Pictured above: Aubrey Kirkham and Leanne Garvey

A family-run firm of funeral directors has once again demonstrated its commitment to the Shropshire community by organising and hosting a grief counselling seminar to assist professionals who deal with those suffering bereavement.

Shrewsbury, Welshpool, and Four Crosses-based Aubrey Kirkham Funeral Directors invited renowned Canadian grief counsellor Dr Bill Webster to speak at its dedicated event, which was hosted recently by Reverend Murray McBride at St George's Church in Frankwell, Shrewsbury.

Nearly a hundred professionals attended the talk, including bereavement councillors and representatives from local nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals, as well as clergy of various denominations, and solicitors specialising in wills and probates. Aimed at helping them to identify and deal with the various journeys through bereavement, the seminar focused on how best to support people through such a traumatic and upsetting time.

Company Founder and Director, Aubrey Kirkham, was praised by Dr Webster, who explained: "To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity. Aubrey Kirkham serves his community well, but he goes beyond the expected. By providing aftercare and support to his community and client families, long after the funeral is over and the bills are paid, he shows that he cares and that he is there for people long after the job is done. That is why I am so pleased to be associated with him."

The seminar was just one of a number of recent initiatives introduced by the firm - which was honoured with a prestigious Gold Award at last month's Mayor of Shrewsbury's Awards - all aimed at providing a respectful, dignified service for the local community.

"We try to do everything in our power to help and assist families who have suffered a loss," Aubrey Kirkham, Founder and Director of Aubrey Kirkham Funeral Directors, explained. "It's such a heartbreakingly difficult time for so many, and we're always eager to do whatever we can to make their journey even a fraction easier."

An example of this is Aubrey's recent introduction of the concept of 'living funerals' which he launched into the county earlier this year, "Living funerals allow those with terminal illnesses to celebrate their lives and share precious moments with friends and loved ones before they pass away," Aubrey explained.

The company has also explored innovative ecologically-focused funerals for clients, and has sourced beautiful garden sculptures to safely house precious ashes for others. "It's very much all part of the service," added Aubrey. "If a family wish for something to happen, we'll do all we can to make it so, even if that involves finding unusual solutions for them. We're proud of that commitment to the community and it's a cornerstone of our business we intend to protect," he concluded.

Adding to the company's mission to give exceptional care at a difficult time, Aubrey Kirkham Funeral Directors has recently expanded its service to incorporate Aubrey's wife Ann's dedicated Floranz by Ann Thrower business, and its new Magnolia Memorials, which is the company's own unique collection of high-quality, but affordable headstones, memorial vases, and urns.