Riverside Funeral Services, Spalding

Riverside Funeral Services

Quality Independent Funeral Directors & Monumental Stone Masons



In certain circumstances if there are no family or friends to take responsibility for the funeral then the District Council will arrange this. Please report the matter immediately to the reception of the Environmental Health Department.

THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:  There is a time scale you must work to: YOU MUST REGISTER THE DEATH WITHIN FIVE DAYS.  The following people can register the death:

• Any relative of the person who has died.

• Any person present at the death 

• The person who lives in the house where the person has died.

• The person arranging the funeral.

 At a time when you feel ready, we will need to see you to discuss the arrangements for the funeral. You do not need to register  the death before you can do this, so ring us as soon as you can, and make an appointment to come and see us, then we can assist  you, and start to begin to arrange things in preparation for you and your family. Agree to a day and a time for the funeral, as  soon as you possibly can, consult other family members in case they are away, taking exams/Hospital appointments/ etc. then  relay your difficult, or No Go day zones to us, so that we can work around them.


We can visit you in your own home if you are local, or if it is to difficult for you to get in to see us at our Riverside funeral  home. If we are needed, we are available 24 hours of the day, every day of the year. We have experienced  caring staff to help guide you through any concerns you may have. Please ring us, don't worry about anything, speak to us before you start to worry, we will remove many of your fears, and smooth the way forward for you.


Here is a guide to some of the areas we will discuss with you during the arrangements:

 Whether the funeral is going to be a burial or a cremation: Which Cemetery or Churchyard, or which Crematorium you prefer.

• Where would you like the funeral service to take place, in Church, and then burial or cremation, or just a graveside service, or just a service at the Crematorium.

• What sort of Transport you may require on the day of the funeral, regarding Limousines, or whether you will go in your own vehicles, although you can tell us later when  you will have a better idea.

• Music for the service. One piece of music to go into the service with, one or two hymns, or pieces of music instead of hymns  during the service, and one piece at the end of the service, in order to leave the church or chapel with.

• The Order of Service and Funeral Stationery, if any?

• Flowers if required, whether through us, your Funeral Director, or from your own florist. • Donations, If any, and to which Charity.



• Newspaper announcements, if required.

Have a look in the obituaries in the local papers, this will give you an idea for your  announcement, but we will re-draft it for you and ensure it is sent through to the relevant Newspaper/s for you. • Making the Service Personal, this is usually done via your Minister or Civil Celebrant, but we can ensure this happens for you.

• Visiting your loved one in our Chapel of Rest, you may not want to, but in my experience it has helped all of my families, but no one will force you. Your loved one will lie in our Chapel of Rest on their own, while you spend as much time with them as you may require, for as long as you like, or as many times as you feel the need, and there is no hidden charge during  office hours, you are very welcome.


We can provide you with a range of services, tailored to your personal requirements, or financial needs, and incorporate your wishes to all your requirements. We will advise you of all the costs throughout the arrangement. You will leave with a computer printout of all the confirmations regarding the completed funeral arrangements, and the estimated cost of the funeral.  Any arrangements made can be changed right up to the day of the funeral, but bear in mind, if left too late there are certain things we may not be able to order in time, and some things pre-ordered, may need to be paid for, even if you then decide you don't  require it/them. It's just a matter of being sensible, usually families have everything sorted out and organised in their mind a week or more before the day of the funeral.


QUICK REF: 

 Here is a quick reference guide as to the steps that you MUST take in the coming days:

• Establish where Certificate of Death is, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, and if necessary arrange collection for this. ( If your loved  one died in a Hospital, this may be with the bereavement office at the hospital, or if he/she died in a nursing home, then it may be in the Manager's Office or at the Doctor's Surgery, if your loved one died at home you will need to collect it from the Doctors Surgery ). A quick phone call will soon sort this out, If there is a problem, RING ME, I will find out for you. • If the coroner is involved, ( because the death was unexpected or suspicious for whatever reason ), you will not receive a certificate of death at this stage, and must wait for the coroner's officer to inform you on when you can register. We will also advise you.The Coroners Officer will ring YOU, if he and the doctor,or in some cases the police, decide a Post-Mortem is necessary. 

• Make an appointment with the Registrar, in the AREA where the person died. Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire/Nottinghamshire,   etc. etc:

 So that you can:

• Register the death and acquire:

A, The Green Form ( for us, the funeral director )

B, The White form ( for the social security )

C, The Death Certificate ( for yourselves for Council offices,i.e. Rents, Banks, Building Societies, Insurance Companies, Credit Card suppliers etc: etc: ) .

Make the arrangements for the funeral with us as soon as possible, even  if it is only a phone call to instruct us to act on your behalf, Remember Crematoriums book up very quickly. All the time, other funeral directors throughout all other areas are booking at any given time. The SOONER WE BOOK the Crematorium, the sooner we can have the funeral, and the sooner you are settled in your mind.  We are here to help you at all times, before the funeral, during the funeral and don't forget we are there for you after the funeral as well, and will guide you through everything, from the moment you contact us, to after the funeral has taken place. And I will be there for you months down the line, don't be afraid ring me. We will look after the person who has died with respect and sensitivity, as though they were a member of our own family. This I promise! We are here to help you through one of the most difficult times in your life.


SO, WHAT TO DO NEXT

If the death has occurred in a Private Residence/Nursing Home or Residential Home and a doctor has been in attendance.
Where someone has died and the doctor has been in attendance, at their home or in Hospital or at a Nursing Home, then he or she will sign a Certificate of Death for you, but only if they are happy with the cause of death. In some cases, the doctor will leave this at the Nursing home for you, or you may have to collect it from the Doctors surgery later that day. Call the surgery following the death to see whether the certificate is ready or not, it may take the Doctor a while to process the certificate for you, or he may need to speak to the Coroners Officer before he can complete the certificate. You do need this certificate before you can register the death at the Registrars, or in the case where the coroner has to be involved, WAIT for him to ring you and advise you as to when you can register. 

If the death has occurred in a hospital.

Contact the bereavement office within the hospital and make an appointment to go and see them. It is there that they will give you the certificate of death, (there again only if the coroner is not involved) which is signed by the hospital doctor who looked after your loved one. You will then need to take this form, to the registrars to register the death.

The coroner.

The coroner is the official responsible for investigating the cause of a death in England and Wales. If a doctor has not seen the deceased within the last 14 days, or if the death was unexpected/sudden or suspicious no matter where the death occurred, then the coroner may be involved. The Coroners Officer will arrange for an examination of the deceased, by a pathologist at one of the Hospitals, this will take place in the days following the death.

The Coroners Officer will then contact you (or the next of kin) to advise you of what the findings of the examination were. You will not receive a Certificate of Death from the coroner, and you will have to wait for the coroner's officer to tell you when you can register the death. Once he has informed you, you will then have to make an appointment with the Registrar in the normal way. In Lincolnshire you have to book an appointment through the Central Lincolnshire Registration Office, which is in Lincoln. 

To book an appointment at ANY of the Lincolnshire Registration Offices, you need to call:   Tel: 01522 782244.

If you would like further information relating to the death, which has been reported to the coroner, we are able to give you the contact details of the coroner's office which is dealing with your case.


STEPS FOR REGISTERING A DEATH.

Every death should be registered in the area where the death has occurred, and must be completed within FIVE DAYS OF THE DATE OF THE DEATH,  ( unless the coroner is involved ).


Arrangements can be made with the registrars to register elsewhere in Lincolnshire if necessary, another local office maybe, or by Declaration, ( post ). Registering a death comprises of a simple interview with a registrar. All registrars will require you to make an appointment with them.


SPALDING REGISTRAR'S OFFICE

1 Linden House, Bath Lane, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 1XP

BOSTON REGISTRAR'S OFFICE,

Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 8QR

LONG SUTTON REGISTRAR'S OFFICE.

Swapcoat Lane, Long Sutton, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 9HB

BOURNE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE.

South Kesteven Community Point and Library, Abbey Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9EF

STAMFORD REGISTRAR'S OFFICE.

2 St. Mary's Hill, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2DR

But you must make the appointment for any of the above offices, through the Lincoln Central Office. Tel. 01522 782244

FOR DEATHS IN OTHER DISTRICTS AS BELOW

PETERBOROUGH REGISTRAR'S OFFICE.

33 Thorpe Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE3 6AB. Tel. 01733 864646

KING'S LYNN REGISTRAR'S OFFICE.

Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 5DQ. Tel. 01553 669251

But you must make the appointment for any of the above offices, through the Lincoln Central office:  Tel: 01522 782244

The appointment will take approximately half an hour and you will be asked the following questions:
• The full name of the person who has died.

• Their full address.

• Their date of birth.

• Details of where and when the person died.

• Their occupation.

• If the deceased is a married woman, you will need to give her maiden name and her husband's full name and occupation.     

You will need to take along the Doctors Medical Certificate of Death which the GP or hospital will have given you ( where the coroner is not  involved ), a Marriage Certificate, ( if Married ),  A Medical Card, and a Birth Certificate of the person who has died. If you cannot find one or more of these documents, don't worry unduly, you can still register the death, but these documents are required if you do have them.

The following people can register the death:

Any relative of the person who has died.

Any person present at the death

The person who lives in the house where the person died.

The person arranging the funeral.


The registrar will give you a Green Certificate, which you Must give to us, your Funeral Director as soon as possible following the registration.       

You will also receive a White Certificate, which you should fill in and send to the social security office for the area where the   person died. You will be able to purchase official copies of the Death Certificate from the registrar when registering.

The registrar will charge a small fee for these. We can advise you of their charges before you go. Most people have around 5. You will need these certificates for things such as Banks, Building Societies, Insurance Companies, Credit Card Suppliers, Councils, etc. Before going to the registrars have a think about how many certificates you may need. If you don't purchase enough at this point you can go back later and get more, though the registrars will charge extra for this.

If you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to call us. Our contact details are:  Riverside Funeral Services, Tel:  01775 722567.

e-mail: riversidefuneralservices@sky.com and our names are Kevin, Carol & Shereecee.



In certain circumstances if there are no family members or friends able to take responsibility for the funeral, ( meaning no one is prepared to arrange and take responsibility for the payment for the  funeral ), then the District Council will arrange and pay for the funeral. If This Is The Case, Please report the matter immediately to the reception of the Environmental Health Department. South Holland District Council, telephone 01775 761161