Tester and Jones Funeral Services

ON THE CATWALK: Just a reminder that the Rotary Club of Crowborough is holding a Fashion Show on Friday 20 September at Crowborough Community Centre. This promises to be an exciting evening of fashion and fun, hosted by Travelling Trends. As well as a live catwalk show, there will be ample time to try on and buy this season's High Street and branded fashions - all at bargain prices! The evening is raising funds for both Taylor-Made Dreams and Crowborough Community First Responders. Tickets are £15.00 and include a glass of Prosecco. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eZ9NSAA9 #crowborough #charityfashionshow #rotaryclub

EXCEPTIONALLY CARING AND PROFESSIONAL: We were very appreciative to receive this recent Google review, thank you: "Tester & Jones recently handled the funeral of my father. Their attention to detail was amazing, they handled the whole affair with a calm and empathetic approach. The day of the funeral was perfectly arranged and the team were exceptionally caring and professional. We could not have asked for more.... Very impressed and at peace. Thanks, very much appreciated!" #saifapproved #googlereview #crowborough #independentfuneraldirector

WORLD LETTER WRITING DAY: Today is officially 'world letter writing day', so why not sit down and write a letter or a card to someone you know who has been bereaved over the past few months? We all know that a handwritten note in the post is appreciated. If you're not sure what to say, then why not simply ask how they are, tell them you are thinking about them and perhaps share a special memory you have of their loved one? In a blog in The New York Times, Bruce Feiler said that a gentleman told him once that the notes that moved him most were from strangers who shared a recollection of his father, who had died recently. “That was important for me because I realised his place in the world,” he said. “At the time, you’re only thinking of your own relation to the loved one. You realise this person had impact beyond you. That was comforting.” #letterwritingday #worldletterwritingday #griefsupport #griefjourney

GRIEF AWARENESS DAY: This National Grief Awareness Day, just a reminder that families we have supported, who are struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one, have access to bereavement support via SAIF independent funeral directors. SAIFCare was launched in response to the growing awareness of the need for many people to seek support following the death of a close friend or relative. It provides a range of services to bereaved people over the age of 18. Call us to find out more: 01892 611811. #GriefAwarenessDay #NationalGriefAwarenessDay #bereavementcare #griefsupport #saifuk #saifcare #grief

OUR BEREAVEMENT GROUP CELEBRATES 15 YEARS: As Tester & Jones marks 20 years in business, one of the things we are most proud about is our wonderful Bereavement Group (the BGs). Glenys Jones officially launched the BGs 15 years ago this month but, before this, we always recognised the importance of continuing to be there for our families after a funeral has taken place. Quite often in the early days, somebody would knock on the door and we’d invite them to stay for a cup of tea or perhaps they were popping in to talk about a memorial or to collect their loved one’s ashes. After a while, we realised there was a real need there to create something more structured. “People would open up to us about how they were feeling after the death of a loved one, saying they didn’t want to burden their family, particularly if they were feeling low too,” says Glenys. “BGs started out small but, from the very beginning, we saw friendships developing and watched people talk about the loved one they had lost, confident they were in a safe space and also comfortable that they were talking to somebody who was in a similar position.” Read more about the support our Bereavement Group has provided over the past 15 years: https://lnkd.in/gXUBqVyx #thebgs #bereavementgroup #bereavementcare #saifcare

SUNNY BANK HOLIDAY: The sun came out for this year's Friends of Crowborough Hospital Fete and Glenys enjoyed her time as part of the Rotary Club of Crowborough Human Fruit Machine! 🍋🍌🍓🥝🍊🍉🍇🍎 #crowborough #crowboroughhospitalfete

DOG DAY: It's is officially 'Dog Day', so we thought we’d look a little about how having a furry friend can help you in your grief. That said, you don’t have to be suffering the loss of a loved one to appreciate the hope a dog brings. If you already have a dog when somebody dies, they can be a great comfort. In fact, many dogs will pick up when you are sad – perhaps just from your body language – and be there to nuzzle your hand, ready to snuggle in for a stroke. Instinctively, dogs want us to be happy and will stay by your side until you seem better. A recent study states that dogs are more likely to walk up to a person who is crying than when that person is exhibiting ‘normal’ happy behaviours. The researchers concluded that a human crying had more of an emotional pull for the dogs - the dogs seemed to empathise with the crying human not from curiosity, but from pure concern. While the existing family pet can help in grief, some people have found that bringing a dog into the house after a bereavement can also be beneficial. Apart from all the reasons listed above, the dog can be a good way of ‘forcing’ somebody out of the house for a walk – which is good for mental and physical health – but can also help us to meet others for a chat, who are also out walking their pooches. If you’ve got a dog, we hope you enjoy the companionship it brings. Happy Dog Day. #dogday #dogfriend #doglife

SUNSHINE IN WINDSOR: Despite the early wind and rain yesterday, it turned into a beautiful day for our Bereavement Group (the BGs) trip to Windsor. This was followed by the highlight of the day, a cruise down The Thames with a delicious afternoon tea. In all, 42 of our BGs enjoyed the day together. #bereavementgroup #bereavementsupport #thebgs #crowborough

HARD WORK AND TIME: We feel very privileged to support so many local families at such a difficult time and are very proud of the thank you letters and notes we receive afterwards, such as this one: #crowborough #family #saifmember #professional #caring

NATIONAL RADIO DAY: It's officially National Radio Day, so we are celebrating our fabulous local radio station, Ashdown Radio. We are proud to support the station with this advert: https://lnkd.in/eFxivAtn #nationalradioday #radioday #ashdown #ashdownradio #radio