Westerleigh Group unveils experiential offering at Gedling Crem

Westerleigh Group has officially unveiled a new offering of uniquely personalised services at Gedling Crematorium, thanks to state-of-the-art technology. It comes as a result of the group’s partnership with Obitus, an audio-visual provider to the bereavement industry. The Nottinghamshire crematorium can now offer services that have been personalised to the individual “to an unprecedented level”, using the projection of dynamic theming in the chapel, accompanied by harmoniously coordinated soundscapes and lighting. Obitus has led the research and development project to craft this offering, which Westerleigh Group has made available at Gedling Crematorium only. According to Westerleigh, Gedling Crematorium now offers “the first stages of a ground-breaking, immersive, celebration of life experience”. Families can start their remembrance as they gather in the waiting room prior to the service by viewing the Gallery, a collection of 25 digital frames uploaded with images of their loved one. Inside the chapel, the Canvas service allows personalised visual tributes to be projected onto the front wall, transforming the whole area around the coffin into a themed backdrop. There is currently a choice of 10 backgrounds, from Country Hills and Waterfall to a Gentle Glimmer and a Football Stadium, but over time, Westerleigh Group and Obitus plan to significantly increase the background options available, as well as further develop the capabilities of the Canvas technology’s uses in funeral services. Debbie Smith, CEO of Westerleigh Group, said: “We’ve always been committed to making the services we host as uniquely personal as possible, which is also an ambition of our partners at Obitus. “We would like to thank all the Funeral Directors and celebrants who have supported us and bereaved families through the introduction of this exciting development.” She added: “Moving forward, in partnership with Obitus, our aim is to make this technology as accessible to as many families as possible and we’ve already been discussing and planning which of our other crematoria will be the next to have this technology installed.” James Crossland, founder of Obitus, said: “We launched this project in response to the growing public demand for more personalisation at funerals. We can’t wait to get more feedback from families who choose to incorporate this innovative service and will use their responses to help drive its further development. “While there are ten backgrounds at present, what we’ve got here is essentially a blank canvas with almost endless opportunities moving forward. The system is extremely flexible and adaptable.” He added: “We’re excited to be working with Westerleigh Group to use the latest technology to take funeral services to a new level, and plan to continue the development project.”