A crematorium has boosted a bereavement charity with a donation of £12,000.
Mintlyn Crematorium, which is owned and managed by West Norfolk Council, raised money for Widowed and Young (WAY) through a charitable scheme operated by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM).
Under the scheme, metal from medical implants is recycled after cremation, with the consent of the family of the deceased.
Twice a year, the ICCM asks its scheme members to nominate local charities to receive a donation.
To qualify for donations, charities must assist the bereaved or those who are terminally ill.
This year’s charity, Widowed and Young, offers support and friendship to men and women under the age of 51 when their partner dies.
In addition to this, it gives them the opportunity to attend peer-to-peer support groups run by a network of volunteers, many of whom have been bereaved themselves.
Cllr Bal Anota, cabinet member for property and corporate services at the borough council, said: “It’s good that we can support the important work of the charity Widowed and Young who help people aged 50 and under adjust to life after the death of their partner.”
Mintlyn Crematorium has previously helped many other local charities through the scheme such as Nelson’s Journey, East Anglian Air Ambulance, the Big C Cancer Charity, the Central Delivery Bereavement Fund at QEH, The Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House, EACH, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, SANDS (Stillborn and Neonatal Death Society), Friends in Bereavement, SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide), MNDA (Motor Neurone Disease Association), Theresa’s Tiny Treasures, Alzheimer’s Society, and Macmillan Cancer Care and Treatment Centre at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Stephanie Patrick, chief executive at Widowed and Young, said: “I am delighted that Mintlyn Crematorium has picked WAY as their chosen charity for such a generous donation.
“WAY receives no statutory funding and is completely reliant on fundraising activities and the generosity of trusts and foundations, so this will make a huge difference in helping us to support young widows who are local to Lynn, West Norfolk and beyond.”
Over the years, Mintlyn Crematorium has donated more than £150,000 to bereavement charities through the scheme.
Reporting by Alice Hobbs
