The East of England Co-operative Society is to open a new funeral service branch in the Essex village of Kelvedon.

The Society is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia and is a leading bereavement services provider in the region with 29 funeral branches located across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

Chris Doggett, East of England Co-operative’s Bereavement Services Manager, said:  “We are pleased to open our new office in Kelvedon to offer the community a quality, friendly service at time of need.  

“We have appointed Gary Eckhardt as Branch Funeral Director and he is highly experienced in the provision of bereavement services and is keen to forge links with the local community.  Together with other colleagues, Gary will provide the care, reassurance and support that is so important when dealing with such a personal issue.”

The new branch at 213a High Street, Kelvedon, opens on Monday 19th October 2009.   Opening hours are 9 am to 5 pm and there is also a 24-hour telephone service.   A special Open Week will be held from 19th to 24th October to enable local people to call in for an informal chat and the opportunity to see the new branch.

A wide range of services will be provided including monumental masonry, bereavement support and the opportunity to plan ahead with a pre-payment funeral plan, which gives peace of mind and also provides a safe and inflation-proof way of providing for the future.

The opening of this new office continues the Society’s commitment to providing excellence in funeral service throughout its trading area.  Other recent developments include significant investment in the purchase of three Daimler Jaguar hearses and five limousines.

The East of England Co-operative Society operates a number of Bereavement Support Groups around the region, including groups in Colchester, Clacton, Witham, Maldon, West Mersea and Woodbridge.  These are self-help groups enabling people to meet others who have also experienced loss enabling them to share their experiences and concerns.

PHOTO:  Gary Eckhardt, Kelvedon Branch Funeral Director
PHOTO:  The new East of England Co-operative Funeral Branch at Kelvedon

Note to Editors:

The East of England Co-operative Society is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia and has over 200 trading outlets which are located in 73 towns and villages, plus the three regional centres of Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester.
The Society’s diverse business activities include: supermarkets and food stores, travel, pharmacy, optical and funeral branches, petrol forecourts and motor dealerships.  
 
Miriam Harrup, Communications Manager, East of England Co-operative Society
Wherstead Park, The Street, Wherstead, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2BJ
email: m.harrup@eastofengland.coop