The Individual Funeral Company Ltd

25/08/2026

We are genuinely devastated to hear the news about the death of Dolly Parton. Lucy is such a huge fan for a multitude of different reasons and it got her thinking about legacy.

Dolly was a beautiful singer and musician but there was so much more to her. Actress, philanthropist and so much more that we won’t ever hear about.

Most people will immediately think ‘singer’ and the fact she wrote ‘I Will Always Love You.’ A song we have heard countless times at funeral services.

Lucy said ‘the first thing that springs to my mind is the Imagination Library. Her father couldn’t read so the Imagine Library was a way to put books into the hands of children all over the world.
A book a month from birth until age 5. In fact, my niece gets a book every month from Dolly.

She will undoubtedly leave behind many legacies and will be remembered for everything from Joline to her role in Steel Magnolias. From championing every underdog and spending money on things like Covid vaccine research.

But to donate over 304.5 billion books to help children read is how I will remember her. That is a remarkable and inspiring legacy to leave.’

25/08/2026

Beautiful day so it would be wrong if Lucy didn’t dig out her beloved Triumph for a new set of tyres and check-up.

This is no ordinary bike though. It used to belong to Lucy’s old boss at Motorcycle Funerals and was gifted to her by his wife.
It is one of Lucy’s most treasured possessions and is still referred to as ‘Paul’s bike.’ So much so, that she hasn’t changed a thing about it - even the number plate.

Often when someone dies, small things start to mean the most. A vehicle. A piece of clothing. A mug. A paintbrush. A golf ball.
Whatever that special thing may be, it brings a source of comfort.

We asked Lucy what this bike means to her.

‘We spent hours on bikes together. I know how much he loved this one and yet he was generous enough to let me play on it.
Whenever I dig it out, it just makes me smile. It’s an amazing machine but when I pop out for a ride, all of these amazing memories come rushing back.
Sometimes it’s almost like I can still hear him laughing.
It’s more than just a bike. It keeps me connected to someone I still really miss.’

Things can be just things. But sometimes, these things mean more to us that we can possibly put into words.

11/08/2026

We never take for granted what we do or the gorgeous places we get to see.

05/08/2026

I’ve taken some time to reflect on the events of last week, and I still really don’t know what to say.

When it comes to my company, you can read all about us on our website or check out The Good Funeral Guide CIC for what they have to say about us.
I don’t want to do a long post about how we’re different because this isn’t about us.

Robert Bush wasn’t a funeral director. He is a charlatan who duped so many people and left them in an unimaginable hellscape when he simply didn’t care about the dead he was entrusted with or the ashes of those he should have cared for.

Instead, I would like to highlight a petition started by the families in Hull which seeks to regulate funeral directors and which I wholeheartedly support and have personally signed.

No matter what regulation or legislation is introduced, we must always remember that the public should always be at the heart of everything.

Please do help support their campaign by signing the petition.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/767402

31/07/2026

After today's news with the sentencing of Robert Bush, I really need to take some time to fully digest everything that has come to light this week and that my thoughts very much remain with the family and friends who have been horrifically impacted by the actions of one funeral director.

I wanted to reassure anyone who requires our help over the weekend that we are recommended by the Good Funeral Guide who inspect our premises and interview us on our business practices which is extremely thorough.
You can read more about the Good Funeral Guide here - www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk

Should you need us or have any questions, you are welcome to call us on 01865 714130

*We have never been affiliated nor have never been a member of the NAFD*

27/07/2026

Lucy has been part of a group working on regulating funeral directors in light of a small group of funeral directors being exposed for treating dead people appallingly.

We banded together to write something that would really serve the public.

You can read all about the work we did and how we’ve approached the government to adopt what we have written.
You can also read the documents that we put together and proposed.

She’s really proud of this. Lucy worked together with funeral directors she’s long admired and the GFG to write something meaningful, fit for purpose and to protect people, both living and dead, when they are at their most vulnerable.

Today we are publishing a suite of documents created by a working group of some of our superb Recommended funeral directors.

These documents have been developed to form a framework for regulation of the funeral sector that is written in the public interest, not that of the funeral industry.

We have spent the last two years trying to get various people in government to see that this framework would offer the public the reassurance required when they entrust the care of someone they love to a funeral professional.

Today, with the appalling horrors of what happened at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull being revealed as the sentencing hearing begins for the man who so appalling betrayed his community, we are sharing these documents publicly for the first time.

We hope that the government takes heed of the devastation inflicted on the families in Hull and act now to prevent such horror from ever happening again.

We call on our representatives in government to come together and implement properly crafted regulation, and we believe our suggested documents would provide a very good starting point.

Read today’s blog post here:

https://goodfuneralguide.co.uk/2026/07/regulation-of-the-funeral-sector/

21/07/2026

We love this picture by JAMES McQUEEN ART LTD - ARTIST and while it remains in the gallery, we love the message it sends.

Nearly 25 years ago Lucy trained with a national chain of funeral directors. She learnt all of their rules and even while there, she was raked over the coals on more than one occasion for not ‘selling enough.’

Starting The Individual Funeral Company was the ultimate rebellion!!

It’s not just about different colour walls or the fact she doesn’t wear a suit in the office. It’s so much deeper than that.

It’s about a no selling or hard pressure culture
It’s about being fair and transparent with pricing
It’s about giving people space to think about things
It’s about being on call to our clients 24:7
It’s about staying small to dedicate our time to our clients
It’s about treating everyone as an individual
It’s about helping people simply because we can

While we think all of those things should just be standard for funeral directors, sadly it isn’t and that’s why we stand out.
Because we work in a way that puts our clients firmly in control of everything we do.

So, here’s to Lucy. The ultimate rule breaker!

15/07/2026

We’re so lucky that we get to travel all over the country helping clients.
While we are based in Oxford, we are often sought by people all over the county and country because our reputation matters more than physical location.

We’ve worked so hard for over a decade to make sure that our little company is synonymous with perfection and the fact that people all over the country ask us to walk beside them as they navigate the next steps means more to us than anyone could ever imagine. More than we could have imagined when we opened our doors nearly 14 years ago.

Today brings us to South Devon and before official duties begin, there was just enough time to head to our favourite beach for a restorative breath of the sea air.

When we say location doesn’t matter, we really do mean it….especially when we get called to the coast.

09/07/2026

At The Individual Funeral Company, we help our clients create a funeral that’s really personal.

We love hearing about people’s lives so we can make suggestions on how you may want to celebrate that uniqueness.

But it’s also we that are different.

- We work for a very small amount of clients at any one time so that we can give them our undivided attention

- We can be contacted by phone 24:7. This could be because someone has died and you need our help or it could be a client asking about flowers. Whatever we are needed for, we’re always available

- Suits are strictly reserved for the day of the funeral. When we are in our office, you’re more likely to find us in jeans and a T-shirt. We often spend 10+ hours a day here, we want to be comfortable but we find it’s more relaxing for our clients too

- Our most favourite start to a conversation is when a client says ‘This may sound weird, but…..’ we just know whatever comes next is going to make us smile. A) because it’s not weird and B) because it’s usually something really beautiful we know we can say yes to

- When the temperature isn’t hotter than the surface of the sun, it’s likely you’ll find a motorbike in the office. As Lucy’s pride and joy, they have their special place here

- We meet people where they are and we work in a way that they need us to. This could be totally remotely and I don’t get to meet a client until the day of a funeral.
This could mean daily contact and taking it all one step at a time

- When people are on a tight timeline in which to have a funeral, we are the people they call. We can often make a funeral service happen within 7-14 days. This is something we are really proud of. We don’t believe in keeping people waiting

We celebrate not just our uniqueness but that of our clients. We listen. We’re here. We’re ready to help you navigate the next steps in any way you decide.

And because of all of this, it’s why we are so highly recommend by actual clients. You can read our Google reviews. Some of our clients have left reviews which make us hugely proud.

For a funeral director who really is individual, why would you call anyone else?

06/07/2026

As specialists in eco friendly funerals, we are so pleased to finally be able to offer these incredible mushroom coffins.

I know, it sounds a bit bonkers but they are absolutely beautiful and ridiculously soft.

I got to see them up close a few weeks ago and was seriously impressed not just how beautiful they are but by their eco credentials.
They are 100% organic and actually enrich the soil if someone is being buried.

You can read all about them by visiting Loop Biotech or visiting their website.