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Phone: 01480 276088 or Email: [email protected]

Apply for Help

Who can apply?
We take referrals and applications for financial support from professionals who have knowledge of the bereaved family and their circumstances.

This could include: Funeral Directors, Celebrant or Faith representatives, Bereavement Nurses or Midwives, Hospice Managers, General Practitioners, Local Authority Registrars, Hospital Bereavement Officers, Hospital Medical Registrars and many others.

The essential question before requesting our assistance is to ask if the family can get a payment from the Government’s Funeral Expenses Payment. This is possible if the family is on certain benefits – see below for details.

Please Note: We cannot help families who will receive help through the Government’s Funeral Expenses Payment. However, there are many families who do not qualify and we help as much as we can.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

How to apply
As soon as you are made aware that family might require assistance then simply complete the application form below and send it to us. Ideally, this should be before any funeral arrangements are made. Please provide all details including all costs that are known. Please also note those items we will not fund.

What happens after applying?
We will consider your application and respond to you with a decision within two working days. We will then contact the referrer or family directly to discuss the award and payment.

How much money is available?
The financial support that we can provide will be assessed on each individual case. All decisions on whether to offer financial support are made by our trustees and their decision is final.

How is the money paid?
The money is paid directly to the supplier of the service we are funding.

What will we fund?
In many cases, funeral directors do not charge a professional services fee or for a coffin / casket or for a vehicle for child and baby funerals. We hold information on this and can advise – please contact us.

As long as we receive the application before the funeral arrangements are finalised, and the funeral director does not provide the above free of charge, we can consider helping with the following:

A coffin/casket – the charity can supply a good selection of coffins directly to the funeral director.

A vehicle, such as a hearsette, suitable for transporting parents and the coffin to and from the funeral.

We can also consider providing the following items directly through our suppliers:

A floral tribute – we only supply the floral arrangements (spray or posy) as displayed on the right via Interflora. Colours can be changed.

Printed Order of Service sheets – following receipt of a draft copy we will contact our printing suppliers and they will confirm the content with the referrer before printing and distributing. Please click the funeral stationery picture to see designs. (Up to page 9 only)

Memorial plaques

Small: This is a small personalised dark grey/black granite plaque that measures 10cm long x 10cm wide x 1cm deep. Two styles are available, with a sweet pea motif or without. With name and dates.

Large: Wedge shaped memorial plaque; Grey granite with silver wording – up to 6 lines of inscription. Size: 30cm long x 20 cm wide x 2cm deep at the front rising to 5cm deep at the back.

Please note: It is important to check with local cemeteries and crematoriums that they allow plaques and investigate whether there are any applicable fees.

Wording details must be provided on the referral form as well as the delivery address.

Memory Bear

Standing 17” tall, the cuddly plush Memory Bear is popular with families who have sadly lost a child. This classic bear has velvety light brown fur, a well featured face, black button eyes and a brown nose and mouth. The bear can come with a carefully-tied blue, pink or white ribbon featuring the child’s name.

There is a specially-designed zip compartment in its back, suitable for holding the provided soft pouch to hold cremated remains or other much-loved keepsakes.

Cremation fees or a contribution towards internment fees (please note – this does not include the purchase of a burial plot)

Other associated funeral costs that may be awarded at the trustees’ discretion.

We regret that we are unable to reimburse costs incurred for the above items, where the charity would have been able to supply these items directly, free of charge. Therefore it is important to contact us as early as possible.

We may also refer the family to a partner organisation where a lower fee for the relevant service has been negotiated. The Trustees have a list of “preferred suppliers” who work in support of CFC.

What we will not fund
The trustees will not consider applications for a burial plot, transport (other than hearse/ hearsette), horse drawn carriages, balloons, doves, headstones, or food and drink for a wake or gathering following the funeral.

The Government’s Funeral Expenses Payment
Families on certain benefits will get a payment from this fund. This link takes you to the form you need to complete:

Funeral Expenses Claim Form

Alternatively, families can apply by phone: for claims and further information call 0800 169 0154 or email [email protected]

Funeral Choices
There is no set way of arranging a funeral for a baby or child and it can be stressful and difficult having to make decisions quickly. We will help as much as we can with advice and information on the options available.

If you are referring a family to us for financial support, consider if you would find it helpful to talk to us about the funeral choices available.

If you are a bereaved parent, do call us with any questions at all that you might have about the funeral.

We can advise on most aspects of funerals and, if we can’t answer a specific question, we will find someone who can.

Please feel free to call us. We will do our very best to help.

Call us on 01480 276088.

We are available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. If you need assistance at alternative times, please leave a message and we will call you back as soon as we can.

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