Gateway Funeral Service helping families cope with Covid

An award-winning family-run funeral directors is working to help people understand the complex changing restrictions around services during the Covid pandemic – and urging them to plan ahead.
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Published 26th Feb 2021, 08:00 BST
The Gateway team has worked around the clock to help ensure people have the information they needed.The Gateway team has worked around the clock to help ensure people have the information they needed.
The Gateway team has worked around the clock to help ensure people have the information they needed.

Gateway Funeral Service is a local, independent, family run business with more than a decade of experience at helping people through one of the most difficult period of their lives.

The death of a family member or loved ones can be overwhelming at any time, but over the past year families have faced the additional struggle of adhering to government-imposed restrictions on services.

The Gateway team has worked around the clock to help ensure people have the information they needed, as well as offering services such as video-streaming of the service, for friends and family unable to attend.

Gateway Funeral Services was opened in 2008 in BirkenshawGateway Funeral Services was opened in 2008 in Birkenshaw
Gateway Funeral Services was opened in 2008 in Birkenshaw

The uncertainties of the pandemic have also prompted the firm to encourage more families to plan ahead and start a pre-paid funeral plan.

This not only gives them peace of mind that everything will be taken care of, meaning less of a burden for grieving family, but also ensures they can get the service they want at today’s prices. The cost of a funeral risen substantially in just the last decade, and Gateway currently offers funeral plans to fit almost any price range, with some of the lowest costs around.

Gateway Funeral Services was opened in 2008 in Birkenshaw, with a further three chapels which were opened locally over the last 13 years.

After working with other Funeral Directors, Richard was unconvinced by some of their methods and decided to go into business for himself.

Their fleet of traditional black funeral cars includes wheelchair accessible vehiclesTheir fleet of traditional black funeral cars includes wheelchair accessible vehicles
Their fleet of traditional black funeral cars includes wheelchair accessible vehicles

Since then his focus on serving the local community, ensuring customers are given the time and attention to detail expected of such an event, has seen him expand from the head office in Birkenshaw to opening branches in Cleckheaton and Wibsey.

They have just opened in Batley with expansion plans in the future to open premises in Huddersfield and Leeds.

A true family business, Richard’s wife Emma has worked with them since 2012, while the difficulties posed by the pandemic saw their 16 year old son Bailey offer to help and quickly become a true credit to their family business.

As well as a fleet of traditional black funeral cars, including wheelchair accessible vehicles, the company also has a white hearse, and can arrange a horse drawn hearse, something that is becoming more and more popular. They can even organise for a motorcycle hearse or a vintage truck – whatever a family require, no request is deemed too much

To find out more about everything Gateway Funeral Service can do to help bring you peace of mind in troubled times, visit the website here.