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ISSUE 16 MAY 2009

After Black SaturdayInvoCare responds to Victoria’s need

On a more personal note, it was my pleasure

to spend the last three years working closely

with outgoing CEO, Richard Davis. I’d like to

take this opportunity to thank him for all the

support he has given me personally and to

InvoCare as a whole.

InvoCare is a great company, largely due to

Richard’s leadership and vision. Together

he and I worked closely on developing,

implementing and monitoring the strategies

that have seen this company grow and I am

greatly looking forward to carrying these plans

into the future.

Though we will all miss Richard’s experience

and acumen he will not be gone from InvoCare

altogether. I look forward to Richard’s ongoing

participation in the business as a consultant

while at the same time he balances the

demands of “retirement”.

On 19 February this year we released our

2008 full year results. Sales revenue grew

by 9.1% to $244.2 million. Profit after tax

increased by 1.7% to $28.0 million. This is a

solid performance during a volatile year and is

a result directly attributable to the efforts of all

staff throughout the company.

With the continued support of employees I am

confident 2009 will be a great year as well.

For some though, 2009 has not gotten off to

a great start. There have been floods in parts

of Queensland and New South Wales and all

of us have been touched by the great tragedy

of the Victorian bushfires. Our Victorian team,

led by General Manager John Fowler, have

responded with true grit. There are whole

communities who have seen their loved one’s

injured or worse and whose lives have been

turned upside down by their losses.

Our Victorian funeral colleagues have been in

the thick of all this. They have helped families

make arrangements for the memorials and

funerals of family members and friends. They

have provided their services at a significant

discount in consideration for the great

pressure survivors of these fires are under.

They have assisted affected communities

begin the grieving process and they have been

at the forefront of distributing aid and relief

supplies where they are needed most.

We have had near misses. Several Victorian

employees’ homes were directly in the path

of these fires. And we have had losses. Roz

Clifton, the beloved wife of Le Pine Funerals

employee Terry Clifton, passed away in a car

accident while on her way to help a friend

defend their property against the bushfires.

Please join me in sending our thoughts to

Welcome to the first edition of Involve for 2009 and my first as Chief Executive

Officer. The first challenge to arise was the Victorian bushfires and to honour this

disaster I dedicate this edition of Involve to all affected.

A word from the CEO

2

InvoCare is a publicly listed

Australian company and the

largest provider of funeral

services in Australia and

Singapore.

Our philosophy is:

• todemonstratethehighest

degree of professionalism

while assisting client families

at a pivotal time in their lives

• toexerciseresponsibilityasan

industry leader by setting high

standards of service, safety

and fair business practice

• toincreaseinvestor

value though sound fiscal

management and corporate

development

We are committed to helping our

local communities; offering personal

attention and demonstrating this

commitment to the families we are

privileged to serve.

InvoCareA word from the CEO 2

In Appreciation 4

Black Saturday is on our minds 6

Get to know Andrew Smith 10

New requirements: no problem 11

Australia Day honour for one of our finest 12

Mercedes are right for the job 13

Funerals Team wins inaugural InvoCare Cricket Challenge 14

Cemeteries & Crematoria

Garden Awards 15

Mt Thompson strengthens ties to neighbourhood 17

Sediments and compliments reuse of materials has an impact 18

Simplicity Funerals

Simplicity NSW holds grief seminar 19

Values speak louder 19

Team Simplicity SA - Bowls the Night Owls 20

Cabinets make the most of small spaces 20

Simon’s honour is to be a funeral director 21

Traditional Funerals

Purslowe Funerals helps honour lost HMAS Sydney crew 22

Somerville Funerals keeps the candle lit 23

George Hartnett Funerals gives cue to actors 24

Le Pines drives the production 24

George Hartnett Funerals speaks a new language 25

Daisy the Clown 25

Historic find comes about because of David Lloyd 26

Fans pay tribute at funeral 26

White Lady Funerals

White Lady’s Christmas tradition 27

Anna Giogio, two decades of service 28

A thousand to a decade 28

Planning to be better in school 29

White Lady remembers the roses 30

Seeing a way to help others 30

Mareena Purslowe helps families cope with a difficult time 31

White Lady new location opens on Central Coast 31

Andrew Smith

Chief Executive Officer

Contents

Terry, his family and their circle of friends at

this tragic time.

I have been greatly touched by the genuine

concern expressed by InvoCare employees

to our Victorian friends and by their generosity

in donating time, money and relief items for

the benefit of affected communities. It is a

wonderful feeling to work with and lead such

great people.

In the coming months I look forward to

updating you via this column of other news

and announcements.

3I N V O L V E

We are always very grateful when someone takes the time to write to us about the impact we have made whilst serving their needs.

Most importantly, it is a tribute to the calibre of our staff.

Dear Troy and the team at Pinegrove Memorial Park,

I am writing to you to express my gratitude for the advice and assistance you kindly provided regarding the refurbishment of the grave of my late wife, Joan.

My son has forwarded me photos of the gravesite that show the very nice improvement to its appearance as a result of your good work.

I hope your employers appreciate your professionalism as much as I do.

Kind Regards Ian, Tweed Heads

Dear Arnold and staff at Purslowe Funerals – North Perth,

On behalf of my whole family I would like to thank you and your exceptional team from the bottom of our hearts, for not only taking our funeral on but for the time, patience, compassion and professionalism you put into the funeral for my beloved husband.

The compassion and understanding you showed us went past and beyond your call of duty. Your organisation of the funeral was indeed exceptional. I must also compliment Stacy on the never ending compassion she showed me and all of my family. The funeral service you put together for us reflected perfectly my husband’s persona and the values he stood for.

You gave us time to embrace a special man’s life.

Thank you, From Mina, North Perth

Our greatest rewards come from families who acknowledge the care and pride we take in our daily work.

I believe that there is a great distance between a profession and a professional. These three people are true professionals in my eyes and they will be in my thoughts and that of my family for ever.

My sincere thanks The Bottle family, Woy Woy

Dear Jenny, Tara and all at Le Pine – Kew East,

Just a note of thanks for the wonderful way your staff handled my Dad’s funeral.

Jenny was amazingly patient with me, talking me through everything that needed to be done. Then came Tara who did exactly what we wanted without blinking an eyelid. She looked after my Dad like he was part of her own family. What a wonderful ambassador she is for your company.

The other gentleman and lady from your company who were there were also very friendly and patient and they made Dad’s final car ride to his resting place a memorable one.

Thanks to your staff our family will remember this day with many happy memories. This is the fourth time we’ve used Le Pine Kew East in our family and I’m sure it won’t be our last.

With sincere thanks, Maree, Bundoora

To Meri and the team at Guardian Plan,

I phoned today to get information on behalf of two clients, to update their Centrelink I&A details.

Your staff lady, Meri, in the Pre Paid Funerals area was helpful in the extreme. She was courteous, knowledgeable and helpful. I appreciate her assistance and hope you will pass my thanks on to her.

Cheers, Lesley, Midland

Dear Barry and all at George Hartnett – Holland Park,

I’d like to thank you very much for all your help in preparing the funeral service for my Dad. Mum and I both thought it was lovely and our friends and relations all commented on how well it was organised.

Thanks also to the two gentlemen who were there to help out during the afternoon tea.

Yours faithfully, Jan, Tarragindi

Dear Allan, Leslie and others at Allan Drew Funerals,

I want to ‘thank you’ and members of your organisation, and all the people who presented the beautiful “Tree of Remembrance” service on 2 December 2008.

I accompanied my Mother, my Aunt and my good friend, all of whom had farewelled their husbands within this year. It gave us the chance to remember our loved ones in a very special way.

Thank you for your very kind and caring gesture.

Kind regards, Daphne, Pennant Hills

To Clare, Stuart, Jenny and everyone at Simplicity Funerals – Woy Woy,

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks for the loving care all showed our family at the recent passing of my father.

During the days before my dad’s passing Clare was extremely helpful and thoughtful. Her advice and understanding was invaluable.

On the day of my dad’s funeral Stuart and Jenny were towers of strength not only to me but to my sister and brothers. It was our only wish to ensure that dad had a fitting farewell to the person he was. This was achieved with their assistance.

4

In Appreciation

Dear Genean at Simplicity – Penrith,

Thank you very much for organising the Suicide Prevention forum my husband and I attended the other night. Your initiative and compassion is something to be commended.

Genean, let me know how we can get involved for the help and support of ourselves and others.

Kind regards Janine and Bernd, Penrith

To Jill and her team at Purslowe Funerals– Perth,

Thank you so much for all your professional help, meeting somebody like you makes life so much better even under these circumstances. We try to enjoy life to the max, when the world has so many problems, in addition a blow like this really takes the wind out of your sails.

We were so impressed with your services and professionalism we could not have wished for anything better... Thank you, Thank you.

Kind Regards, Peter and Maggy, Kona Hawaii.

Dear Jan at the ladies at White Lady – Mornington,

We just wanted to write to thank you once again for taking such good care of Mum.

We were so very pleased with everything. Jan, thanks for your organizing and advising, and your recommendation of the celebrant was perfect.

Overall your kindness, compassion, professionalism was appreciated as was keeping us informed always. Mum would have been so pleased she chose the girls.

Kindest regards, Judy and Barbara, Mornington

Dear Vicki and others at Somerville Funerals – Nerang,

You have no idea how much you mean to us and how much you have helped us. I personally could not have gotten through the absolute worst time of my life without you. Your sincerity, compassion, consideration, love and thoughtfulness has been what has given Ray and I the strength to deal with the most unimaginable pain and loss.

The service was so beautiful and of so much comfort to us. We are so grateful to Somerville for their caring and thoughtful consideration in having the service to genuinely help those dealing with such sad and difficult loss.

Would you please pass on to Susan that we were very impressed with her presentation. We found it so natural, relax, sincere, positive and very dignified.

And what can we say about Doris! The 3 tips for Christmas Doris gave was like therapy to us.

My sister has left strict instructions that when she passes over she wants to be sent to Somerville for you to look after her.

Much love as always, Ray and Lorraine, Nambour

To Ivana and her colleagues at Blackwell Funerals – Payneham,

I am writing to thank you for the service provided by Blackwells for the funeral of my sister-in-law.

Along with the rest of the family, I was very impressed with the way Ivana handled the arrangements, She was very professional, but also very easy to get along with. She has great wisdom in the advice she offers but also is comfortable stepping back and letting the family make decisions.

On the day of the funeral I really liked how the Blackwells staff carried out their responsibilities but otherwise were very much behind the scenes.

Lastly, the family was very grateful that a natural bushland burial could be arranged. We are aware that this is a new process but we felt it was exactly as she wanted.

Your sincerely, Andy, Torrensville

To all the ladies at White Lady – Kelvin Grove,

I recently attended a funeral that your lovely ladies organised and I noticed the amazing work the ladies from your company did.

Words can not express the level of caring professionalism that each woman performed.

From their approachability to questions to the handling and executing of details, it was all done with grace. I even saw at the last moment the deceased’s partner asked to change plans and the ladies did it easily.

I wish to thank the ladies. They have a very difficult job but how they perform it makes a difference to many people. It was a most special day.

I will recommend your service to many people and it goes without saying my children have been instructed I will be going out using the white ladies service.

Yours sincerely, Catherine, Kelvin Grove

To Jenni at her team at White Lady Funerals – Mornington,

Thank you for all your help and compassion.

Thank you to all who helped Mum look so beautiful. Even though it was a sad occasion, I am so glad to have had the pleasure of seeing you again, I will always think of you with fond thoughts. Thank you also for the beautiful flowers you gave to Kelly for Ella.

I am so glad I chose you and White Lady Funerals, you helped make it very special.

With regards, Carole, Mornington

5I N V O L V E

Black Saturday is on our mindsIn a special feature on Victoria’s Bushfires by Karl Wolfenden

Right from the outbreak of the Victorian bushfires on Saturday 7 February 2009 InvoCare employees around Australia and Singapore have watched the disaster that is the unfolding tragedy of the Victorian bushfires. There were several reasons for our high levels of concern.

First, as professionals who assist families

deal with grief and make final arrangements

to say goodbye to loved ones, we know

the great sense loss that must be gripping

the communities of Kinglake, Marysville,

Narbethong, Strathewen, Flowerdale and

others. These towns have borne the brunt

of Australia’s worst ever natural disaster and

many of the 173 people reported dead so far

have come from homes in these areas.

Second, we have felt a surge of fraternity for all

those affected. Who could not but be left mute

by the scale of this disaster, not to mention

a genuine sense of outrage at some of the

suggested causes of these fires?

There has been the allegation that the

callous hands of one or more arsonists may

be responsible for starting some of the

fires. Such acts leave us dumbfounded. In

the depths of one of Australia’s worst ever

droughts and after weeks where Victoria

experienced heatwave conditions that already

stretched the state’s capacity to respond to

the needs of the community, a deliberately

lit fire could only result in being whipped

by strong winds and driven through tinder

dry undergrowth and parched trees. That

lives have been lost to this is the saddest

consequence possible.

There has also been the implication that

downed or faulty powerlines may have

started some of the blazes. At times like this

it can come as a surprise to us to realise

just how fragile our sense of security is. The

right conditions on the wrong day, or more

appropriately the wrong conditions on the

worst day, and the infrastructure we take for

granted can suddenly work against us. And it

could happen to any of us.

It is no wonder we are all feeling so neighbourly

to the people of Victoria at this time.

Last, as friends and coworkers of InvoCare

staff in Victoria we are affected in a most

personal way. There was nothing abstract

about the threat of these bushfires for several

InvoCare Victoria employees whose homes

were in the path of the fires.

For these staff members

and their neighbours the

bushfires had the power to

take from them their security

and peace of mind in ways

few of us can understand.

Yet even more pressing than

this was our concern for the

lives lost to this tragedy.

It seems, by various degrees of separation,

all at InvoCare know someone who has lost

someone. Fire cares not for the number of

children one has, it does not differentiate

between those who have lived a full life and

those who still have plenty of years left in them

and it is no respecter of worth. Would that no-

one had perished but Black Saturday and the

great losses that have been caused will live on

in the national psyche.

A touching element to all this has been the

unexpected impact these fires have obviously

had overseas. There have been words of

support from nations and peoples far and

wide. There have been offers of assistance

to fight the fires from New Zealand, Canada,

the United States and more places besides.

But the piece of international support that

came as the biggest surprise was Papua

New Guinea and Indonesia who have donated

money for emergency aid, ongoing relief and

the rebuilding of schools.

To have two of our regional neighbours that

we have supported through many of their

tough times put their hands up to help the

people of Victoria; well, it seems everyone

has Black Saturday on their minds.

For these staff members and

their neighbours the bushfires had

the power to take from them their

security and peace of mind in

ways few of us can understand.

6

Australia MournsInvoCare Australia and Singapore sends its thoughts and sympathies to all who knew and loved the 173

people taken by these fires. At the time of writing, some 30 people from the fire affected areas are still listed

as missing.

Kinglake Area (120)

38 – Kinglake

27 – Strathewen

12 – St Andrews

10 – Steels Creek

8 – Flowerdale

7 – Kinglake West

7 – Humevale

2 – Whittlesea

2 – Toolangi

2 – Strath Creek

1 – Heathcote Junction

1 – Mittons Bridge

1 – Reedy Creek

1 – Upper Plenty

1 – Yarra Glen

Marysville Area (39)

34 – Marysville

4 – Narbethong

1 – Cambarville

West Gippsland (11)

4 – Callignee

4 – Koornalla

2 – Churchill

1 – Jerralang Junction

Beechworth (2)

2 – Mudgegonga

Bendigo (1)

1 – Eaglehawk

Damage

4500 km² burned out (nearly twice the size of

Luxemburg)

2,029+ houses

59 commercial properties

12 community buildings (includes 2 police stations, 3 schools, 3 churches, 1 fire station)

399 machinery sheds, 729 other farm buildings, 363 hay sheds 19 dairies, 26 woolsheds

5,300 km of boundary and internal fencing

25,600 tonnes of stored fodder and grain

2 km² (190 ha) of standing crops

1680 km² (168,000 ha) of pasture

8 km² (735 ha) of fruit trees, olives and vines

70 km² (7,000 ha) of plantation timber

39 km² (3,921 ha) of private bushland

2,150 sheep, 1,207 cattle, and an unknown number of horses, goats, alpacas, poultry, pigs and native wildlife

Statistics sourced on Wikipedia

7I N V O L V E

Due to weeks of unprecedented heatwave

conditions in Victoria there was already a high

degree of coordination taking place between

emergency services, state officials and ancillary

support services such as funeral directors.

“The heatwave was already taxing emergency

services. There had been a higher than usual

number of heat related deaths, so much so

that the Coroner’s office set up temporary

facilities and had to get generators going

because the electricity supply was dropping

out. We were in regular contact with them

about how we could support them,”

says John Fowler.

What this meant was that lines of

communication were already open and so

when the call came to respond to the bushfires

there was the capacity to act quickly.

“The first thing we had to do was get on the

ground to perform the very difficult task of

transporting the remains of bush fire fatalities

to regular Coronial or their temporary facilities,”

says John.

Next came the enormous job of helping

families from entire communities make

funeral arrangements.

“Even in the best of circumstances families

lean heavily on their funeral directors but here

we sometimes had several family members

pass away at the same time. Entire houses

were gone so there were no photos, no

favourite fishing hat to go into the coffin and

no records of who had gone to what school,”

says John.

And with families sometimes left with little

more than the clothes on their back and facing

the prospect of an extended period without

access to bank accounts or other forms of

funds, a significant way InvoCare Victoria could

help out was to keep the cost to families as

low as possible.

“Reducing our professional fees seemed the

right thing for us to do,” says John.

The making of funeral arrangements for victims

of the bushfires was made even more difficult

by the fact that, as some fires were considered

crime scenes, the Coroner had to hold the bodies.

“As you can imagine, this only made it harder

for families to start the grieving process so one

of the most important things we could do was

assist affected families start to deal with their

uncertainty,” says John.

Memorial services were arranged so that, in

the absence of a body to bury, families could

begin the difficult process of dealing with the

grief unleashed by this tragedy.

InvoCare responds to Victorian bushfiresEven before news of the Victorian bushfires began beaming into the houses of

people around the world InvoCare Victoria, led by General Manager, John Fowler

had a role to play.

Farewell to a woman who gave freely of herselfIt is with great sadness that we

remember Roz Clifton who became

one of the 173 confirmed deaths

as a result of the Victorian bushfires

when her car collided with a tree

as she and the other passengers in

the car she was travelling in were

diverted onto a dirt track when fire

threatened the main roads.

Roz, 46, was the wife of Terry Clifton who

works for the InvoCare Victoria team at

Kew East. She was the mother of two

girls, Michaela and Brittany.

Roz and her family were trying to get into

the Kilmore area to the property of a family

friend which was under threat from the

fires. Her goal was to assist her friends

in defending the property against the fire.

This altruism was typical of her attitude

in life.

A generous woman with a loving spirit,

Roz and Terry first met as members of the

Army Reserve.

We celebrate her desire to help, her

commitment to her family and friends and

her spirit. Our thoughts now are with Terry,

his family and all those who will miss Roz.

Image curtesy of The Herald and Weekly Times

Photographic Collection.

8

Case studies of assistance from InvoCare employees around Australia:

1) Dennis Rosa from Pinegrove Memorial Park began an appeal for donations for the

victims of the Victorian bushfire. When colleagues found out he was soon inundated

with donations both from his Memorial Park coworkers as well as from staff from

NSW Funerals.

Together they raised $750 which was matched by the management of InvoCare’s

cemetery and crematoria division. All funds raised went to the Salvation Army Victorian

Bushfire Appeal.

2) Matt Douglas, also from Pinegrove Memorial Park, is a member of the Volunteer Fire

Fighter for the NSW Rural Fire Service. With volunteer Victorian CFA fire fighters

exhausted and overwhelmed by the size of these fires Matt put up his hand to go

and help.

With his employer’s blessing Matt was deployed to Victoria for the period from the

14 – 19 of February where he and his crew made a substantial contribution to fighting the

fires along many fronts.

3) Robert Mulhall from Le Pine Funerals, Greensborough received a call from a family friend

who lost his house to the fires in the Kinglake area. He was after some spare T-shirts for

his teenage sons.

Robert, his daughter Elizabeth and his niece Lisa went one step further by using Facebook

to call for the donation of emergency relief supplies. The Mulhall family home became a

collection point as donations rolled in and Robert was tireless in his efforts to personally

delivered these goods to the families affected by the Kinglake bushfires.

There were literally dozens of ways InvoCare staff responded to this tragedy. All are to be

commended for your generosity and compassion.

Fire is a terrible thing. There are

industries and personnel who know

this better than others.

Emergency service teams, as one would

expect, have an understanding of its impacts.

Fire response crews, whether volunteer or

professional, have to deal with it in all its

fury, battling to contain it so as to protect

unaffected areas from coming to harm and

to end the threat to areas already in the

fire’s path.

For these crews there is nothing abstract

about the power of fire as they see, hear and

smell its impact first hand. And sometimes

they too can get overwhelmed by its raw

ferocity; a fact borne out by the sad death of

David Balfour, an ACT fire fighter who passed

away fighting the Victorian bushfires.

Police and ambulance crews are usually right

behind their fiery colleagues. Whether diverting

people around areas under threat or providing

first aid and evacuation to the injured, these

dedicated people also put themselves into

harms way. They also attend the scene long

after the destruction is over, to help identify the

causes of fire and to conduct the necessary

task of searching for those who could not

outrun the fire.

And when they locate victims of a fire, staff

from the State Coroner’s office then arrive to

perform vital services.

But at the end of all of this there is another

group who don’t necessarily come immediately

Spare a thought

There is another group who

don’t necessarily come

immediately to mind... I’m

talking about funeral staff,”

Without considering the scale of this disaster it

can be tempting to view the efforts of InvoCare

Victoria’s staff to help those affected by the

Victorian bushfires as business as usual but

when one remembers that 173 people have

fallen victim, that 24 regional towns have had

their hearts and their souls dragged through

hell and, with the discovery of new remains

and bodies still yet to be released by the

coroner, the enormity of the efforts of InvoCare

Victoria’s team is brought sharply into focus.

Well done to all in our Victorian team. Involve

acknowledges your efforts and we know you

have made a big difference to the families

you serve.

to mind when we think of the personnel

exposed to the horrendous aftermaths of

events such as these.

I’m talking about those funeral staff who

transfer human remains. To all those staff,

whether from InvoCare funeral homes or not,

Involve acknowledges the difficult job you

have had to perform and thanks you for your

strength and your courage.

9I N V O L V E

As of 1 January this year InvoCare has a new Chief Executive Officer with Andrew Smith stepping into the leadership role.

Getting to know Andrew Smith

He is a familiar face around the company,

having held both the Chief Financial Officer

and Chief Operating Officer role at various

times over the past three years.

Karl Wolfenden spent some time getting to

know Andrew a little better and shares these

thoughts with you.

What was your first job?

Assistant at the Surfers Paradise Royal

Copenhagen Ice Cream Shop, the busiest in

Australia, for four years.

What attracted you to InvoCare?

The great balance between a robust business

model and the provision of professional

services to our client families. The clincher was

the great staff in the company, many of whom

give so much back to their communities and

colleagues. I met quite a few before I joined.

You might say I mystery shopped before

accepting the CFO role at the time.

How would you define your

management style?

Approachable, determined and fair. I enjoy

developing and mentoring people and setting

and achieving high standards.

What excites you most about your new role?

I get to lead this great company of ours and

work with fantastic people in turning our vision

into reality.

How do you spend your leisure time?

With family and friends; kids sport (Age

Manager for Athletics and Nippers) and

running – although this pastime seems to

suffer due to my increasingly time poor days!).

Where is your favourite holiday destination?

Fiji.

What would you nominate as the high and

low points of your career so far?

High point – obviously my appointment as

CEO of InvoCare. Low point – none. I am an

optimist by nature and I treat even difficult

times as good groundings for the future and I

have no regrets.

Are you a member of any professional

associations and what role do you see such

organizations playing in the funeral industry?

I’m a member of the Institute of Chartered

Accountants of Australia – as for the rest of the

question I plead the 5th amendment and say

that accountants are generally under-rated or

not well understood !

What will be your focus during the first

12 months in your new role?

Growing our business – continually expanding

our services, improving service levels to our

client families and aggressively competing to

improve our market share.

How important is staff training and

development to your vision for InvoCare?

Learning and Development is fundamental

to our business growth strategy – I would

see our staff growing as the company grows;

succession and depth of management and

experience should be continuously improving.

How do you think the global financial

crisis will impact on InvoCare?

We are running specials for the financial

services industry at the moment! Seriously

though, unfortunately for most of us we

will have noticed significant impacts to

superannuation balances and as a result more

staff are saying to me they need to work longer

before retiring. With interest rates and petrol

prices dropping and with many industries/

companies retrenching staff we are certainly

seeing less focus on wage increases and more

focus on job security (which arguably InvoCare

and our industry is well placed to offer).

We are also seeing more candidates applying

for roles and the quality of these candidates

are much improved than in more recent times.

Other than that, the only major negative

impact has been our pre-need funds under

management which was affected by the poor

performance of the equity markets, however,

mid way through last year most of the funds

were moved into fixed term deposits so the

volatile equity markets will not affect this side

of business as much in 2009.

We are seeing many stock market investors

selling their shares and investing into

InvoCare because we are seen as a “safe” or

“defensive” company in this volatile market.

Among the emerging trends in the funeral

industry, which offers InvoCare the best

opportunity for growth?

As market leaders in both size and service,

and with strong brands in our business, we

are very well positioned with the expected

increase in the number of deaths (as reported

by the ABS) due to Australia’s and Singapore’s

ageing populations.

10

InvoCare is well placed to deal with changes

such as this. Already an industry leader

in the transparency of its fees, the new

requirements makes mandatory the kinds of

disclosures InvoCare funeral directors already

provide. As Australia’s largest funeral provider

InvoCare also has teams dedicated to the

ongoing training and development of its staff.

The new Office of Fair Trading requirements

were quickly turned into training sessions and

rolled out to funeral arrangers around the state

before the 1 February start date of the new

information standards.

The new standards are designed to provide

consumers of funeral products and services

with greater information about a funeral’s costs

and what is included for the price before they

enter commercial arrangements.

The main element of the Office of Fair Trading

changes is the introduction of a Basic

Funeral Notice. This is a written notice which

clients receive prior to entering commercial

arrangements. It itemises the inclusions in a

basic funeral and its costs. It also includes the

estimated costs of necessary disbursements

and the total cost of the funeral.

The other elements to the new information

standard are the provision to the client of

an itemised quote before they enter funeral

arrangements and an itemised statement of

the goods and services provided and their

costs before accepting final payment.

InvoCare’s ability to respond quickly to these

and similar regulatory changes ensure clients

of our funeral brands can rely on our quotes

and our compliance.

New requirements: no problemInvoCare NSW was quick off the mark in January this year, providing training to

its funeral directors and arrangers on the new funeral information standards

put in place by the Office of Fair Trading, a division of the NSW Department

of Commerce.

Richard Winter, NSW Training and Development

Manager, provides training on the new NSW

regulation to some of InvoCare NSW’s most

experienced funeral directors.

The new Office of Fair Trading

requirements were quickly

turned into training sessions

and rolled out to funeral

arrangers around the state

11I N V O L V E

Allan Drew received his OAM “for service to the

community through a range of charity and service

organisations, and to the funeral industry.”

“I was overwhelmed when I found out that I

would be receiving the OAM,” Allan Drew says.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all, but I am honoured

to receive this recognition for doing something

that I’m so passionate about.”

Allan is quick to share this award with those

who have helped him.

“In particular, I’d like to acknowledge the

support of my wife Lesley and my colleagues

Australia Day honour for one of our finest

Allan’s thirty years of service as a funeral director

has its genesis in Allan’s own experiences when

his own father passed away.

“My father was an unbelievably proud

gardener, and when he died I felt that the

appropriate place to hold his funeral was in his

garden. But back in 1980, I found it difficult to

convince a funeral director to do it,” says Allan.

“At the time, I was working as a real estate

agent in Parramatta and by coincidence

I purchased a property that had a funeral

business attached to it. I ran it for a year, then

PAGE 3

Term one beginsfor students

PAGE 6

Defence Ministerdrops by RAAF

PAGE 16

Families line upfor ceremony

64 PAGE INSERT

Your full guideto Tasmania

He Said, She Said tackles the topic of marriage this week – Page 12

Pho

to:K

ylie

Pitt

by Amanda Perry

EAST Kurrajong resident AllanDrew was totally surprised andoverwhelmed when he found outhe would be receiving an Order ofAustralia Medal as part of the2009 Australia Day Honours.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all, butI am honoured to receive thisrecognition for doing somethingthat I’m so passionate about,” MrDrew (above) said.

A funeral director for the past

30 years, Mr Drew received theOAM for “service to the commu-nity through a range of charityand service organisations, and tothe funeral industry”.

“I’d like to acknowledge thesupport of my wife Lesley and my colleagues at Allan DrewFunerals, especially Rob Jamesand Helen Hume, who have beena strong rock for me for manyyears,” Mr Drew said.

“It’s been a blessing to workwith such a great team.”

Mr Drew said he was originallyinspired to enter the funeral ind-ustry by his own father’s death.

“My father was an unbelievablyproud gardener, and when hedied I felt that the appropriateplace to hold his funeral was inhis garden. But back in 1980, Ifound it difficult to convince afuneral director to do it,” MrDrew said.

“At the time, I was working as areal estate agent in Parramattaand coincidentally I purchased a

property that had a funeral busi-ness attached to it.

“I ran it for a year, then sold itand bought a real estate agency.

“But during the next year, as areal estate agent, I arranged 100funerals. My wife sold the hou-ses, and I arranged the funerals.

“Not long after that a colleaguesuggested I start a funeral homein Castle Hill, which is whereAllan Drew Funerals has beenlocated ever since.

– Continued Page 11

OAM honourOAM honour

HAWKESBURY

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 $1.50A good friend in the Hawkesbury since 1888

www.windsor-riverview.com.au

BM

1613

682

BM

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Valentino’sItalian Restaurant

4577 9797

Ref: 46557494Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy

Hawkesbury Gazette28/01/2009Page: 1General NewsRegion: Richmond NSWCirculation: 7974Type: RegionalSize: 805.85 sq.cms--W----

Page 1 of 2

28 1 09 – Hawkesbury Gazette – Allan Drew OAM

at Allan Drew Funerals, especially Rob James

and Helen Hume, who have been a strong

rock for me for many years. It’s been a

blessing to work with such a great team.”

Rob James, Allan’s right hand at Allan Drew

Funerals praised his colleague’s commitment

to families and the local community.

“Allan Drew is a highly respected funeral

director and we’re delighted that he’s

been recognised for his achievements and

his service to the funeral industry,” said

Rob James.

Allan Drew, one of InvoCare’s most dedicated and long-serving funeral directors and founder of Allan

Drew Funerals servicing Sydney’s Hills District, was this year awarded an Order of Australia Medal

(OAM) as part of the 2009 Australian Day Honours.

“I’ve always enjoyed

participating in community

activities, especially fundraising

and charity work,”

12

13

InvoCare’s existing fleet of Hiace

transfer vans, used to transport

deceased loved ones from places

such as hospitals, nursing and

residential homes, the state

Coroner’s office and public places

to InvoCare mortuary facilities will be

phased out in the coming months

and replaced with the Mercedes

Vito van.

The new Vivo’s are better able to meet the

needs of the transfer process, being easier

and safer for staff to load and unload.

Two of the new vans are already

operational in Victoria where they ably

supported staff in their efforts to deal with

the heatwave and the bushfires.

As Hiace vans in other states reach their

date of redundancy they will be replaced

with the new vehicle.

Victorian General Manager, John Fowler and

Regional Managers Brian Bennett and Ashley

Crow are introduced to the new Vito van.

Mercedes are right for the job

sold it and bought a real estate agency, but

during the next year, as a real estate agent

I arranged 100 funerals. My wife sold the

houses, and I arranged the funerals.”

“Not long after that a colleague suggested

I start a funeral home in Castle Hill, which is

where Allan Drew Funerals has been located

ever since. The Drew family is very involved

in the business and will be for many years to

come. My daughter was even married in our

beautiful chapel!”

In addition to his work as a funeral director,

Allan Drew has made many contributions

to local and international communities, in

particular he has been a tireless raiser of funds

for a number of causes as well as a frequent

visitor to some of the world’s most needy

communities where he has delivered aid and

assisted in numerous programs to deliver

medical supplies and emergency relief.

“I’ve always enjoyed participating in

community activities, especially fundraising

and charity work,” Allan says.

As a Volunteer with Kenyon International (a

London-based funeral company proficient in

disaster response), Allan supported colleagues

in Bali who were repatriating the bodies of

Australians killed in the Bali terrorist attack.

Allan held the demanding responsibility of

meeting with each family and receiving the

victims’ remains as they were returned to

Australia. He was also seconded to Phuket

after the 2004 Tsunami Disaster to support the

team working to identify the deceased and

treat them with the respect they deserve.

More recently, Allan returned from Cambodia

where he travelled with Global Aid Network,

a group of medical workers who visit

remote communities in South-East Asia to

provide treatment.

“Hundreds of people started arriving from 6am

wherever we set up the clinics, and we worked

all day until it grew dark. We took glasses and

spectacles that had been donated to Lions

Club with us to give to people in the villages

we visited who needed them,” said Allan Drew.

“And I’ve just been invited to go and look at

rebuilding schools in Burma. There are more

than 2500 that need reconstructing from

the ground up – buildings, furniture, school

supplies and everything.”

Allan has also been a Lion’s Club member for

18 years, which includes stints as President,

Vice President and Fundraising Director of the

Kellyville club. In November 2008, Allan was

elected as the Charter President of the Sydney

Executive Business Lion’s Club which is currently

raising funds for the Nerve Research Foundation.

He has also put his experience as a real

estate agent to good use on many occasions,

acting for more than 10 years as the charity

auctioneer for St Gabriel’s School for the

Hearing Impaired and for asbestos campaigner

Bernie Banton’s Benefit Dinner in 2006.

It’s very obvious that ‘slowing down’ isn’t in the

vocabulary of this grandfather of eight.

“It may be difficult for some people to

understand when I say this, but being a funeral

director is one of the greatest jobs on earth.

The most important part of my role is guiding

people through uncharted waters and getting

them to the other side in the best condition

possible. It’s about helping them do what they

need to do as a family.”

“I can honestly say that one of the only things

that I regret,” said Allan Drew, “is that I have

learned that Bernie Banton was one of the

sponsors for this award. I wish he was here so

that he knew I had received it.”

13I N V O L V E

Clean Up Australia Day, held this year on Sunday 1st March, is a fixture on everyone’s calendars but this year there was

another ‘clean up’ success story, with the InvoCare Funerals team defeating the InvoCare Cemetery and Crematoria team

by 31 runs at the Mason Park Cricket Ground Homebush.

Competition was fierce but fun for this

reschedule of a fixture planned earlier in the

year but postponed due to rain. Despite

accusations of bribery and collusion, made

only after the tongue was firmly planted in

the cheek, a great day was had by all.

Funerals Captain Aiden Nye won the toss

and had no hesitation as the darkish clouds

hovered overhead in electing to ask the

Cemetery Crematorium Team to don the pads.

Cyan blue skies appeared later in the day.

Cemetery Crematorium skipper Peter Willis

(Retired 26 runs) batted superbly, Godfrey

Solomons chipped in with a handy 24 runs,

Sanjay Bhat accounted with 13 runs not out.

Best bowler for the Funerals team was John

Ayo (2-6) The Cemetery Crematoriums finished

all out for 101.

The victorious Funerals Team.

The Cemetery and Crematoria team who are looking forward to the next showdown.

Funerals team wins inaugural InvoCare Cricket Challenge

It had been fourteen years since

the last fixture between these

two rivals but, considering how

much fun was had, it won’t be

anywhere near that length of

time before it will be on again.

Most impressive wicket celebration goes to

Daryl Kubica for his forward flip summersault;

he brought Cirque Du Soleil to the outfield and

was deserving recipient of the match ball.

After a great lunch best described as a

banquet, our thanks to Claudia Rahme and her

team of caterers (Claudia’s Family) the Funerals

strode confidently to the crease. The Funerals

plundered the Cemetery Crematorium bowling

in an awesome display of batting. Shane Keir

(27 runs) Aiden Nye (26 runs) and Daryl Kubica

(25 runs) all retired, with Barry “Hammer”

Haining (24 not out).

Best bowler for the Cemetery Crematoriums

Ian Parker (2-14). The Funerals finished all out

for 132.

All 24 players are to be congratulated on

playing the game with good sportsmanship. It

had been fourteen years since the last fixture

between these two rivals but, considering how

much fun was had, it won’t be anywhere near

that length of time before it will be on again.

The Cemetery and Crematoria team will be

looking to see whether the Funerals team can

back up the bragging rights they earned on

the day.

A special thanks to all our sponsors

on the day: Hickey and Co, Flowers for

Everyone, Ionica Australia, JA Wales,

Capital Developments and Key Industries.

14

Garden AwardsAt the end of 2008 InvoCare awarded its Parks and Gardens Award, the

traditional prize given to the winner of the best park and garden facilities within

InvoCare group, to Queensland’s Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens located

in Brisbane.

The winner, as well as the second and third

place getters Newcastle Memorial Park

and Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens,

epitomise all that these Awards seek to

acknowledge: renewal, growth and care.

These are the traits that make a garden

successful not only for one season or year but

for a period extending over many. These are

also the traits client families and visitors to any

of InvoCare’s 12 memorial parks and gardens

rely on to create the perfect sense of calm

and serenity, a place where they can just be

with their thoughts and feelings for as long as

they like.

“The beauty of our parks and gardens and the

attractiveness of our chapels are vital,” says

Andrew Smith, InvoCare’s Chief Executive

Officer. “People attending services or visiting

the memorials of loved ones expect to see

pleasant and restful places. These Awards

acknowledge all the hard work that goes into

meeting that expectation.”

The main criteria for the Awards are the state

of the grounds but they also take into account

the standards and presentation of the park’s

offices, chapels, condolence areas and its

customer service. Achieving high marks across

all these areas while catering for services

every week day and most weekends, and

dealing with the sometimes unpredictable

weather, makes achieving high accolades a

significant achievement.

2008 winner of the Awards, Mt Thompson

Memorial Gardens was always going to be

a top contender. An extensive rejuvenation

project has taken place within the park

resulting in a complete makeover of

the traditional West Chapel and to the

contemporary East Chapel. New blood within

the grounds team also saw a rejuvenation of

the approach taken to their beautiful surrounds.

Mark Smith, the new Park supervisor,

implemented a new rockery garden and

created a greater sense of openness by

cutting back into a major hill. He also

Mt Thompson has the right mix of traditional garden features as well as plenty of space

15I N V O L V E

InvoCare owns and operates

12 cemeteries and crematoria

in New South Wales and

Queensland. They have a strong

local heritage with some having

been places of memories and

tranquility since the 1930s.

Those locations operating

a cemetery and crematoria

are known as Memorial Parks

and those operating only

a crematorium are called

Memorial Gardens. Both are

beautiful, tranquil and peaceful

environments where people

can reflect on a life lived.

Australia’s multicultural nature

is recognised with a range of

burial, cremation and memorial

options on offer. These include

Asian sections designed by Feng

Shui masters and the availability

of outstanding crypts, vaults and

family mausoleums preferred by

many European communities.

There are hundreds of memorial

options to reflect the needs

of each individual and suit

all budgets.

16

removed a potential impairment to the serenity

by filling in an old pond and laying down new

turf, turning this old feature into an extension of

the lawn area and creating a new vista within

the grounds. New memorial features were

also added to Mt Thompson’s range including

polished chair memorials.

The win by Mt Thompson broke the run

of success enjoyed by two of InvoCare’s

NSW memorial parks and gardens. Fierce

but friendly rivals, Newcastle Memorial Park

and Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens

had to content themselves with second and

third place respectively. Previously these two

locations could not be separated and were

acknowledged as joint winners of the 2007

awards. But this year’s lower finish does

not diminish at all the magnificent state of

their parklands and gardens. Instead what it

demonstrates is a commitment to constant

improvement and beauty across all of

InvoCare’s memorial parks and gardens.

“That the other parks and gardens

performance improved to a new and higher

level shows how dedicated we all are to

making the gardens look fantastic,” says

Catherine Mifsud, Family Services Manager

at Newcastle Memorial Park.

Despite the improvements across all 12 of

InvoCare’s parks and gardens Peter Willis,

Newcastle Memorial Park’s Operations

Manager, knows why Newcastle finished

so highly.

“Our overall maintenance was a lot better this

year than last year. A lot of effort went into

completing the remulching the Park, itself a

three year project. It has such a great impact

on the look of the gardens, the health of the

plants, not to mention on the water we use.

“Currently, the undisputed star of our park

are the roses. They’ve never looked better.

Their health, colour and quality gained us high

marks. They’re a real credit to all the people

who work on them. In fact the whole Park is

tribute to their attention to detail,” says Peter.

Tom Vukelic, Operations Manager at Northern

Suburbs Memorial Gardens, knows the

competition for this year’s Park and Garden

Awards was as tough as its been for a

long time.

“We’re proud of our good performance over the

last few years and we look forward to making it

a tough competition next year as well.

“The improvements we made this year

included the mass planting of azaleas and

gardenias as an ornamental understory.

We also bedded in a wide selection of rose

species including low growing varieties and a

blaze of new colour thanks to burgundy ice

berg roses.”

The historic Northern Suburbs location also

developed its gardens by planting a wide

variety of native species to expand its

bushland gardens which look stunning all

year round.

Despite Newcastle and Northern Suburbs

being pipped by Mt Thompson, it would be a

mistake to think that all of InvoCare’s memorial

parks and gardens aren’t happy for their

colleagues’ success. And this brings into focus

another reason why InvoCare holds these

annual awards: inspiration.

For a decade now InvoCare’s Park and Garden

Awards have recognised the dedication and

The flora at Sydney’s Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens always look fantastic

I N V O L V E

Mt Thompson strengthens ties to neighbourhood

In 2008 Mt Thompson had the pleasure

of commemorating two fully renovated

and refurbished chapels which have been

incredibly well received by Mt Thompson’s

client families as well as by Brisbane’s

funeral directors.

The second milestone Mt Thompson reached

was their first place win in InvoCare’s annual

Park and Garden Awards for which they

should be commended as the standard of

the competition was very high. But the staff

and management at Mt Thompson Memorial

Gardens are not happy to rest on these laurels.

2009 will mark the Garden’s seventy-fifth

anniversary and the occasion will be marked

with a celebration. Also, building on the interest

in their magnificent surrounds, Mt Thompson

will be hosting an ANZAC Day service for the

first time in many years.

“We have a memorial to returned soldiers

in the Garden but for a number of years

there have been services at other venues

to mark this special day. Now that all

Last year Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens celebrated two significant milestones

but there are more on the way.

expertise of the company’s grounds staff who

design, build and maintain the picturesque

spaces that are too often taken for granted.

Along with this recognition comes an eye for

what can be done better; what improvements

were made to the parks or gardens that took

out the Award’s top places and can they

be implemented elsewhere? These are the

questions which drive the journey towards

floral perfection.

Gardens are living things that must be carefully

nurtured lest they quickly lose the principles

of design that underpin them. InvoCare has

shown its willingness to keep its grounds

staff sharp, to keep them striving towards a

perfection that might only last until another

team at another park or garden finds a new

way, a better way of presenting themselves. It

has also shown its commitment to recognising

the dedicated teams of grounds staff that work

so hard to keep the parks and gardens looking

their best.

Constant renewal, growth and care: whether

through large redesign projects such as the

one at Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens or by

the process of plant replacement and garden

redesign such as took place at Newcastle

Memorial Park and Northern Suburbs

Memorial Gardens ensures the expectations

of the visitors to InvoCare’s parks and

gardens will be met, if not exceeded, into

the foreseeable future.Newcastle Memorial Gardens sense of space and rose beds can take the breath away

17

18

Brett Lawless (left) and Joe Griffin (right) with the

sandstone centerpiece.

Grounds staff members Brett Lawless and Joe Griffin put their heads together to resolve this

and the result is a stunning sandstone centrepiece for the Centre Circle Rose Garden which is

directly in front of the main North Chapel.

The feature includes InvoCare’s cemetery and crematoria logo and was sculpted and painted by

Brett while Joe’s contribution was the identification of existing materials on the site that could be

used for the purpose of making the centrepiece.

‘Brett’s experience as a stone mason really came in handy and the result is great,”

Peter says.

The new addition is instantly eye-catching and has attracted a lot of mention.

“I have received very positive feedback from throughout the company, from client families and

from the visitors to our Park. I am proud of the contributions of all involved.”

Sediments and compliments, reuse of materials has an impact“The ground staff here were the first to bring to my attention that there

was something lacking, a focal point to really make the area stand out,”

says Peter Willis, Operations Manager at Newcastle Memorial Park.

parts of our Garden are looking their best

we felt it is time to invite people back in

to commemorate events of community

significance,” says Jenny Bundy, Mt

Thompson’s Family Service Manager.

At both ANZAC Day and the anniversary event

the public will be welcome to tour the gardens

and staff will be on hand to provide tours,

answer questions and discuss Mt Thompson’s

tradition of service to the communities that

surround it.

It is also an opportunity for Mt Thompson to

show its support for a range of organisations

such as the RSL, war veteran associations,

war widow support networks and related

groups. They also create opportunities for

participation by school choirs which brings

several generations of people together to

remember these special days.

I N V O L V E

Attendees came from around Sydney to hear

Chief Inspector Gary Raymond APM, OAM

(Rtd) lead a discussion about this topic. Gary

is a noted expert in the field, lighting up the

Simplicity NSW hosts grief seminarIn a great initiative to share the expertise of world renowned experts in the field

of coping with grief, Simplicity NSW recently hosted a seminar in the heart of

Sydney’s CBD.

Gary Raymons APM OAM (Rtd) leads the Simplicity

Grief Seminar in Sydney.

Responses from the audience on the day was extremely positive and included such sentiments as:

“Thank you for including me in your seminar to help me dealing with the loss of my husband.”

“It was excellent and filled a void in the community. I am grateful to be here.”

“Very valuable for my personal situation and loss as well as how to deal with grief when talking to families as a celebrant.”

“The seminar was far more informative and helpful than I anticipated. It answered a lot of my questions.”

Simplicity NSW thanks all who attended and helped to make the day a success.

boards of radio stations with callers ringing in

for his advice whenever he appears on radio.

Gary led a panel of leading speakers including

Liz Martin, Central Coast President of the

National Association for Loss and Grief.

The purpose of the event was to support

people who may currently be going through

grief, people who may have unresolved grief

as well as providing valuable information to

the friends and families of such people so

they can better support them through their

difficult times.

The presentations delivered on the day

included:

• Preparation for Grief – building knowledge

on how to prepare for grief

• Crisis management of grief, and

• Consequence management.

Values speak louderSimplicity Funerals has embraced a new value proposition to better communicate our Australian

heritage and our commitment to service.

From now on we differentiate ourselves from others in the industry by the following:

Simply Respectful. Simply Affordable. Simply Australian.

19I N V O L V E

Providing families with a simple,

dignified, respectful and affordable

approach to arranging a funeral.

Simplicity offers:

• Asimpleandpractical

approach making arranging

a funeral an easy to

understand and smooth

process for families

• Affordableandflexibleoptions

enabling families to tailor the

funeral service to their needs,

expectations and budget

• Supportforindividuals

and communities through

information and education

beyond the funeral service

• 43locationsthroughout

Australia including the

following providers:Reid & Boucher Funerals

Southern Cross Funerals (Vic)

Twin Town Funerals

Not every funeral home has the luxury of enough space for a full display area to showcase their range of coffins.

Until now this has meant that some client families have not been able to gain a true sense of their full range of options.

20

In Sydney, where commercial rents are high and

competition for prime business sites is fierce, some

Simplicity Funerals locations face this problem.

In this environment of space restrictions yet

needing to ensure suburbs have access to

the alternatives Simplicity Funerals provides,

some locations have been constructed as

‘shopfronts’ rather than full funeral homes. This

required these businesses to think laterally about

maximising their available space.

A new solution has now come to the fore. A

coffin cabinet has been developed that allows

coffin samples to be displayed without taking

up a lot of room. Clients can now see samples

on display which accurately reflect the colour

and finish of the final product, both inside and

out, and can choose a coffin that satisfies their

search for value and quality.

These new coffin cabinets is an other way we

show innovation in meeting the needs of the

families we serve.

One of the newly designed coffin cabinets

Cabinets make the most of small spaces

Simplicity Funerals shopfront location at Ryde can

now display a wide range of coffins in a space no

bigger than a kitchen pantry.

Simplicity Funerals Victor Harbor staff

have joined forces with their friends to

form a team and compete in the local

Victor Harbour Night Owls evening

bowls competition hosted at Goolwa

Bowling Club. This is the second year

the team has entered and with their

new outfits they are flying high in

the competition.

Simplicity Funerals Victor Harbor Location Manager, Kaye Fletcher is leading the pack with close comrades

pictured L-R; Joe Ryan, Kevin the ‘Ring In’ Coach, Kaye and Richard Stokes.

Team Simplicity SA – Bowls the Night Owls

In great country spirit, each week the Simplicity

Team donates a bottle of lovely Southern

Fleurieu wine which is raffled and shared

amongst the winners in celebration of each

Night Owl victory.

The team has as their sights fixed on finishing

better than they did last year when they won the

competition’s wooden spoon.

21I N V O L V E

“I had a friend involved in the industry and

was fascinated to say the least about how the

industry takes care of those that have passed

away,” says Simon.

When an opening became available he

considers himself lucky enough to have

gotten an interview and even luckier to be the

successful applicant. This led to Simon’s start

in the industry with John Allison/Monkhouse

in 1987.

“Like all new employees I started working the

transfer van then being promoted to hearse

driver then onto coach driver,” says Simon.

After 10 years doing varied roles such as

Arranger/Conductor Co-ordinator then being

promoted to Branch Manager at the Blackburn

office, he needed to take a different direction

in life and so became involved in a family

business which only kept him away from the

funeral industry for about 12 months.

“I was drawn back to the funeral industry. I

knew this was the path in life I wanted to take

and believed I had a lot to offer, not only client

families but the Industry as a whole.”

And so Simon interviewed for a role with

Simplicity Funerals and, although he wasn’t

happy about his performance during the

interview, he was lucky enough to secure

the role.

“My General Manager, John Fowler and I

still laugh about it today. It was one of those

interviews you wish you could have done

better but I was given a chance and the rest

is history.”

As Simplicity grew in Victoria other

opportunities presented themselves until today

when Simon has achieved the position of

Regional Manager.

“The scope for promotion within InvoCare

is something that is only limited to how

hard you are willing to apply yourself and

how much you believe you can offer your

colleagues and families.”

Simon has many interests. He is an active

member of the Carnegie Lions Club and is

Safety Officer for the Victorian Drag Boat Cub

along with being a member of the local R.S.L.

He has two children Jack and Breeanna, a

Simon’s honour is to be a funeral directorSimon Davidson, Regional Manager for Simplicity Funerals in Melbourne,

has been involved in the funeral industry for 20 years.

Blue Moon correction

In the December edition of Involve

Simplicity staff member Betty Gray

was incorrectly identified. Betty’s

efforts in working with Newtown’s

iconic Blue Moon festival are to be

applauded and acknowledged.

supportive partner in Amanda with three step

children Monique, Aleisha, and Sharni.

“I am so proud to be involved in an industry

where people entrust their loved ones to

your care, and take pride in telling people

just how much of an honour it is to be a

funeral director.”

Simon at play

Simon at work

Purslowe Funerals helps honour lost HMAS Sydney crewIn 2008 one of Australia’s oldest military mysteries was solved when the wreck

of HMAS Sydney was located 150 kilometres from Shark Island off the coast of

Geraldton in Western Australia.

On 19 November 1941 the light cruiser Sydney

was sunk after a naval engagement with the

German raider, the Cormorant which was also

sunk during the exchange. HMAS Sydney

went down with all hands, accounting for 645

service personnel. This is Australia’s largest

ever loss of life on an Australian warship.

19 November 2008 therefore proved a

significant date, the first anniversary of the

sinking since the wreckage was discovered. A

ceremony at the Geraldton war memorial was

held to commemorate the lost sailors featuring

the return and burial of an unknown sailor.

Purslowe Funerals and InvoCare were

represented at the ceremony by Purslowe

Victoria Park Location Manager, John Tidman.

It was his pleasure on the day to chauffer four

veterans who had served on the Sydney.

The service was of national interest and was

attended by the Minister of Defence, Hon Joel

Fitzgibbon M.P., Leader of the Opposition

Malcolm Turnbull M.P., Commonwealth

Governor General, Quentin Bryce and the

WA and NSW Presidents of the RSL, Mr Bill

Gaynor and Mr Don Rowe.

Left to right: WA RSL President Bill Gaynor, NSW RSL President Don Rowe with sailors who had served on the

HMAS Sydney Jim Lavender, Neal Brown, Tom Fisher and Jack Mahney.

Serving naval personnel carry the body of an unknown sailor.

22

InvoCare has 73 traditional style

locations in Australia including

some of the oldest names in

the Australian funeral business.

Through generations of

experience in the funeral

industry, and the strong heritage

associated with our names, the

traditional style brands bring

a wealth of experience to the

arranging process. Our staff fully

understand the requirements of

different cultures and religions.

Staff are recognised by their

traditional, smart attire.

The service offered is as

professional as it is personal.

Allan Drew Funerals

Allen Matthews Funerals

Ann Wilson Funerals

Blackwell Funerals

Bruce Maurer Funerals

Canon and Cripps Funerals

Chipper Funerals

Christian Funerals

David Lloyd Funerals

Drysdale Funerals

George Harnett Funerals

Guardian Funerals

Hansen & Cole Funerals

J&C Hardy Funerals

JW Chandler Funerals

Le Pine Funerals

Metropolitan Funerals (NSW)

Northern Rivers Funerals – Byron District Funerals – Casino Funerals – Kevin Geaghan Funerals – William Riley & Sons Funerals

Oakwood Funerals

Purslowe Funerals

Somerville Funerals

Tobin Brothers Funerals (ACT)

Universal Chung Wah/ Funerals of Distinction

Somerville Funerals keeps the candle lit

“In 2006 we noticed an absence of activities

to mark this important day. We knew

instinctively that there would be people who

would appreciate a night of remembrance,”

says Jenny.

This resulted in Somerville Funerals hosting

a memorial service on World Aids Day on

December 1 2007 which attracted a large

audience. Encouraged by this success Jenny

and her team once again held a service to

mark the occasion in 2008.

2008 was the twentieth anniversary of the

instigation of World AIDS Day. It was a time

to reflect on the toll AIDS has had around the

world as well as to remember those affected

by AIDS in Australia.

The guest of honour at this year’s service

was Mr Tewordros Fekadu from Ethiopia.

He shared his experiences of life in a country

where many thousands of people each

year lose their life to HIV/AIDS. He also

presented a powerful DVD of images from

his home country.

Other guest speakers generously shared their

time to raise public awareness about HIV/

AIDS, retelling the stories of the lives of people

they personally knew who died in the early

years after the appearance of this disease,

sharing with a younger generation stories of

discrimination and prejudice that were too

often the sad and unhappy experience of

people who first contracted the virus in the

1980’s and 1990’s.

An evening of music then followed including

performances from former principal with Opera

Australia, renowned singer Kathleen Procter-

Moore. African musicians Gordon Iyere, from

Nigeria and Carlos Salisu from Sierra Leone,

brought the sound of African drumming to

the gathering, while blues and jazz were

contributed by Frederic Harrop and Jacob

“The Young Michael Buble” Davis respectively.

After the service, Somerville Funerals staff

served complimentary refreshments on the

alfresco terrace, adjacent to the chapel.

Refreshments included freshly brewed

Ethiopian coffee, in honour of Mr Fekadu.

The team at Somerville are keen to

remember World Aids Day every year, and

hope to keep this as an annual event on

their community calendar.

It can sometimes happen that what was once a burning issue dims in the mind as time goes by. Jenny Crewes, Manager

of the Somerville Funerals home at Southport noticed that this was happening to the topic of AIDS and HIV awareness

on the Gold Coast.

Vicki Pilgrim Guardian Pre-need Consultant Gold Coast , with our African Drumming Duo

Mr Tewordros Fekadu lights the first candle in

memory of all those around the globe who have

died from HIV/Aids.

23I N V O L V E

A coffin, uniforms and a hearse were made

available to the production, along with two staff

members, Shared Services Supervisor Paul

Kelly and Funeral Director Howard Baker.

The story revolves around a young autistic

woman who has lost her mother suddenly in

tragic circumstances and is left with a family

who wants her institutionalized. The film is

shot inside and out of the church on the day

of the funeral.

The expertise of George Hartnett Funerals

staff was called on when it became evident the

extras used in the production were struggling

in a scene where a coffin had to be turned and

pallbeared out of the church. Technical advice

was also sought as to where the priest should

be at this time and just how the scene should

be shot.

George Hartnett Funerals gives cue to actors

Howard Baker (left) and Paul Kelly (right) celebrate at the opening night of the film with leading lady

Jacki Mison.

Brisbane production company,

Two Little Indians, called on George

Hartnett Funerals to assist with props

and technical expertise while filming

their latest production, a short film

entitled “A Grey Eulogy”.

The expertise of George

Hartnett Funerals was called

on when it became evident the

extras used in the production

were struggling

Le Pine drives the productionLe Pine Funerals has helped a local production achieve authenticity by

donating a funeral hearse and driver for the shooting of some scenes in

the upcoming production, “Animal Kingdom”.

Le Pine Funerals has helped a local production achieve authenticity by donating a funeral hearse

and driver for the shooting of some scenes in the upcoming production, “Animal Kingdom”.

A suspenseful crime thriller, Animal Kingdom tells the story of 17 year old J, as he navigates his

survival amongst an explosive criminal family and a detective who thinks he can save him.

The production brings together a wealth of talent including writer/director by David Michod, Guy

Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Luke Ford and Jacki Weaver. But the production would

not have been complete without the Le Pine Funerals hearse and its driver Phil Vincent who,

naturally, is at home amongst such talent.

Phil Vincent and Rod Ferris prepare the Le Pine

hearse for its starring role.

Financed by Screen Australia, the New South Wales Film and Television Office, Film Victoria,

Porchlight Films and Showtime PMP, look for it at a screen near you.

The fifteen minute film will tour the major film

festivals around the world to showcase the

talent of director Tori Garrett. Leading lady

Jacki Mison can be seen playing roles on local

television drama series.

Paul and Howard who are credited in the film

still work for George Hartnett while Hollywood

reviews their work.

24

George Hartnett Funerals speaks a new languageResponding to the changing demographics of its community, George Hartnett

Funerals in Darra Queensland has launched Vietnamese translations of its

‘Personal Information Guide’ and ‘All You Need To Know About Funerals’ booklets.

On Tuesday Feb 17 eighty Vietnamese community leaders came together at the Que Huong

Vietnamese restaurant in Darra for the launch of the new booklets, translated into Vietnamese

by George Hartnett Funerals staff member Sonny Nguyen.

The launch event was hosted by George Hartnett Funerals regional manager Mark Carey and

staff members Russell Monteith and Sonny Nguyen. All who attended enjoyed a banquet of fine

food and good company.

The hosts received comments that this was

the first time a private company has bothered

to create information books for Brisbane’s

Vietnamese community who until now were

without information to help them understand

the funeral process and record information to

assist their families in the future.

George Hartnett Funerals Darra Location Manager, Russell Monteith and guests inspect the new booklets

The hosts received comments that this was the first time a private company has bothered to create information books for Brisbane’s Vietnamese community

The translated Personal Information Guide and All You

Need To Know About Funerals booklets

Daisy at a recent visit to Villa Serena in Robina

with Villa staff members, Jodie Jung (left) and Lyn

Barnett (right).

Many of the older residents in nursing

homes are very fragile or unable to leave

their beds, and cannot join in the usual

activities arranged by the diversional

therapists. Kaye dons her costume and

face paint as “Daisy”, and visits each room

with a bright hello and a gift of a crepe

paper flower.

Daisy has a chat with each person which

definitely lifts their spirits with the bright

colours of her outfit, cheery manner and

pretty floral gift.

Word on the Gold Coast has spread quickly,

and Kaye is receiving phone calls from

nursing homes who have heard of this

service. She now has regular bookings far

in advance.

Daisy the Clown

Kaye Kirby, Location Supervisor of

Somerville Funerals Robina on the

Gold Coast, is rolling out a program

of visits to local nursing homes which

provide the diversional therapists on

site with an activity that bring smiles

to the faces of their high care residents.

25I N V O L V E

“It was not surprising that the funeral pall has lost its full glory, it has been in constant use for more than 80 years,” says Simon Adam.

A funeral pall is a traditional element in funeral services where it is draped over the coffin while certain elements of the funeral service are carried out. It is generally a black cloth of heavy fabric and can be ornately embroidered with crucifixes, other religious symbols and passages from the Bible.

Individual palls are sometimes prepared for the funerals of high Church officials and for the funerals of other notables however, Newcastle’s Christ Church once stunning pall is available on an egalitarian basis for all funeral services.

Simon’s offer was gratefully accepted by the Cathedral’s Dean and so began a long search for artisans skilled enough to take the job on. International Conservation Services were

eventually located and engaged to restore the pall.

“As you would imagine, the restoration was quite extensive and they have done a superb job. It involved restitching part of the Latin inscription around the edge of the pall, inserting a backing to prevent fraying of the silk brocade and gold fringing, and then completely relining the pall.”

It was during all this that the historic find was made.

“But what was really interesting was the exciting discovery the conservators made during the restoration. While restoring the lining they discovered a panel inside the pall containing the signatures of the nuns who originally stitched and embroidered the pall at an Anglican convent in London early last century. Until now, nobody had any idea this historical artefact was contained inside the pall.”

The newly restored pall was presented back to the Very Reverend Graeme Lawrence OAM of Christ Church Cathedral at an Evensong service.

Thanks to David Lloyd Funerals restoration the funerals held at the Cathedral will once again be accompanied by the full splendor of this stunning funeral pall.

From left to right: David Lloyd staff members: Anne Happlewhite, Tony Yen, Terry Smith, Simon Adam and David Happlewhite stand with the restored pall.

Historic find comes about because of David LloydWhen it was brought to the attention of Simon Adam of David Lloyd Funerals that

the funeral pall used by the Christ Church Cathedral in Newcastle was in need of

restoration, he offered to restore it.

From left to right: David Lloyd staff members: Anne

Happlewhite, Tony Yen, Terry Smith, Simon Adam

and David Happlewhite stand with the restored pall.

Throughout his distinguished career which spanned from 1954 to 1970, he amassed a total of 284 games for the North Adelaide Football Club and represented South Australia on 16 occasions, winning All-Australian selection in the 1961 Brisbane Carnival.

As further evidence of Don’s enormous football talents, he was awarded the highest possible honour that can be bestowed upon South Australian footballers when he won the 1967 Magarey Medal. His club, North Adelaide, named him as its vice-captain in its 1901 – 2000 Team of the Century and in 2002 the South Australian National Football League paid Done the ultimate tribute by honouring him with inclusion in its inaugural Football Hall of Fame.

Many South Australian football fans rate Don as the best and most spectacular aerialist our game has ever seen. He thrilled many with these spectacular exploits. Despite all of his successes Don remained a true gentleman of the sport, a trait for which he is to be greatly respected and admired.

Don Lindner was a giant, both on and off the sporting arena and his fans were privileged to have been part of his incredible sporting talents and his life. Blackwell Funerals Prospect considers it an honour to have served his family during this time.

The service was held at the Immanuel College Chapel in the Adelaide suburb of Novar Gardens and the cortege proceeded through lined streets to the cemetery by way of the Prospect oval where Don played many a game.

Farewell Champ. You will be remembered.

Photographs courtesy of The Adelaide Advertiser.

Fans pay tribute at funeral

On Friday January 9 2009 Blackwell

Funerals Prospect conducted the

funeral of South Australian football great

Don Lindner. Don passed away on New

Years Eve, his passing taking away

one of the State’s most decorated and

popular Australian Rules footballers.

26

I N V O L V E

White Lady’s Christmas traditionFor over ten years now White Lady branches around Sydney and Newcastle have

held Christmas memorial services at venues such as local churches and also at

White Lady’s own chapels.

“We understand Christmas can be a very difficult

time of year for anyone who has lost someone

close to them,” says Juliette Frame, NSW

Regional Manager for White Lady Funerals.

And over this stretch of time White Lady

Funerals Christmas memorial services have

become a meaningful way for those missing

loved ones to deal with the feelings of loss that

can sometimes arise at Christmas.

Yet apart from the significance these events

have for those who attend, they are also just as

important to the White Lady staff around New

South Wales who host them.

“Our staff consider it an honour to have the

opportunity to host events like these. It is one

of the chances we have throughout the year to

give back something to the families we serve

and to the larger community,” says Juliette.

One of the features of these services that

families often take great comfort from is the

delivery of one of a series of short presentations

on topics such as remembering loved ones.

These presentations are delivered by trusted

local speakers who donate their services.

The memorial services are performed in a very

uplifting way, emphasizing the love held for

all family members and for the many family

traditions that often take place at Christmas. The

singing of traditional carols while remembering a

loved one is a very special way of including their

memory at this significant time of the year.

One of the reasons why White Lady Funerals

in New South Wales have been holding these

events for so long is the many sincere words of

thanks they receive from the people that attend.

“Whether its about the uplifting service, the

presentations or about one of the talented

musical performers who help the memorial that

little bit special, those who attend always leave

feeling a little bit better about the Christmas

celebrations to come,” says Juliette.

Well done White Lady New South Wales. It’s no

wonder these services have become a regular

date in the calendar of many of the families

White Lady Funerals serve.

Doves are released at a White Lady Christmas

memorial service

Butterflies are released at another White Lady

Christmas memorial service

White Ladies help light memorial candles at a

Christmas service

27I N V O L V E

White Lady Funerals and

Mareena Purslowe & Associates

are staffed entirely by women

bringing a refreshing, modern

touch to the funeral industry.

They:

• Uniquelyfeatureallfemale

staff, elegant white uniforms

with burgundy hats and a fleet

of white vehicles

• Offerfuneralservicesforthose

who want greater diversity

in honouring the life of

a loved one

• Reflectaneyefordetailas

they draw on a loved one’s life

to personalise arrangements

as well as producing

attendance cards and

memorial books and providing

memorial candles to families

at the end of the service

• Provideanafterservice

care that is second to none

throughout the White Lady

Funeral homes Australia wide

Juliette Frame, Regional Manager White Lady Funerals, NSW with Anne Giorgio, Location Manager, White Lady

Funerals Five Dock and Vanessa Reeves, Area Manager White Lady Funerals celebrate Anne’s 20th Anniversary

with the company.

Judith John

A thousand to a decade

28

Judith John joined White Lady Funerals, Queensland in early 1999 and now

celebrates 10 years of service with the company. She also passed another

significant milestone when she recently arranged her 1000th funeral which

equates to a lot of satisfied client families.

Drawing from the people skills she developed as a teacher, counsellor with the Nursing Mothers

Association and from many years of volunteer work with her children’s schools, Judith feels her

role as a funeral director is a culmination of many aspects of her life. Her motto is “There are no

ordinary people in the world. Everyone is special in some way.”

Congratulations Judith and we look forward to your next decade and your next one thousand

arranged services.

“Those early days with White Lady were

immensely challenging as all the ladies were

required to develop their skills in every aspect

of the funeral process including trimming

caskets, attending funerals, mortuary work

and arranging funerals,” says Anne.

She found these experiences from the early

part of her career invaluable to her ongoing

success with the company.

Anne spent many years at the Bankstown

location, growing the business and making

deep connections with the community.

“Anne achieved substantial growth for the

business in her time at Bankstown. She

is well respected for her knowledge and

experience in the area of Italian funerals and

has been an integral part of training new staff

in this important area of our business,” says

Juliette Frame, Regional Manager NSW White

Lady Funerals.

Anne will tell you that she has thoroughly

enjoyed her time with InvoCare

and appreciates the support and

acknowledgement that she has received

over her time with the company.

In 2007 when Dignified Funerals at Five Dock

was redeveloped into a branch of White Lady

Funerals Anne, with her experience with the

Italian community was appointed as Location

Manager. Under Anne’s management the

location has had two very strong years,

testament to Anne’s focus and passion for

helping client families.

Anne’s anniversary with the company was

celebrated by a luncheon with her White Lady

Anne Giorgio, two decades of serviceMarch 20 2009 marks Anne Giorgio’s 20th year with InvoCare, most of those with White Lady.

Starting with Metropolitan Funerals in Sydney in 1989 Anne worked as location manager at both the Burwood and the

Bankstown branches before switching over to the well regarded ladies only funeral provider, White Lady Funerals at

Bankstown. Anne is the longest serving White Lady staff member.

colleagues and then with a six week break to

enjoy time with her family and friends.

Congratulations Anne, we wish you the very

best for 2009 and for the years ahead.

White Lady school recruits from left to right Debra Hawkey, Janet Pink, Leandra Nixon, Tracey Wood and Nicolette Bennett

29I N V O L V E

The workshop is an excellent example of a

great team of women coming together to plan

and work towards mutual goals.

A group SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats) analysis identified

a large and diverse range of items for the

ladies to consider. The one which created the

most discussion was the concept of a White

Lady School to assist in ensuring a smooth

transition into the White Lady Funerals team

for new recruits.

Outcomes of the planning day have been

integrated into a two year action plan, with

regional managers and area managers meeting

quarterly to measure the success of the plan.

However, in readiness for five new White Lady

recruits appointed in February, White Lady

school has been officially implemented with

great results to date.

The school’s curriculum inserts training

modules into InvoCare’s already

comprehensive induction program. Long

serving and experienced White Ladies share

their experience and industry knowledge

throughout the course which has been an

invaluable asset to the school.

Both the planning day and the school are

exciting projects for White Lady NSW’s

senior team.

For the future the concept of the White Lady

school will be expanded to become the

“Centre of Excellence” for all things White Lady

and will be a vehicle to engage experienced staff

and drive the business forward.

Planning to be better in schoolIn February White Lady Funerals NSW held a planning workshop attended by

regional, area and location managers and supervisors. The workshop engaged

the team and provided data to allow the development of action plans addressing

issues of key brand messages, brand awareness, service delivery and staffing.

Seeing a way to help others

The program involves collecting and redistributing

eyeglasses, recycling them for use by sight-

impaired people in developing countries.

Families using Mareena Purslowe & Associates

are encouraged to donate the deceased’s

used eye glasses. It is a novel way to reuse

glasses which otherwise would be thrown

away and, for some families, it is a way that a

possession of their loved one can bring quality

of life to another person who truly appreciates

the gift of sight.

Our Western Australian client families now

receive a brochure outlining the purpose of

the program as well as how they can help.

Mareena Purslowe & Associates locations and

other InvoCare funeral homes act as collection

points for the donated glasses. These are then

presented to the Lions for them to sort and

transport to places all over the world.

In launching the program, General Manager

Andrew Hogan delivered three boxes

of glasses to Professor Constable who

expressed his appreciation that Mareena

Purslowe & Associates and InvoCare’s other

funeral homes were supporting the Lions program.

Mareena Purslowe & Associates looks forward

to a long and fruitful association with this

important Lions initiative.

General Manager Andrew Hogan presents Professor Constable from Lions with some of the first

glasses collected.

Mareena Purslowe & Associates, along with their sister and brother brands

within InvoCare Western Australia’s operations, have partnered with the Lions

International Save sight foundation.

It is a way that a possession of their loved one can bring quality of

life to another person who truly appreciates the gift of sight.

White Lady remembers the roses

This is the second year St Bernadette’s

Aged Care Facility in North Sunshine held

a Valentine’s Day event. St Bernadette’s

Activities Co-ordinator, Liezl Fusato has

found that it is a good excuse to get

spouses, carers, family and friends along for

an afternoon of entertainment, dance and

refreshments, making it an enjoyable for the

senior citizens.

Liezl invited Leanne Douglas from White

Lady Funerals to participate in the event.

“I wanted to find a company that involves

women and plays an active role in the

community. White Lady Funerals does

exactly that,” says Liezl.

Given Valentine’s Day’s romantic reputation,

White Lady’s contribution to the occasion

was a gift of long stem roses that Leanne

Douglas handed out on the day.

“The roses were a real highlight for the ladies

of St Bernadette’s,” says Liezl.

White Lady Funerals looks after its families in a

range of ways. Making Valentine’s Day special

again for the residents at St Bernadette’s is

just one way we show this commitment.

Thanks to White Lady Essendon an

aged care facility in Melbourne’s west

was able to treat residents during a

Saint Valentine’s Day celebration.

Sweethearts at St Bernadette’s receive roses on

St Valentines Day .

30

White Lady new location opens on Central CoastDeepening its relationship to the families on the New South Wales Central Coast, we are pleased

to announce the opening of the new Charmhaven location.

Involve looks forward to bringing you news of their successes and community activities in the

upcoming editions.New White Lady Funerals location at Charmhaven on

New South Wales Central Coast

Mareena Purslowe & Associates helps families cope with a difficult time

At the gatherings, InvoCare State Training

Manager for Western Australia, Allan

Anderson presented a program on “How

to cope at Christmas”. This program offers

The first Christmas following the loss of a loved one can be a very difficult time for many of our client families. To offer

support at this season the Mareena Purslowe & Associates team invited the families they have served during the past year

to attend a Christmas memorial gathering.

Mareena Purslowe & Associates staff at Subiaco review the program for the seminar.

Allan Anderson presents “How to cope at Christmas”

at Mareena Purslowe & Associates in Subiaco.

an understanding of grief and practical

suggestions of appropriate ways to celebrate

Christmas following a loss.

This year families gathered at the Willetton

and Subiaco locations. At the conclusion of

the presentations an opportunity to make the

occasion meaningful as well as informative

was offered. A commemorative Memorial Heart

with the name of the person that has passed

away was placed on the chapel’s memorial

Christmas tree and families are invited to light

a memorial candle.

One of the highlights of the gathering

happened after all the formal aspects of the

evening were over and guests are invited to

remain for a “cuppa” and chat. This gave

attendees the chance to talk with other families

that are going through similar feelings of grief,

loss and dislocation.

One of the comments passed on to Mareena

Purlsowe & Associates staff during this

informal stage of the evening was this:

“Thanks for tonight. I now feel as though I will be

able to be a part of Christmas rather than just

wanting to run away and hide.”

The sentiment is typical of the comments

Allan and the ladies at Mareena Purslowe &

Associates receive following the hosting of

evenings such as this.

31I N V O L V E

Involve welcomes your contributions:

Locked Bag 8000, Crows Nest NSW 2065

or fax to: 02 9459 3906

or email: kwolfenden@invocare.com.au

© Invocare Limited ABN 42 096 437 393

Newcastle Memorial Park’s new sandstone centrepiece