Being part of local communities is the ‘greatest gift’

Being part of local communities is the ‘greatest gift’

by Aylesbury Vale Crematorium

Being part of local communities is the ‘greatest gift’

Westerleigh Group’s new Regional Manager for Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and Wessex Bill Scott, says the “greatest gift will be to be part of the communities we serve and in which we live” as he gets to grips with his new role.

He brings decades of experience in the army and with one of the UK’s oldest family-owned Funeral Director businesses which he wants to put to good use, making the crematoria in his region the best they can possibly be for all its communities.

Bill, who lives in Malvern, Worcestershire, said the opportunity to join Westerleigh Group “came out of the blue and provided an unexpected opportunity to challenge myself further, but also an opportunity to help further develop existing services provided by Westerleigh Group. I was over the moon and so were my family.”

Westerleigh Group is the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 35 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, all set within beautifully-landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, peaceful places for people to visit and reflect. 

While studying art and design in college, Bill served as an army reserve and said joining up seemed to be a logical step.

Three years became thirty, he rose through the ranks to become a Regimental Sergeant Major the senior non-commission rank in the Army, before being commissioned and leaving the service as a Major.

He said: “My last appointment in service was as the Training Major, for the London Officer Training Corps (OTC) where I ran into my future civilian employer, which was to be my introduction to the funeral profession.”

“I joined CPJ Field, the oldest independent, family-owned and run, Funeral Director business, and spent just short of 10 years with them.

“I trained as a Funeral Director and then moved onto manage six funeral homes as a Principal Funeral Director, then Regional Operating Partner and finally General Manager.

“I then joined the Westerleigh Group, which has given me the challenge of managing multiple crematoria while using my previous experience to help enrich the quality of service to the bereaved.

“I work with site managers as a coach and mentor, providing them with support in everything from recruiting, training and sustaining staff; from problem-solving to community outreach.”

“My aim is to enrich the funeral experience for all our families and customers, being their first choice for excellence.”

“I want our crematoria to become a big part of their local communities and to be the best we can be for our families and customers.”

“It is important that we encourage people to talk about their funeral wishes, so that family and friends do not feel guilty about not having that conversation.  If we are able to talk about our wishes we can better help those left behind provide a loving and caring service that allows them to celebrate, mourn and remember our life together.

“It’s about the community and the sharing of that grief, to ease the burden so we can all find some comfort, feel stronger and hopefully be better able to cope with the future together.”

Bill’s portfolio of crematoria includes: Aylesbury Vale Crematorium, North Wiltshire Crematorium, Test Valley Crematorium, West Wiltshire Crematorium and Wessex Vale Crematorium.