Disclosure of Interest

1. Purpose of this disclosure

The Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021 requires funeral directors to publish information that may help customers identify the ownership of a business and any relevant commercial or financial interests.

We publish this information so that families can understand who owns our business and whether a relationship could influence the information, recommendations or choices we offer.

2. Ownership

Trading name

Wealden Funeral Services

Registered company

WEALDEN FUNERAL SERVICES LTD

Company number

12670306

Company type

Private limited company registered in England and Wales

Ultimate ownership

The company is owned solely by Andrew Kirk.

Parent company or corporate group

None

Registered office

3 Browning Road, Heathfield, England, TN21 8DB

The company’s current public registration details can be checked through Companies House .

3. Our independence

Wealden Funeral Services Ltd is independently owned. It is not owned by, controlled by or part of a national funeral director, larger funeral group or parent company.

Our membership of a professional association does not create an ownership interest. We are a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors, but the NAFD does not own or control our business.

4. Comparison websites

Neither Wealden Funeral Services Ltd nor its owner has a business or material financial interest in any website which compares:

• funeral director services;
• crematorium services; or
• the prices of those services.

We may appear on independent directories, search services or comparison websites. An appearance or listing does not by itself mean that we own, control or can influence that service.

5. Related funeral-sector interests

Wealden Funeral Services Ltd and its owner have no ownership or financial interest in any:

• crematorium;
• cemetery or burial ground;
• coffin or casket manufacturer;
• memorial or masonry supplier; or
• other funeral service provider.

We purchase goods and services from independent suppliers when arranging funerals. Ordinary customer–supplier relationships do not give us an ownership interest in those businesses.

6. Payments and donations register

The CMA requires funeral directors to maintain a register covering the previous twelve months. It includes charitable donations, gratuities, contributions or other payments to a third party where:

• payments to that recipient total £250 or more during the twelve-month period; and
• the payments are not for a cost incurred or a service provided by that third party for the funeral director.

We sometimes make smaller donations to organisations in our community. None currently meets the threshold for inclusion in this register.

7. Referral arrangements

We do not have an arrangement with a hospital, hospice, care home, provider of hospital bereavement services, provider of palliative care or similar institution that encourages, incentivises or requires that organisation to refer families to us or give us preference over another funeral director.

We do not make payments or provide gifts intended to secure funeral referrals. We do not solicit funeral business while carrying out services for the police or a coroner.

8. Keeping this information current

We review this disclosure regularly and update it when a reportable matter changes. The payments and donations register operates on a rolling twelve-month basis.

A new qualifying payment will be added to the register, and a relevant change to a comparison-website interest will be disclosed, within the period required by the CMA Order. Entries will cease to appear when they no longer fall within the applicable disclosure period.

9. Questions about this disclosure

If you would like clarification about our ownership, independence or an entry in this disclosure, please contact us. We will explain the information in plain language and can provide it in an alternative accessible format where reasonably possible.