Mrs Newport, a local family who thought highly of the service they received from J & L Sturney and in particular Helen.
Helen and her colleagues were delighted to learn of the nomination and were pleasantly surprised upon receiving notice that J & L Sturney had won. To mark their achievement, Funeral Partners – the network of funeral businesses that owns J & L Sturney – created a special trophy to present to them.
Helen said: “I was utterly surprised, and proud of the teamwork, dedication and commitment J & L Sturney has shown local families and the community through difficult circumstances over the past year.”
The Southern Enterprise Awards judging panel commented: “Implementing a client-centric approach has helped J & L Sturney Funeral Directors become a leader in the funeral services industry. From the moment of that first call, the team put any concerns to bed by taking care of every small detail.
“No matter what time or day it is, somebody will be on hand to provide a high-quality service. The average cost of a funeral has more than doubled since 2004 to over £4,200, so with this in mind J & L Sturney Funeral Directors can offer a range of prepaid funeral plans to ease the burden on families.
“With a strong track record to call upon, J & L Sturney Funeral Directors continue to lead the way in the industry and as we look ahead to 2022 and beyond its future looks very promising.”
The Southern Enterprises Distinction in Funeral Administration is a welcome addition to J & L Sturney’s accolades, which include Gold in New Forest District Council’s Up Your Game, Up Your Gain 2019 initiative.
Peter Dearing, Regional Development Director at Funeral Partners, said: “I’m very proud of what J & L Sturney has and continues to achieve in serving their local community of Lyndhurst. Keep up the good work.”
Helen looks forward to continuing to support families with the quality and care J & L Sturney is known for. She concluded with some advice for the runners-up: “Always be proud of what you do and shine in your profession. It really shows, is always appreciated and does not go unnoticed.”
To keep up to date with J & L Sturney’s latest community activities, visit www.sturneyfunerals.co.uk.
