A.W. Lymn completes acquisition of Serene Funeral Planning

A.W. Lymn has announced the completion of its acquisition of Serene Funeral Planning by the business’ parent company LR Bereavement Holdings Ltd. The deal has brought all elements of the funeral arrangement process in-house at the East Midlands-based funeral director. James Myers, chartered accountant at A.W. Lymn, will be taking on his first directorship heading the strategic growth of Serene, whilst ensuring that it is run according to the requirements that the FCA places on funeral plan providers. He will be joining the senior management team, which will be headed up by A.W. Lymn director, Chloe Lymn Rose, and supported by Serene founder and compliance director, Angela Young. The board will be further supported by the non-executive director, Suzanna Walker, who has over 25 years of experience in advising regulated firms on risk and compliance under the FCA and its predecessor. Myers said: “We have spent a long time carefully considering how to enter the pre-paid funeral plan market and when we were presented with the opportunity of acquiring this well established and well-run business, we knew early on after meeting the owners of Serene that it would be the perfect fit for our customers. “Pre-paid funeral planning is a highly regulated industry with an extremely high bar to pass in order to become FCA accredited. It is no mean feat to achieve this, and we were so impressed with how Angela had diligently and methodically built the business in order to attain this high standard.” Lymn Rose said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing this crucial service on board, given the importance of affordable and transparent funeral planning in 2025. In 2022 the industry was regulated by the FCA giving those looking to arrange a pre-paid funeral the security and knowledge that they are fully protected and supported no matter what. “Funeral directors and customers alike will welcome the news that Serene is now backed by the experience and knowledge of our team. Serene adds another string to our family business’s bow, being one of only a handful of funeral businesses in the UK to operate our own pre-paid offering.” Young added: “When establishing Serene, my primary goal was to provide a personalised service where clients felt valued and supported. A.W. Lymn has a well-established reputation within the funeral industry, and it has been a pleasure working with Chloe and James, who share the same commitment to excellence in funeral planning.”