Congleton Nub News is delighted to announce the launch of our new obituaries section as part of our continued commitment to building strong ties with the local community.

As an online local newspaper sitting right at the heart of the town, we have partnered with Congleton's independent family-owned and run Larvin & Clegg Funeral Care to offer this new service to their clients.

Obituaries have always been a fundamental part of local newspapers, so we are excited to be "bringing obituaries back to life" for Congleton Nub News.

Obituaries can be any length, include up to 10 images and will be published completely free of charge on the Congleton Nub News website.

Family and friends can view and share the entries, which will remain on the obituaries section.

There is also the option to include a link to a charity or crowdfunding page if the family is requesting donations in memory of their loved one.

Larvin & Clegg Funeral Care, on Antrobus Street, Congleton, have an "open door policy" to everyone and they take "great privilege" in being asked to take care of a funeral.

Owners Abi Larvin and Jason Clegg have over 25 years of collective experience in funeral care and have covered all aspects of funerals in their careers.

Jason said that the couple compliment each other perfectly, he has the ideas, and Abi has the brains and final say. Although Abi jokes that "she has all the ideas, and of course the final say".

It was October last year at Abi's parents house when the business journey started. Whilst having a Sunday dinner, the couple discussed their plans and spoke about the finances they required to launch.

They discussed the idea of their service with Ian and Pam and submitted a business loan application that same evening.

Within 15 minutes the money was in the couple's account, and the journey officially began.

Jason compared starting a business to planning a family: "People always say that you have to wait for the right time, but sometimes you have got to just go for it otherwise you will be waiting forever because there will never be a right time. You just have to jump in and take the risk."

Jason and Abi got the keys for the premises, which was formerly a butcher's shop, in December and they spent seven days a week renovating the building before opening in March.

It was only two weeks after opening that the country was plunged into a national lockdown and the pair's two-year action plan had to be "thrown into the bin and started again".

Their funeral service has recently just looked after its 10th funeral since opening seven months ago, which for a new service in a small community is a fantastic achievement.

The couple have been overwhelmed by the kind support and trust placed in them.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on the funeral service's plans to integrate and become a face in the community, limiting the couple's ability to socially interact and make new friends.

However, the funeral service has ensured that local residents who needed face masks and hand sanitiser have had them safely delivered through their doors.

Jason said: "It's all about being part of the community and helping where we can. When we eventually come out of Covid, people will remember the businesses who helped out and rallied together when the community needed it the most.

"We had masks and sanitiser, so it was only fair to distribute them to those who needed them."

Jason, who has a degree in biomedical science and is an academically qualified forensic scientist, said the business is not focused about "making money", but instead knowing that people "entrust us with their most loved possession and their family members final journey" gave them a great sense of pride.

Larvin & Clegg believe there is a real opportunity to "break the mould" and stereotype surrounding undertakers and to move away from the old funeral traditions which date back to Victorian Britain.

Jason added: "I think there is an opportunity to create funerals which are in line with modern life.

"There will always be a place for traditional Victorian sombre black funerals, but as the years go by, the generations are becoming more and more accustomed to social media and the online world, and this in turn is steering people towards Life Celebrations."

The funeral service gives families the opportunity to create a personalised coffin with any pattern, colour or message on it.

Different colour and types of hearses can be used, funeral staff uniform colour co-ordinated, a funeral can be a real social event.

The impact of Covid-19 has meant that funeral attendees are limited, and this is affecting the way people grieve.

Jason said crematoria had always offered a recording service, but the video files were basic in their content and rarely used prior to Covid.

Jason has provided an extra service for families due to the restrictions on funerals and made the recordings more "family friendly" with an injection of "personality" through the addition of personal photos and video files.

He added: "I edit the recordings and upload them onto our website. Using this service, we have developed a wonderful friendship with an Irish Catholic family, who due to Covid restrictions could not all attend the funeral service.

"But they could all still be involved and have a permanent memorial which they can see at any time.

"They were so grateful and have become our friends, it's amazing to know we can make a difference to their tribute with gestures like that."

Larvin & Clegg are still offering the service free of charge to all the families they look after. A short video can be found on their website.

Larvin & Clegg ensure that their website is easy to negotiate, whilst providing a wealth of information and guidance. They also show all the costs for their funerals online.

Jason added: "I feel very strongly about being open about pricing. Families in grief are often too upset, or even embarrassed to ask about pricing, especially with an unexpected passing.

"But it's a really important issue and one which could end up costing families anything from a couple of hundred, to over a thousand pounds or more, for essentially the same service."

"We do not sell to people when they come into the branch. People are grieving and vulnerable after the loss of their loved one.

"We listen to what they need from the funeral, we give them all the options and then we take our instructions, then we make those instructions happen.

"Before every funeral we give each family a full written quotation, so there are never any unexpected surprises."

Jason added: "No one really ever wants to prepare for a funeral, and funerals are not cheap, but one thing Covid-19 has brought is that people are now considering their own mortality through wills and funeral plans.

"In a world of rising costs, it's a sensible idea to have all your affairs in order. Having a will and a funeral plan in place means your family will not have additional stress or worry when your time finally comes."

The couple are really proud to have been approached by a number of families about transferring funeral plans from other Funeral Directors to their service.

The couple understand that "no one ever wants to have to use a funeral service, but the fact of the matter is, unfortunately every family at some point has to go through it.

"What we want to do is to make those grieving family members feel as comfortable as possible.

"We wanted to create a welcoming environment where people feel comfortable and not intimidated or overwhelmed. You can just come in, have a brew and chat."

Larvin& Clegg offer everything from pre-paid funeral plans to wills and probate as well as masonry.

They offer a complete funeral package for £1,200 and they want the Congleton community to know that they will always be "upfront, open and honest", as well as having everything the community need "under one roof".

With over 25 years of funeral experience, Jason lives by the unwritten rule "you are only as good as your last funeral" and it is that constant strive for perfection that means that staff members at Larvin & Clegg are consistently consulted on how the services can be improved.

They are a family team, and everyone involved in the funeral is expected to strive for the couples very high standards.

Jason added: "After every funeral we review everything, did we follow our plan, were our timings perfect, was everyone positioned where they should be, did we all bow to pay our respects at the same time, did everyone look immaculate?

"We review everything, and we look for even the tiniest improvements. We aim for perfection."

Larvin & Clegg are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and Jason stated that it would not matter if he was sitting down for Christmas dinner, if the phone rang, he would answer and if needed he and Abi would go to help that other family.

Jason continued: "That's the level of commitment you have to have."

Jason is a Dementia Friend and made the decision to renovate the décor of the branch to ensure residents who had dementia were considered and made to feel comfortable.

Although Abi is responsible for the colour scheme and has the final say in all of it! The premises also has a disabled toilet with wheelchair access throughout.

On the day of a funeral, there are five members of staff, which sometimes includes Abi's parents Ian and Pam Larvin.

Speaking about the mindset of the staff on the day of a funeral, Mr Clegg said: "We go above and beyond and pride ourselves on having every skill set, in house, because the funeral is the very last memory the family will have of their loved one.

"That is why we are meticulous with everything."

Jason concluded: "The job we do is special, and it has certainly taught me to make sure you do not ever leave the house without saying I love you to your loved ones."

The funeral services launched their support of the poppy appeal both online and in branch this week, they also plan to decorate the shop front for Remembrance Day.

The couple have spent a few days cutting out and painting wooden figures of two soldiers. These will be placed in the funeral homes front window and silhouetted at night to give the shop a "beautiful orange glow".

They are also stocking Stars in branch for the Congleton Rotary Tree of Light. Jason stressed the Stars are available to anyone in the community. You do not have to have been a client of Larvin & Clegg.

For more information visit their website or call 01260 297963.