Tooting-based funeral directors Poppy’s are looking for funeral bearers – can you shoulder the responsibility?

If you’re in search of well paid, part-time, meaningful work with flexible hours that you can fit around other responsibilities, Poppy’s Funerals are recruiting funeral bearers to join a friendly team at the company’s Tooting HQ in Blackshaw Road, SW17. Our business is growing and we are looking for physically fit, open-minded, confident team members who can deliver thoughtful considerate, client-focused service.

At Poppy’s, we want to give people a positive experience of funerals and funeral directors.

The job of a funeral bearer is to carry the coffin on their shoulders from the hearse to the church, crematorium, burial ground or another funeral venue.

Poppy’s newest Funeral Director Amy says, “Too many people assume bearing a coffin is ‘man’s work’, but any reasonably strong person can do it. It is as much about technique as strength.”
 

At a Poppy’s funeral, the responsibility is often shared between our professional bearers and volunteers from among the family and friends of the person who has died (typically 4-6 people). Amy says, “We want the experience to be meaningful for the family. Bearing a coffin is a privilege and can be one of the most rewarding jobs you ever do.”

The image of a coffin being born into a funeral is charged with emotion and even for Graham, an experienced Poppy’s bearer, “It’s hard not to feel nervous with all eyes on you. But I’m also always struck by the care shown to the people we look after.”

An average-sized elm veneer coffin weighs about 27 kilos empty so it’s important to feel confident about what you are doing. We will train you to perform the role with confidence and assurance and support you every step of the way. Poppy’s bearer Stuart, says, “It’s all about teamwork.” He has never come across a family member who has “regretted stepping up.”
 

Amy has the job of explaining to novices how to carry the coffin. She arranges the bearers in order of height on either side of the coffin. The coffin is carried feet first (the lightest end), and the strongest and tallest bearers take up the head end. At Amy’s signal, the bearers lift the coffin onto their shoulders keeping it as close as possible to their bodies using a firm grip on the coffin’s underside. The weight will be distributed evenly among them.

If the funeral is taking place at a crematorium, for example, bearers proceed into the chapel and lower the coffin onto the catafalque (a raised platform) where it remains for the service.

While carrying a coffin is an important part of a Poppy’s bearer’s job, it’s just one element. You’ll also be collecting people who have died and helping to care for them in our mortuary where they are looked after with humanity and respect.
 

You’ll be joining a lively team drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds (from fine art to food, floristry to finance) and taking on a rewarding, fulfilling job that offers lots of variety and most importantly, makes a real difference to the families we work with.

Poppy says, “The practical side of our work is at the heart of everything we do so our funeral bearers are central members of the team.”

“We are very proud of what we do and believe funerals have the potential to be a life and grief changing experience.”

If you’d like to join our team, we’d love to hear from you. Please email team@poppysfunerals.co.uk with some information about yourself and why you’d be right for this role. If you have a CV and cover letter, that would be great.
 

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.