New Site Manager at Aylesbury Vale Crematorium

The new manager of Aylesbury Vale Crematorium says she will continue to provide exceptional care to the families and funeral directors in and around Buckinghamshire.

Lilly Fortune previously worked at a local authority crematorium, which she loved, but the chance to take her first site manager role with a company that, she said, “has a great focus on personal development”, was irresistible.

Aylesbury Vale Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 37 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, tranquil places for people to visit and reflect.

Lilly, who was born and bred in Buckinghamshire, said she was thrilled to take on the role of Site Manager at Aylesbury Vale Crematorium, which opened in 2019 in a natural setting edging the Watermead Lake and River Thame.

She said: “The funeral profession has a true focus on care and compassion. ‘Custodians of the deceased’ is a phrase that has always stuck with me.

“To be able to provide that final journey and service for families and their loved ones is truly morally rewarding.

She added: “I also want to continue to build engagement with our community. One example is our metal recycling scheme, which allows us to make donations to many local charities linked to bereavement and wellbeing.

“Additionally, we will continue to host tours of our crematorium for the public to help ‘tackle the taboo’. Tours enable anyone to see our facilities, including the crematory, and ask any questions they may have about the funeral and cremation process.

“It is important that any myths and uncertainties surrounding the funeral sector are dispelled, so that trust and confidence can be established when discussing the ‘taboo’ subject of death.

“Aylesbury Vale Crematorium is rightly proud of the exceptional care it provides, and we have an open-door policy, where we welcome visits from members of the community to come and talk to the team here.

“We will strive to continue actively engaging with our local community and will always seek to improve our services.”