"I remember arranging my first funeral.
My grandmother had died after a long battle with leukemia. We called a couple of funeral directors and we were told what we should have, rather than asked what we wanted, and ended up with a traditional crematorium service. A minister spoke, despite the fact that my grandmother wasn’t religious, he gave a speech that could have described anyone, then we sang a hymn and left the chapel 20 minutes later. That cost more than £3000.
I knew that there had to be a better way. So, after working at a traditional funeral director, I began developing Harbour. We separate the cremation process from the attended service, meaning you can have your own unique service, the way that you want it. The cremation happens quickly and efficiently, and we can personally deliver the ashes to you anywhere in the country. Then there’s no rush to organise your event; many of our customers wait for the warmer months so they can have the event outdoors whilst they scatter the ashes in a favourite location. And we are committed to providing an affordable service with prices starting from £895."
Steven Cains,
Harbour Founder
Increasing numbers of families are choosing to keep things as simple as possible. Roger and Lyn Webber, 70 and 68, from Wellington in Somerset, opted for a cremation without an official ceremony when Roger's brother Martin died from a heart attack at the age of 79 in May.
Instead, a close-knit group of friends and family gathered on a hillside to share memories of Martin, who had been a farmer all his life, and scatter his ashes.
The couple say that the arrangements they made through direct cremation service Harbour cost around £1,300, while friends of theirs have spent as much as £6,000 on send-offs for their loved ones.
Roger, 70, a retired engineer, says: 'My brother was not into fuss, so we didn't want horse-drawn carriages or that type of thing. We prefer to do our grieving in private.'"
Undertaker Steven Cains believes there should be more competition in the industry. He told ITV News: "We've found cremation costs have risen faster than inflation over the last few years."
Steven Cains, founder of Harbour, a funeral company which organises direct cremations, and which obtained the data, said the cost of cremations had risen far beyond inflation.
“Given the lack of competition and the barriers to entry for new crematoria, more people are choosing direct cremation. Direct cremations account for one in 15 funerals, and we expect that figure to continue to rise as more people become disillusioned with expensive and hurried traditional funeral services.”
What our customers are saying
Philip T.
Harbour provided everything we could have hoped and for an incredibly affordable price. It was such a relief to have them working on our behalf.
Kitty A.
Harbour made everything so much easier for me, I can't thank them enough. My father's ashes were delivered on time and the urn itself is beautiful.
Margaret M.
Harbour made a sad process smooth and efficient and were considerate and efficient at all times. I would have no hesitation in recommending them.
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Our promise to you.
We're here to support you. And we hold ourselves to the very highest standards. Our services will always be sympathetic, respectful, transparent, fairly-priced and free of hidden charges.
Steven Cains,
Harbour Founder