November 2018

We are delighted to announce that Lee and Sharon’s daughter, Melissa Snashfold, has now joined the company on a full-time basis. Melissa completed her training as a Crematorium technician at Seven Hills Crematorium, Nacton, Suffolk, a site Lee helped establish in 2010. Melissa passed her ICCM CTTS exam on 10th October and becomes the 14th qualified technician associated with the company.

Due to the unprecedented volume of consultancy we are taking on, Melissa and Sharon will be assisting with desk top studies on behalf of clients, freeing Lee to continue his tutoring, public speaking engagements, site visits required for studies and reports and interim Management posts.

Lee will be speaking at the APSE Cemeteries and Crematoria Seminar on the 16th November 2018 at The Preston Marriott Hotel, Garstang Rd, Broughton, Preston PR3 5JB and his next tutoring assignment will be on 28th February 2019 in Belfast.

Assistance to cremation authorities continues all year round, in the past 12 months we have provided emergency cover assistance in 49 of the last 52 weeks – an astonishing achievement!

Consultancy is at an all time high, Lee is currently lead consultant on a large new build crematorium project, is carrying out 2 key stakeholder studies for potential new crematoria and has been asked to review business cases for 2 other new build crematoria.

Involvement in 5 different potential new build projects at any one time is a record even for us!

Lee has also been requested to provide Interim Management cover for 2 Crematoria and 5 Cemeteries.

August 2018

Our company growth continues to go from strength to strength, we now have 13 qualified technicians we can call on to assist authorities throughout the United Kingdom.

Lee is busy with speaking and tutoring engagements, on 11th July Lee was a guest speaker at the prestigious Brompton Cemetery Conservation day along with Lloyd Grossman CBE, Wesley Kerr OBE and Dr Tristram Hunt OBE.

Whilst onsite Lee was interviewed by ITV and the broadcast was shown on ITV News on 12th July.

Lee continues to tutor on "Legal and Practical Management of Cemeteries" on behalf of the Association of Public Service Excellence" (APSE) and the "Institute of Crematorium and Cemetery Management" (ICCM), details of the next 2 engagements are 16th August in Northumberland and 20th September in London. Places on these courses can be booked via the APSE website.

In terms of consultancy, Lee is exceptionally busy. He continues to be lead consultant for a new build crematorium which is due to go to planning by the end of the year, has been appointed to carry out a strategic review of current bereavement services for an authority in the North of England and a new build cemetery company has engaged Lee to write an Operations and best practice manual, health and safety policy, risk assessments and method statements, staff handbook, person specifications and staff contracts.

We regret that due to the current workload, Lee cannot take on any further consultancy until October 2018.

December 2017

2017 was a record year for the company, our best yet.

Lee finished a 7 month stint as Borough wide head of Support Services at Stockport Metropolitan Council in early June, since when he has carried out feasibility studies, key stakeholder reports and business case studies for new Crematoria on behalf of cremation authorities.

Lee has also had a number of speaking and training engagements during the year.

2018 sees Lee delivering his training days on "Legal and Practical Management of Cemeteries" on 17th January in London and 7th February in Leeds with more dates set to be announced.

In terms of emergency staffing, we have provided numerous authorities with trained professionals at short notice. At one stage we had 4 people out at once and have provided cover to 2 different authorities for over 5 months during the year.

As word has spread of the level of service and contracts we provide, we have increased our pool of experienced professionals who have contacted us and are keen to assist with emergency cover work.

2017 saw us establish ourselves as the go to company for emergency cover in the industry and we will be looking to grow this side of our business in the next 12 months.