Cemetery Management

Memorial and Grave Management

A guide to managing memorials, cemeteries and closed churchyards

Course aims - To provide an understanding of the legal, administrative and financial duties of parish and town councils for the provision, management, care and maintenance of memorials, civil cemeteries and closed Church of England churchyards. It will also include suggestions for reviewing cemetery fees and charges with a view to reducing the operational deficit most burial authorities have.

 Who is the course for? - This event is aimed at parish and town clerks and councillors who have statutory responsibility for cemeteries and closed churchyards and who are responsible for memorials and their upkeep. It may also be of benefit to full and part-time cemetery staff of burial authorities.

Course outline

• Management of memorials

• Burial law and record keeping

• Exclusive rights of burial – grants, transfers and extinguishing

• Maximising burial space and grave re-use

• Provision for other Faith groups

• Closure and maintenance of churchyards

• Grave digging – legal duties and good practice

• Review of cemetery fees

This course is led by Alan Fairchild MBE, FILCM Cemetery Advisor of the Society of Local Council Clerks, Member of the Ministry of Justice Burials & Cremation Advisory Group & Board Member of the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM)