About Us
We are the island’s first independent and dedicated national provider of cremations only. We are a local family owned and managed business providing a professional service without the expensive extras.
Tracy Corlett, the founder of Direct Cremation Services, brings a strong commitment to simplifying end-of-life arrangements. Tracy’s vision is rooted in core values of affordability, dignity, and community support. With extensive experience in the industry, Tracy recognised the need for a more streamlined and personalised approach to honouring loved ones’ legacies.
A direct cremation is just that, an affordable and simple cremation without all the costs associated with a funeral service. There is no hearse or limousines, no expensive coffin, no viewing at the chapel of rest and no mourners.
The coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions for attending funeral services changed the cultural shift and acceptance of less formal and unattended funerals. A funeral service is not always wanted or believed to be necessary, and families have embraced the opportunity to hold a celebration of life or a memorial service at a later date. These events can be held to commemorate their loved ones in a more meaningful fashion and at a date and time more convenient for people that need to make travel arrangements or would like to participate via a live stream.
Howard Hodgson, CEO of Memoria and a fifth-generation funeral director with 50 years of experience in the funeral industry said “We are now seeing a ground-breaking change as the baby boomers start to end their days. This generation changed the fashion of life and now it is changing the fashion of death. This is good news for families who want to select low-cost direct cremation and yet does not impact at all on those who don’t.”
“People who do things differently report feeling in control of their grieving process,” said Dr Woodthorpe, co-director of the Centre for Death and Society (CDAS). She added “Direct cremation is often marketed as, or regarded as, the ‘cheaper’ funerary option but our study shows there’s a lot more going on than just financial considerations. The trend also relates to evolving rituals and consumer behaviour – in fact, these might matter even more than cost. People want to bring their individual preferences to funerals and are less willing to conform to social norms.”
The results of the study challenge the assumption that holding a funeral service on the day of a funeral is beneficial to mourners. The death of a loved one can give the feeling of vulnerability to those grieving and a lot of pressure on mental health can be attributed to trying to plan a funeral whilst in a state of grief.
Whilst the study found that cost was not a key driving factor for choosing a direct cremation, the saving is significant. There has been a steady rise in the price of funerals over the past few decades with the average cost, excluding professional fees and extra expenditure, being a little over £4,000.
Research has shown that having just a cremation is typically 60% cheaper than traditional funerals. Direct Cremation Services is offering cremations for less than half the average funeral without the need for a service.