Community Activities
HAVEN Funeral Services in Hillingdon has become the go-to funeral directors for members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean communities across the country. With strong Christian Orthodox traditions, many members of these African communities seek repatriation back to their homeland after the funeral service. Hillingdon’s proximity to Heathrow Airport and to the London-based embassies where all necessary paperwork takes place, has ensured HAVEN has developed expertise and cultural understanding in handling the communities’ funeral requirements over some 20 years.
Funeral Director and Repatriation specialist Brian Hartland explains that HAVEN aims to arrange funerals within five to seven working days, understanding the period of mourning between death and the funeral. Thanks to strong links with community elders and priests, HAVEN’s reputation has spread. Brian said his understanding of cultural requirements proves reassuring, with mourners wearing white, removing their shoes and women covering their heads. Men and women are seated on separate sides of the church and, in line with the communities’ beliefs in the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the coffin is raised and lowered three times at the beginning and end of the service. HAVEN Funeral Services also has expertise in supporting the local Polish community with funeral arrangements.