Community Activities
Southampton funeral director B. Matthews is launching an unusual appeal today, calling on local people to come forward and collect 405 sets of the cremated remains of relatives that have been left uncollected at their branches.
B. Matthews, which has conducted funerals in the city for over 50 years, has launched the appeal to find the next of kin for the ashes that are currently stored at its three branches. Many of the ashes have actually been in the team’s care for 20 years or more, with the oldest set dating back to 1975.
“After a funeral, the ashes are kept at one of our branches until family members are ready to collect them. However, we understand that there are many reasons why families may choose to leave the ashes in our care. For some, collecting them is too painful, in some cases it can be down to a breakdown in family communications on who will collect the remains, while others simply need more time to decide what to do with them,” said Victoria Nethercott, funeral director at B. Matthews.
“With so many uncollected after such a considerable amount of time, we decided to launch the appeal. We hope it will encourage families to come forward and visit one of our branches if they have specific wishes for the ashes or would like to talk to a member of our team about the options available,” Victoria continued.
The National Association of Funeral Directors has specific guidelines in place for unclaimed ashes, and recommends its members store them for a minimum of five years. Having done this and rigorously searched for family members, the team at B. Matthews decided to take a different course of action by launching a public appeal.
“We’re keen to stress that this isn’t about recently bereaved families or those who have asked us to keep ashes on their behalf for a specific reason. This is about ashes that have been left unclaimed for a considerable amount of time.
Established in 1959, B. Matthews recognise the importance of being at the heart of the local community, and that their responsibilities extend beyond the immediate needs of arranging a funeral and supporting the bereaved at an emotional time in their life.
“We have been entrusted by families to care for these ashes in some cases for almost 40 years. We feel is it our responsibility to now try and reunite these families with the cremated remains of their loved ones as we believe it’s only right that every individual is given the opportunity of a peaceful final resting place.” Victoria concluded.
Those who believe that the unclaimed ashes of a relative may be currently held by B. Matthews should call 02380 447 965 to speak to a member of the team or visit one of the funeral directors’ branches in Woolston, Shirley or Park Gate.
B Matthews are also commemorating the people who have died on HeavenAddress, an online memorial website. Local residents can view the names of those in B Matthews’ care, as well as the date of the funerals, and light a virtual candle for them. As well as providing a virtual place of remembrance for those who have died, it offers an alternative way for the community to pay their respects and get in touch with B Matthews. The memorial page is located at www.heavenaddress.com/ashes-appeal-2014