At Salvos Funerals, we continually strive to offer our compassionate and affordable services to more people across Australia. To that effect, we are pleased to announce the commencement of our services in Perth from April this year.
We recently sat down with Malcolm Pittendrigh, National Director, and Megan Maxfield, Operations Manager at Salvos Funerals, to chat about the latest move into Perth, some of the challenges being faced, as well as the positive impact of the services on families during their most difficult moments.
Excerpts from the interview below:
Q: What inspired Salvos Funerals to open a new location in Perth?
A: Perth is part of a strategically-inspired national vision for Salvos Funerals to expand its footprint across every Australian state and territory. Our presence into Perth was accelerated following a chance encounter with Paul Ineson, a member of The Salvation Army corps in Perth.
Q: Can you tell us more about the direct cremation service and how it differs from a traditional funeral?
A: A direct cremation is our most basic funeral option. It involves bringing a loved into our care, finalising all required paperwork, and then proceeding directly to the crematorium for the cremation itself.
It’s often referred to as an ‘unattended’ cremation and differs to a more traditional funeral where the loved one is prepared and transported to an ‘attended’ event with family and friends present.
Q: How has the Perth community responded to the opening of Salvos Funerals?
A: The response from Perth residents was immediately successful. We are obviously only providing a limited offering at present, but the early signs have been most positive.
Q: What successes have you seen since launching in Perth?
A: We have served 20 families since our commencement and have journeyed with people during their most difficult time. We have strengthened our relationship with our partners and have been able to provide a seamless experience for the family.
We have also seen families provided with financial support through No interest loan schemes (NILS), who could not see a way out of the tragedy that they found themselves in. Families have been reminded of their memories from their loved one’s initial connection with The Salvation Army, which has been greatly comforting to them.
For instance, we have been able to support a family in Northern WA where costs were prohibitive. We were able to bring their loved one into our care in Perth, proceed with the cremation and have the ashes returned to them.
Q: How does Salvos Funerals support families during the cremation process?
A: We support them through the initial stages of the phone call, assist them with completing the paperwork and maintain regular contact with the family, advising them of every step of the process and ensuring that they are supported from the first phone call to the collection of ashes.
Q: Can you share a story or example of how Salvos Funerals has made a difference for a family in Perth?
A: Julie* contacted us for support as she had lost her loved one and did not know what to do.
She was short of funds and was talking about selling her loved one’s items (that were precious to her) to pay for a cremation.
She was informed about NILS. She was very emotional and advised that this was exactly what she needed. She was approved for NILS, and we were able to proceed with supporting her in caring for her loved one.
Julie and the team engaged frequently through the process, and she disclosed that she had some issues that she needed to work through but felt very alone. Julie was offered pastoral care support, and she initially declined the offer. On reflection, she then made an intentional phone call and advised that, whilst she recognised that the issues required ongoing professional support, she felt that what she most needed was to be able to sit across a table and just have coffee with someone.
Major Allison Footer (Funeral Support Officer) supported us in the process by reaching out to the local corps officer, who has graciously supported this request and will reach out to Julie within the week to see how they can support her. Julie has expressed her thanks to Salvos Funerals and the team for the care shown to her during this difficult time.
*name changed for privacy.
Q: How does the mission of The Salvation Army align with the services offered by Salvos Funerals?
A: The mission of The Salvation Army fits beautifully with the services offered by Salvos Funerals. We are in a privileged position to support grieving families through what can be a tremendously difficult period for them. We do this with kindness, gentleness, and respect — listening attentively to their requirements.
Importantly, we do this for all families, regardless of whether they choose Salvos Funerals as their preferred funeral director. All families require a kind and attentive ear at a time like this.
Q: How is Salvos Funerals able to provide affordable cremation options while maintaining quality and dignity?
A: Salvos Funerals only employs and works with employees and suppliers that care deeply about what they do. The misconception can be that you ‘get more’ if you ‘pay more.’ This is certainly not the case. Profit is not our primary driver at Salvos Funerals. We are all about providing genuine compassion at a fair price, and our standards are not compromised in any way by offering a lesser price than most of our competitors.
Q: How does Salvos Funerals ensure transparency and clarity in the cremation process for families?
A: We ensure this in two important ways — firstly, our website is very clear about our fees and charges and what is or isn’t included. Secondly, we communicate clearly and simply when providing a family with a quotation. This allows them to make an informed decision about what they can afford.
Q: What sets Salvos Funerals apart from other funeral providers in Perth?
A: The Salvation Army is a highly successful organisation with a presence across the nation and world. No other funeral director has this breadth of presence — community support and respect. Salvos Funerals, where appropriate, can lean into and leverage this broader support. For example, if families present with needs beyond immediate funeral care support, we can utilise other services that the Salvos provide across a particular community. In terms of leveraging support, because The Salvation Army is so well known, we can promote ourselves in a manner that gives us instant market awareness and credibility.
Q: What are your future goals or plans for expanding Salvos Funerals in Perth and beyond?
A: Salvos Funerals is currently working with our supplier to be able to offer more complete ‘attended’ funeral services into Perth. We are also looking at finalising the expansion of Salvos Funerals across the country, with a south-east Queensland launch being prepared for early 2025.
Q: Can you tell us a bit more about your team in Perth, how they’ve embraced their roles, and what impact have they had on the community?
A: Paul Ineson is our key contact in Perth. Paul has a faith background with the Salvos that dates back to his early years growing up in the United Kingdom. He attends The Salvation Army Church (Corps) in the heart of the Perth CBD where he is an active member and holds a leadership position. Paul was a perfect partner and natural fit for Salvos Funerals as he understands and lives out the values of The Salvation Army and has a passion for serving others through funeral work.
Q: What feedback have you received from families who have chosen Salvos Funerals for their loved ones?
A: The common sentiment/ feedback received is that the team made the process simple (from an administrative perspective) and were kind and caring in their approach.
Q: What role do partnerships with local organisations or communities play in the success of Salvos Funerals in Perth?
A: Local partnerships are still being developed in Perth. What we can say, based on our experience in other places, is that Salvos Funerals have advocates/ champions in many places. In some cases, we have no knowledge of who they are. This might be a social worker within a hospital that has heard about our services, through to a chaplain working for a hospital or aged care facility. Obviously, The Salvation Army itself is a supporter of our work.
Q: What do you hope families in Perth will take away from their experience with Salvos Funerals?
A: Our desire is to see that all families have a positive experience of Salvos Funerals — from the point of first contact through to the invoice for our services being issued. We want families to feel loved and cared for like they’re our own family. Our belief is that we do this consistently well and therefore, support them in their own grief journey.
To learn more about our services in Perth, please visit Salvos Funerals Perth