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Some Funeral Venues Still Imposing 30-Person Limits on Services After May 17th

by Michael Curzon
13 May 2021 10:21 AM

The 30-person limit on the number of mourners who can attend funerals is set to end in England on May 17th, but some venues are still imposing this restriction beyond the next step of the “roadmap” out of lockdown, along with time restrictions on services. The Guardian has the story.

A grieving mother said she had “nowhere left to turn” after dozens of possible venues for a funeral service near London refused to let her invite more than 30 mourners, despite England’s coronavirus restrictions being about to change.

Stacey O’Donnell, whose 19 year-old son, Tai O’Donnell, was stabbed to death in his home in Croydon on March 3rd, said she was “shattered” by her attempts to find a venue for the service.

She had delayed the funeral until after May 17th, when the Government’s limit on mourners is to be lifted allowing any number of people to gather as long as venues can comply with social distancing. She wanted to invite 50-60 guests whose lives “had been touched by Tai”.

But dozens of sites in Croydon and the surrounding area in south London, including those with large indoor and outdoor areas that would make social distancing possible, were restricting mourners to a maximum of 30, with many also limiting the service to 30 minutes, O’Donnell said.

She said: “I have a young boy who was very much loved by a lot of people, and it just seems completely wrong that we can’t come together to remember him and give thanks for the moments we shared. I would understand if it was prior to restrictions being dropped… but vaccinations have gone out, the people who are most at risk are covered. So for people to choose to enforce these restrictions just feels wrong.”

O’Donnell had found a private venue in Surrey but it could accommodate only 30 mourners, and religious venues had also said numbers had to be limited and insisted on religious ceremonies. Many hotels, golf courses and other venues were shut until June 21st, she added.

She felt the search for a venue had taken a toll on her mental health. “It’s killing me, to be honest. It has taken so long to get him back, and now to have so many doors close in my face is just awful. I don’t feel like I’m asking for a great deal, just a space to be able to say goodbye to my baby.”

…

Deborah Smith, from the National Association of Funeral Directors, said the Association had received other reports that some councils were reluctant to allow more than 30 guests at funerals. “We urge funeral venues or councils that are taking this approach to think again,” she said.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: FuneralsRoadmap

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9 Comments
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Annie
Annie
3 years ago

Disgusting, foul, vile, inhuman zombie cruelty.

32
0
beancounter
beancounter
3 years ago
Reply to  Annie

I absolutely agree with you – but I wish you wouldn’t sit on the fence!

9
0
Julian
Julian
3 years ago

If some miracle happens and legally backed restrictions end, the legacy of the madness will last for years as organisations choose to be “cautious”, making life difficult for anyone sane who wants or needs to have anything to do with them. Fine where there is a choice and you can choose organisations that get back to normal, but there will not always be a choice.

The SAGE and govt psychopaths have opened Pandora’s Box and even if they wanted to they could not close it. They may not even have spent any time thinking about the long term societal damage to a society already weighed down by often irrational safetyism.

14
0
Silke David
Silke David
3 years ago

I used to work in a building where our council does marriage ceremonies so I was curious what the rules are. It is quite a small room, so they limited it to 15 people, usually it would hold 36.
The registrars and a photographer are additional, and prams and pushchairs are not allowed (what about wheelchairs or walkers?)
Guests are not allowed to use the on-site toilet facilities, but have to go down the road to the public one in the park.
So silly.

Considering the mother in question here will expect many guests who are one household, the venues insisting on restrictions just shows how scared they are of the extreme unlikely event that something happens or they get snitched on.

Last edited 3 years ago by Silke David
9
0
DoctorCOxford
DoctorCOxford
3 years ago

A list of funeral locations that will follow new guidelines should be made know so people can appropriately send off their loved ones. Hope someone is working on such.

7
0
Sandra Barwick
Sandra Barwick
3 years ago

Well, I used to think our “traveller communities” were a bit out of order in their view of the law.
But they don’t stand for this rubbish. They turn up in thousands at funerals which matter to them, and the police are so outnumbered and intimidated they stand aside.
Time to learn from them.

14
0
Peter W
Peter W
3 years ago
Reply to  Sandra Barwick

Last year in April a well know local died (not of or with Covid).
I can’t remember what the limit was then but very small. Over 200 locals descended on the church! As far as is known there was no super spreader event. Surprise!

2
0
robnicholson
robnicholson
3 years ago

Having had to go through the horrible processing of hand picking 30 people to attend mum’s funeral back in November, I can only sympathise and relate to this.

It’s also causing rifts in friendships in all areas. My birthday on Sunday and the local pub can only accommodate 2 x tables of six in the rain and wind outside. So I’ve had to turn down three dear friends because they didn’t respond fast enough. It’s just horrible. Esp. when there is an empty pub inside and we’ve been Covid free for two months.

2
0
Peter W
Peter W
3 years ago

Spot on.
We can expect a whole range of jobsworths and organisations who will not want to let go of their new-found control and make up all sorts of silly rules to bolster their anti-social sense of self-importance.

2
0

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