William Purves unites northern branches with £1.5m investment

William Purves Funeral Directors has rebranded its five Northern branches and brought them under one banner by investing £1.5m into a new funeral hub for the North East.

This investment unites the funeral directors’ five legacy firms – Gary Staker, Jacob Conroy and Sons, Alistair Turner, Tom Woodhouse and Peter Grenfell under a single brand identity while increasing their capabilities.

Together as part of William Purves, they will continue to serve local communities from existing branches while benefiting from access to a central hub.

In addition to a rebrand for North East branches, Peter Grenfell funeral home in Ashington has also undergone a £1.5m refurbishment to develop its facilities and bring about a new hub, comprising a purpose-built funeral home with increased resources.

Gary Staker, North East regional manager, said: “Our firms have supported grieving families in the North East for decades, and for nearly 100 years at some branches. Our coming together only makes us stronger, as we serve local communities shoulder to shoulder under one banner.

“While local people may notice a new name and identity for the five firms, you will see the same friendly faces and can pop in to local branches to make arrangements and discuss plans when restrictions have eased.”

Tim Purves, chairman of William Purves, added: “As a fifth-generation family business, William Purves is rooted in local communities.

“Our North East firms are a key part of our family and this investment brings together five of the industry’s best under one banner and ensures they can deliver the highest quality funeral services, today and tomorrow.”