When Chief Executive, Kenneth Lawrie, (pictured left)
visited colleagues in Bereavement Services, he spent time speaking with the Crematorium Team, who worked tirelessly to keep the service going during the pandemic. Here is what
Willie Candlish, Crematorium Manager, (pictured right) told him.
"COVID was an unbelievably tough time. It was hard for everyone. Usually up to 190 people would attend a funeral, but during the height of the pandemic that was cut back to 10. Seeing such a small number of seats in such a large room really threw us. It was really upsetting, but there was nothing we could do about it.
"For two years, families had to tailor funerals to meet restrictions and our needs. People had to come to terms with the death of a loved one and then pick who could attend the funeral and who couldn't. That was heartbreaking. Thankfully things are back to normal, and people can tailor funerals to their needs again. That makes a massive difference, as it allows them to say goodbye in the way they want.
"For the team, our biggest fear was catching COVID. We had four qualified technicians, and if one got COVID and passed it on … it didn't bear thinking about. Thankfully, two volunteers from within the Council came forward to be trained as technicians just in case anything happened.
"When one of the cremators broke down at the height of things, we had procedures to minimise disruption, but it put a strain on us and was always at the back of our minds. A replacement cremator was installed that eased the pressure. Come the start of 2023, all cremators will have been upgraded.
"There is an immense amount of trust in the team. We rely on each other - and are there for each other - because it is a sad job. Every day we are helping families that are often traumatised. We provide comfort and relief and ease the pressure and anxiety by ensuring everything runs smoothly.
"When you are Front of House, your role is to take some of the burden from grieving families by ensuring every aspect of the funeral is as they want it to be. That is important to us all to provide a service that meets the needs of people at a tough time.
"All of us have found ways of coping with what we do. I compartmentalise, but sometimes my guard can drop while listening to a service. The family's emotions can hit like a wave. When that happens you need to take a step back, clear your head and remain focused on what they need and want from the service.
"The architect who designed the crematorium did a really good job. They thought about every aspect of a funeral service, including putting in a one-way system that means no two grieving families ever meet. The design was added to when the place was refurbished a few years back.
"We've new screen doors outside, a bigger waiting room, an expanded service area, and new technology for webcasting funerals worldwide. That has modernised what we do, and the webcasting helped comfort folks who couldn't physically attend funerals during the pandemic. Watching the ceremony at home gave them a way to say goodbye that they otherwise wouldn't have, and people were grateful for that."