Joseph O’Connell joins Funeral Partners network

Joseph O’Connell Funeral Services in Cheshire has become the latest provider to join the Funeral Partners network. The funeral provider, which has supported the communities in Crewe and Nantwich for the past 13 years, is known for going the extra mile to help bereaved families. After working in funerals for 38 years, the company’s namesake set up the business with his father-in-law Ted in 2011, with an ambition to give families exceptional service. Meanwhile, Joseph’s wife, Lesley, initially combined her career working in A&E with helping out at the funeral home before eventually joining full-time. Since then, she has played a vital role in all parts of the business and will often support families long after the funeral for their loved one has taken place – assisting with relevant benefit claims and other services. Recently, the couple have supported five Ukrainian families since they moved to the UK after being displaced by war, helping them find accommodation and helping with expenses. Happily, each of the adults are now at work. Lesley O’Connell, who is now business principal, said: “This is so much more than a job, and since I have started here it has never felt like I am going to work. “We’ve had lots of offers about valuing the business and we have thought long and hard about whether we want to sell it. We know we have been successful because of the way we have run things and how hard we have worked.” She added: “We appreciate that Funeral Partners will have a light touch approach and allow the business to continue to run much as it has before. This felt like a good fit – they didn’t just choose us; we chose Funeral Partners too.” Now working with Funeral Partners, Lesley has plans to scale back her hours over the next few months, while Joseph plans to mainly focus on promoting the business in the community while continuing to direct funerals when asked to. Sam Kershaw, CEO of Funeral Partners, said: “I am so pleased we have been able to continue our rapid recent growth by acquiring the excellent Joseph O’Connell Funeral Service. “They have a reputation built on support and guidance to the bereaved, delivered with compassion and empathy. I welcome Lesley and Joseph to the team and am looking forward to working with them.”