Introducing our new Community Partner, modern, award-winning (and Tooting-based) funeral directors, Poppy’s. We had a chat with Poppy herself to find out why she started the business, what sets them apart from other funeral directors, and what she loves about Tooting...

Why did you start Poppy's?

My father’s cancer diagnosis in 2009 drew my attention to an industry stuck in the dark ages: inflexible, expensive packages, and production-line treatment of the bereaved and the dead. A period of research and behind the scenes practical experience confirmed my sense that things could be done differently, and better, and a string of television exposés in 2012 showing aggressive sales techniques and a shocking lack of care for the dead gave me the final kick I needed to launch Poppy’s Funerals from a desk in my flat.

I met my clients at home and used a local public mortuary where I could provide gentle, thoughtful and natural care for the body. Isabel joined me in 2013 and Kate in 2014, by which point my home was overrun with coffin deliveries!

We moved into Trident Business Centre in 2014 where we recruited the amazing Philippa (who worked on Trident's front desk). Focusing on choice and quality, we built personal relationships with our clients and put great thought and care into our treatment of the dead. The client feedback was overwhelming: people felt cared for, listened to and treated as individuals. They felt proud of the funerals we helped them create. 

Our team of committed, emotionally intelligent people with strong, shared values has continued to grow and we moved into the stunning and historic gatehouse and chapel in Lambeth Cemetery in Tooting in 2015.
 

What services do you offer?

Rather than selling people expensive, inflexible packages including services and products our clients neither want nor need, our services reflect our clients' individual wishes. So we offer the Poppy's Funeral and the Traditional Funeral as starting points. These services include everything we consider to be absolutely necessary – collecting the person who has died and caring for them in our beautiful mortuary chapel, meeting with our clients and guiding them through, necessary paperwork, a simple coffin, a simple hearse and a funeral director supported by two of our bearers on the day of the funeral. That allows our clients to tailor the service to their needs – some may want a beautiful willow coffin decorated with a stunning garland or extra bearers or a limousine or anything they need. We also provide a service called Simple Cremation which is an affordable, dignified option for people who don't want a funeral service at all. We offer total flexibility, but these services act as a starting point from which our clients, with our support and reassurance, can begin to piece together their wishes.

What's the company ethos?

We're an award-winning, modern funeral directors with a refreshing, honest, open approach. We're a team of individuals with a total commitment to informed choice. We're non-judgemental and totally client-focused. We're only interested in providing our clients with what they want and need and, as such, have helped over 1,000 families across Greater London since we started.
 

What sets you apart from other funeral directors?

We want everyone to understand the choices available to them when people die, and to feel that the experience they have with us is honest, personal and positive. We empower our clients to make informed, confident, personal choices so they have the funeral that they want, whatever that means to them. We are completely non-judgmental and we don't dictate what a funeral 'should' be.

We build personal relationships with our clients – the person you meet will be with you every step of the way. Many of the large companies provide a funeral director on the day who you've never met before. That's not personal service. We are completely transparent in our approach, offering bespoke services and we don't push inflexible, expensive packages. Everyone in our care is treated with humanity and respect. We take a gentle, thoughtful approach to the body and we don't embalm people (an invasive, unnecessary process). We work to improve people's experiences and expectations of funerals across the board.
 

Do you work with any local charities/community groups?

We often speak at talks and events at wonderful local charities like Royal Trinity Hospice and St George's Hospital. We are also thrilled when community nurses and palliative care experts and others come behind-the-scenes with us to see our work in our mortuary and beyond.

What do you love about Tooting?

We LOVE Tooting. I adore the lido and I have an all-weather wet suit, although embarrassingly have only been in once this winter (on New Years Day)! We hit the Selkirk for team drinks and Leon’s juices at Get Juiced in Tooting Market are second to none. We’re big fans of Plot in Broadway Market too!

We also love St George's. Their bereavement and mortuary team are wonderful and the community midwife team delivered both of my babies. We owe our wonderful community a lot.

Poppy’s is a modern, award-winning funeral directors based in Tooting, and one of our valued Community Partners. Find out more on their website and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Find out more about our Community Partners here.