William & John Lodge (6th Generation) Share the Secrets of Success in a Family Business
Q: Lodge Brothers is the longest serving family-owned funeral business in the local area, what do you think is the secret to success when working with family?
A: When a family business has spanned 240 years and has been developed over seven generations, the loyalty to each other is ingrained. The exchange of knowledge, mentoring and coaching from one generation to the next allows the progression of modernisation and new ideas in carrying the company forward. Over the years our reputation has been built on trust, recommendation and the quality of service we provide. Naturally, each family member strives to maintain that reputation for themselves and for each other. It is a real team effort.
Q. What is the biggest change you’ve observed in the last few decades?
A. Many years ago, we used to build and French polish the coffins for each funeral. This was part of the service we provided. Automated machinery for the production of coffins was not introduced until the 1960s by specialist suppliers. Although to this day our skilled staff still personally add the bespoke interior lining, handles and name plate for each coffin in our workshop.
In recent years we have observed a gradual shift in philosophy away from the traditional religious funeral service, with sombre mourners dressed in black – now we see more secular services led by civil celebrants, with families opting to ‘commemorate and celebrate’ the life of a loved one instead. And, of course, popular music is now preferable to the traditional singing of hymns. Nowadays, with the rise in natural burials and ‘greener’ funeral options, the freedom of choice for our clients is far wider than ever before and it has been very interesting to see this develop.
Q. Do you have a particular lasting memory from your years of service that has made you proud to be a Lodge Brother?
A. We were honoured to be asked to care for the repatriation of the British servicemen who had died in combat during the Falklands War. Then, a year after the war ended, along with 11 members of staff, we spent three months in the Falkland Islands, locating and burying the deceased Argentinian soldiers who had died in battle, the interments either taking place at Port Stanley Cemetery, or repatriation arranged back to Argentina.
Q. The past year has been a challenge for everyone, particularly the funeral profession. What is your biggest hope for 2021?
A. It has been a difficult year to observe, with so many bereaved families not able to invite as many family and friends to attend a funeral due to the restrictions imposed, and sometimes not being able to have the funeral service in their usual place of worship. We look forward in hope that the new vaccination programmes will continue to be successful so that we can all get back to some sort of normality, allowing our families to say goodbye the way they want to.