Birches Crematorium & Remembrance Park

04/08/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Laura, on 5 wonderful years at Birches! 🎉

This month we're celebrating a very special milestone as Laura marks five years with the Birches family.

What makes this anniversary even more special is that Birches was Laura's very first job. She originally joined us on a temporary six-month placement, but it didn't take long for us to realise she was a perfect fit. We simply couldn't imagine not keeping her in the team!

Over the past five years, we've watched Laura grow in confidence, knowledge and experience, becoming an invaluable member of our team. As one of the first people our visitors meet, Laura brings warmth, kindness and reassurance to every family who comes through our doors. She also works closely with our funeral directors to help ensure every service runs smoothly and that every family receives the compassionate care they deserve.

We're incredibly proud of everything Laura has achieved and grateful for the care, professionalism and dedication she brings to Birches every single day.

Please join us in congratulating Laura on this fantastic milestone. Here's to everything you've accomplished over the last five years, and to many more to come! 💚🌿

03/08/2026

Calling all Celebrants / Bereavement workers! We're honoured to be hosting the below workshop with the wonderful Elizabeth Jill Funeral Celebrant, see below for details:

Introducing the 'Ten Pathways to Grief Relief' one day workshop style training opportunity at Birches Crematorium & Remembrance Park on Sunday September 13th 2026 from 10.00a.m - 4.00 p.m

The Ten Pathways is a heavily researched, scientifically proven and completely accessible structured programme to guide those suffering loss and trauma towards acceptance and a meaningful, fulfilled life through informal weekly or bi-weekly group sessions, known as Together in Grief Groups (T.I.G.G) which, whilst at all times maintaining autonomy for those attending provides strategies and activities, guided discussions and tangible 'take away' information.

This workshop is aimed at Celebrants who may wish to expand what they offer and set up T.I.G.G themselves, (these groups may become a regular source of income to compliment Celebrancy work) Funeral Industry operatives who may wish to have some further insight into grief with a potential to hold T.I.G.G within their Funeral Homes or for those who may already be running drop in Grief/Bereavement Cafes and looking to be able to offer a little more structure in the support currently offered.

Devised and delivered by Jill Young, Bereavement Counsellor, Funeral Celebrant, Trauma Informed Coach, Mental Health and Wellbeing Facilitator. Mindfulness Facilitator and R.A.B.I Level 2 Mental Health First Aider.

The workshop will cover the Ten Pathways and give session plans in a manual for approx 12 months of sessions, the fee of £250.00 also includes refreshments and lunch, all resources and a certificate of attendance. A.O.I.C membership discount applies.

This workshop is not suitable for those who are new to provision of Grief support

Further details and to book are available at https://www.ejfuneralcelebrant.co.uk/ or email [email protected]

29/07/2026

💚 Thank You! 🚴

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our Charity Bike Ride Day in aid of St Luke's Cheshire Hospice

Together, we cycled an incredible 115 miles – comfortably exceeding our target of cycling the equivalent of the 97-mile Cheshire Ring Canal – and, thanks to your generosity, we've already raised more than £300 for this fantastic local charity! 🎉

We'd like to say a special thank you to our professional colleagues who joined us on the bikes throughout the day:

💚 Co-op Funeralcare teams from Winsford, Barnton and Crewe
💚 Fowles Funeral Services, Winsford
💚 J.C. Clarke Dignity Funeral Directors, Frodsham
💚 Rogena, Ethan & Oscar from Wilson Funeral Directors

Your enthusiasm, encouragement and willingness to get involved helped make the day such a success.

We're also incredibly grateful to everyone who came along to cheer us on, enjoyed a cuppa and cake with us, donated, or simply helped spread the word. Your support means so much.

We're not finished yet! If you'd still like to support our fundraising, there's still time to donate. Every pound raised helps St Luke's Cheshire Hospice continue providing outstanding care and support to local patients and their families.

💙 Donate here:
www.justgiving.com/page/birches

Thank you for helping us make a real difference. Together, we've shown what can be achieved when our local community comes together for a great cause. ❤️

28/07/2026

The team are in action! Hoping to smash our goal of 97miles on the charity spin bikes for St Luke's Cheshire Hospice 💪

Come on down to take part, cheer on, or even to partake in the refreshments. All for a fantastic local cause!

27/07/2026

🚴 It's Tomorrow! 🚴

Our Charity Bike Ride Day is almost here!

Tomorrow, the team at Birches Crematorium will be taking on the challenge of cycling the equivalent of the 97-mile Cheshire Ring Canal between 11am and 4pm, all in aid of the incredible St Luke's Cheshire Hospice. 💙

There's still time to get involved! If you're one of our funeral director, celebrant or professional colleagues and can spare just 15 minutes, we'd love to see you on one of the bikes. Simply speak to Reception to reserve a slot or just turn up on the day!

Not feeling quite so energetic? Come along to the crematorium gardens, cheer us on and enjoy a complimentary tea, coffee and cake throughout the day.

📅 Tuesday 28th July
🕚 11:00am – 4:00pm
📍 Birches Crematorium
💚 Donate here: www.justgiving.com/page/birches

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up, donated and supported us. We can't wait to welcome you all tomorrow and raise as much money as possible for such a worthwhile local cause.

❤️ Every pedal counts. Every donation matters. Every mile makes a difference.

22/07/2026

Congratulations to our Operations Manager, Pete, on achieving two nationally recognised industry qualifications this month!

Pete has been awarded the Certificate in Crematorium Management (with distinction) and the Cremator Technician’s Training Scheme Certificate by the ICCM - Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management.

Having highly trained, knowledgeable and experienced staff is a vital part of the service we provide at Birches Crematorium. We are committed to investing in the continued professional development of our team to ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards of care, professionalism and service to the families we support.

These qualifications represent many hours of study, practical learning and dedication, and we’re incredibly proud of Pete’s achievement and grateful for the passion and dedication he brings to Birches every day.

Please join us in congratulating Pete on this well-deserved accomplishment! 👏

15/07/2026

We're delighted to share some fantastic news!

Birches Crematorium & Remembrance Park has been awarded a Green Flag Award – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

This prestigious award recognises the very highest standards of management, maintenance, environmental sustainability, and visitor experience. It reflects our commitment to providing a peaceful, beautiful, and well-cared-for environment where families can remember and celebrate the lives of their loved ones.

Receiving a Green Flag Award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, who take great pride in maintaining Birches Crematorium as a place of tranquillity, respect, and natural beauty throughout the year.

We are incredibly proud to be recognised alongside some of the country's finest green spaces and remain committed to protecting our environment, supporting local wildlife, and ensuring Birches Crematorium continues to be a welcoming sanctuary for our community.

Thank you to everyone who helps make Birches Crematorium and Remembrance Gardens such a special place.

Green Flag Award

09/07/2026

The recent spell of prolonged hot and dry weather has placed our trees, shrubs and planted memorial areas under considerable stress. Even with regular watering and the dedicated care of our gardening team, some plants may show signs of heat stress, including wilting, browning leaves or reduced flowering. This is a natural response as plants work to conserve moisture during periods of extreme temperatures.

While these changes can be concerning, the good news is that most healthy trees and plants are remarkably resilient. With continued care, adequate watering and the return of cooler, wetter weather, many will recover well and continue to thrive.

Our team is closely monitoring the garden every day, prioritising watering where it is needed most, improving moisture retention around vulnerable plants and adjusting our maintenance practices to help the landscape cope with these increasingly challenging conditions.

Looking ahead, we are also taking positive steps to make the memorial garden more resilient to our changing climate. This includes selecting suitable plants for future planting schemes, improving soil health and exploring sustainable watering and landscaping practices that will help protect the garden for generations to come.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this exceptional period of weather. Our commitment remains the same: to provide a beautiful, peaceful and well-cared-for place of remembrance, and we are confident that with a little time, care and the return of more favourable conditions, the garden will recover and continue to flourish.

02/07/2026

If you know of any community groups in South Trafford and surrounding areas, please share this amazing scheme from our friends at Circle Funerals which could make a real difference!

(The date applications need to be received by has now been extended to 16th July)

We’re really pleased to share that the Circle Funerals Fund with Forever Manchester is now open for applications.

One of the things that’s important to Jeremy and me is supporting our community, not just when someone dies, but throughout the year in ways that can make a positive difference to people’s lives.

That’s why we’ve partnered with Forever Manchester to create the Circle Funerals Fund, offering grants of up to £1,000 to support small grassroots community groups in South Trafford and neighbouring areas.

We know that some of the most valuable work in our communities is carried out quietly by volunteers and small local organisations. Whether it’s supporting children and young people, older people, carers, emotional wellbeing, bereavement, food projects, sport or helping people develop new skills, these groups often make an enormous difference with very limited resources.

Being able to give something back to the communities that support us is something we’re incredibly proud of, and we hope this fund will help some fantastic local projects continue the valuable work they do.

If you’re involved with a local community group, or know one that could benefit, we’d really encourage you to have a look. Applications are open until 16 July.

You can find out more and apply here:

https://forevermanchester.com/fund/circle-funerals-fund/

We’d also be really grateful if you could share this post so it reaches as many eligible groups as possible.