How the NAFD can support your business

As the largest representative body for UK funeral firms, the National Association of Funeral Directors provides advice, advocacy, education and support to help funeral professionals meet the highest professional standards and provides bereaved people with reassurance that they are choosing a compassionate and experienced funeral director they can trust.

The NAFD is the most inclusive representative body in the funeral sector, representing the entire spectrum of funeral directing businesses – including independent and family-owned firms, co-operatives and major funeral groups, to international firms and suppliers to the sector. Each funeral firm member is considered equal within the NAFD, irrespective of size.

The funeral profession in the UK remains under significant pressure, both in terms of the operational pressures of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic – and the immediate prospect of statutory regulation by the Competition and Markets Authority.

In rapidly changing circumstances, the NAFD has worked hard to ensure that we can be flexible, nimble, and responsive to our members needs and we have secured an even stronger range of member benefits that far outstrip membership subscriptions in terms of in value.

But it is in our achievements in representing the needs of our membership that the NAFD has really stepped up to support businesses like yours and why becoming a member has never been so important.

To apply or find out more about our membership packages please select the relevant membership option below

To apply or find out more about our membership packages please select the relevant membership option below

To apply or find out more about our membership packages please select the relevant membership option below

Regulation of your business

Regulation to the funeral sector begins in 2021. The NAFD has worked hard to match our support and services with the CMA’s recommendations – in order to meet the expectations of the Ministry of Justice, which will oversee regulation and to help firms like yours to operate in this very different regulatory future.

Can your business afford to not have access to this help and support?

An influential voice

The NAFD is a founding member of the Deceased Management Advisory Group, which has built close, working relationships with Government during the pandemic.

We are also a member of the International Federation of Thanatologists Association (FIAT/IFTA), and European Federation of Funeral Services (EFFS) enabling us to represent the interests of UK funeral directors on an international basis.

COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic – and the restrictions on funeral service that the government has introduced as a result – is still not over and there is a real benefit in being part of an organisation that has built a trusted reputation with the Government as an advisor on deceased management policy decisions and is fighting hard on your behalf.

Financial benefits

Membership of the NAFD saves you money in running your business, often far more than the membership subscription you pay.

For example, the NAFD is the only trade association in the sector that offers £5m professional indemnity cover to each of its funeral home member businesses. In addition, our specialist funeral sector insurer, SEIB, has negotiated significantly enhanced benefits to the legal expenses cover that our members already receive.

NAFD is an appointed representative of SEIB Insurance Brokers which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Complaints

You are required to have access to an independent complaints process by law and for members, NAFD Resolve, our independent complaints and conciliation service, is funded by the NAFD and independently operated by IDRS Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.

Democratic, fair and accountable

Founded in 1905, the National Association of Funeral Directors’ is completely democratic and operates a ‘one member, one vote’ policy, irrespective of the number of funeral homes operated by any one member.

Supplier and international members

In addition to funeral directing businesses, we also attract overseas firms and members from the service and manufacturing supply sectors that, between them, provide all the supplies, equipment and support facilities required to run a successful funeral directing business.