Westerleigh Cemetery & Crematorium celebrates 30th anniversary

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Westerleigh Cemetery and Crematorium, representatives from numerous crematorium and funeral director societies marked the occasion by unveiling a commemorative plaque by site manager, Shaun Chapman-Young.

Representatives from the Cremation Society of Great Britain, Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, National Association of Funeral Directions, British Institute of Funeral Directors, the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors plus other business partners and suppliers, came together to mark the occasion. 

Guests were also invited to write a message in a book which will be placed in a time capsule and buried on the site later this year, to be re-opened in 30 years’ time.

Westerleigh Cemetery and Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 37 sites in England, Scotland and Wales.

Debbie Smith, CEO of Westerleigh Group, said: “For 30 years, Westerleigh Cemetery and Crematorium has proudly served the local community as well as being the foundation stone for Westerleigh Group itself.

“This is a moment not just to commemorate the 30th anniversary of this site but to remember 60,000 families that we have served here at Westerleigh since the site’s opening in 1992 and also to acknowledge the commitment and exceptional care shown by our teams all over the country.”

Westerleigh Crematorium was built after Northavon District Council and Kingswood Borough Council decided that a crematorium to serve the communities in that area was “badly needed”.

Local developer Ian Pratt formed a consortium which responded to an advertisement in the summer 1990 edition of Resurgam, the quarterly journal of the Federation of British Cremation Authorities, which set out a brief for a new crematorium to be built on a 22-acre site owned by Northavon District Council.

That consortium became Crematorium Management Limited and Westerleigh Crematorium opened on 27 August 1992.

Former Northavon District Council member Marilyn Palmer was the guest of honour, who had planted the first tree on the site to mark the beginning of the building process.

Palmer has visited the site several times since its opening in 1992, and was “delighted” to join on the anniversary and meet Chapman-Young and his team.

Chapman-Young added: “It was a pleasure to welcome so many industry leaders, business partners and supporters to our crematorium and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to attend.

“I am honoured to be at the helm of the crematorium for this special anniversary. We will continue to support bereaved families in the years to come, to serve them with exceptional care and to ensure that the final farewell to their loved one is uniquely personal.”