Founding director returns to Funeral Partners
Currently, Pritchard serves as the NAFD president, and by teaming up with Funeral Partners, it will give him more time to focus on his new role
Funeral Partners’ founding director, Barry Pritchard, has returned to the company as an acquisition partner to merge his three businesses – Barry Pritchard Funeral Services, WN Allcock Funeral Services and Trafford Lowe Funeral Services.
The three funeral service brands have five branches across Sheffield and Derbyshire, which are new areas for the Funeral Partners network.
Pritchard decided to leave Funeral Directors to launch his own venture in Sheffield with his wife, Yvonne. However, over the years he stayed in contact with the current CEO of Funeral Partners, Sam Kershaw.
Currently, Pritchard serves as the NAFD president, and by teaming up with Funeral Partners, it will give him more time to focus on his new role.
Pritchard said: “I’ve kept in touch with lots of friends and former colleagues at Funeral Partners since I left and it has been great to see the company thriving. Once the decision had been made to sell the businesses, they were the obvious choice.
“Their values as a business and as a management team are aligned with my own, their policies safeguard the future of my staff and offer them the first-class support which comes from being part of a large network. I am proud to be part of Funeral Partners again and confident that the businesses are in safe hands.”
He added: “Being President of the NAFD is a real honour and I want to give it my all during my term, and this arrangement with Funeral Partners will allow me to do this.”
Kershaw said: “I have worked with Barry on and off for 30 years and am delighted that he has chosen to bring his well-respected, and successful businesses to us at Funeral Partners.
“We’re always keen to maintain relationships in the industry and see each other at the NAFD events. Barry and I have kept in touch and I have seen the great success he has had over the years with his funeral homes, creating a reputation for high standards of service and respect within the industry and local communities they serve.”
He added: “We welcome Barry Pritchard Funeral Services, WN Allcock Funeral Services and Trafford Lowe Funeral Services teams into our family of businesses and look forward to working with them to carry on their great work.”
