Tackling Loneliness And Social Isolation
Founded in 1690, family-run C.P.J. Field is the UK’s oldest funeral directors. Now into its 10th generation of the Field family, the business is led by siblings Jeremy, Emily and Charlie. As the UK’s 9th oldest family business, C.P.J. Field employs over 190 colleagues across 37 funeral homes across the Home Counties and the South of England
The C.P.J. Field story began on the South Bank of the River Thames at Southwark, where the Field family enterprise was called upon to make its first coffin in 1690. The business has supported hundreds of thousands of families in their time of need, having conducted over 1M funerals to date. C.P.J. Field’s history includes managing the funerals for Queen Victoria and the Duke of Wellington.
The C.P.J. Field siblings bring a unique expertise to the family business with Jeremy Field as a past President of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), Charlie Field sits on the board of the Institute for Family Business (IFB), as well as serving as an Army Reserve Staff Officer and Emily Hendin as former director of leading London consumer PR agency. Balancing heritage with innovation, C.P.J. Field is leading what has historically been a traditionally antiquated sector and bringing it into the 21st century with the development of eFD from Seker, funeral administration and management software which combines automated processes, intelligent learning and industry expertise, to give funeral directors more time to care for their clients
Never Alone: Supporting clients through the grieving process
C.P.J. Field witness first-hand the impact loneliness and social isolation can have on individuals. As well as the emptiness someone can feel when a person they love dies, the act of grieving can be isolating as others can feel uncomfortable, not knowing what to say and even avoiding a bereaved person when they most need support.
C.P.J. Field recognise that there is a danger of loneliness becoming one of the longer-lasting effects of bereavement, with all the health risks and loss of quality of life this involves, so action is needed.
There is no doubt that 2020 was emotionally challenging in ways we couldn’t expect and it reiterated the power that community spirit can have in bringing us closer together. C.P.J. Field found new and innovative ways to support its colleagues and local communities, from running weekly virtual quizzes, ‘afterzoom teas’ and Forget Me Not Letters of Kindness to remind those isolated within the community that they are not alone. The company also developed relationships with others via the parcels and hampers of kindness that were shared with other care givers and key workers.
Through C.P.J. Field’s established, Never Alone campaign, the business is committed to combating loneliness and social isolation. The initiative provides an opportunity for members of the local community to meet like-minded individuals over a cup of tea or coffee. Each local group meets in a public location, whether that be in a local cafe, church hall or community centre. These groups continued virtually throughout the pandemic.
Further, since 2011, the Field Family Fund has given £98,506 in grants to 31 small charities and community groups, promoting good citizenship among young people in Sussex, as well as support and activities for older people and those in end-of-life care and bereavement.
Helping families through the pandemic
Throughout the pandemic, C.P.J. Field was agile and pivoted in line with government guidelines where required. This saw the introductions of new offerings in order for families and friends to say goodbye in a way that still feels special to them, including:
Offering families the opportunity to arrange funerals using remote technology such as Zoom, to manage social distancing and involve all those who may otherwise have been unable to do so in the traditional face to face way
Enabling friends and neighbours to pay their respects by carefully planning cortege routes that the Hearse travels to allow those unable to attend in person to line the route and say a final farewell
Provision of webcast facilities to enable those unable to attend to watch services online, both at crematoriums and in churches and cemeteries by using outside broadcast facilities
Creating ‘how to’ guides for hosting a virtual funeral reception or wake, ensuring the all-important connection for grieving family and friends and the sharing of memories and stories post funeral is able to happen, albeit remotely
As restrictions eased, C.P.J. Field’s homes reached out to families who had loved ones die during the pandemic, inviting them to attend either virtual or in person memorial services as an opportunity to reflect and remember.