INTRODUCTION TO THE CEMETERY OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2008

The Cemetery of the Year Awards (CYA) is organised by the Memorial Awareness Board (MAB) and sponsored by: The Generation Network Inc. (Ancestery.co.uk), The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), Welters Organisation Worldwide, National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM), IFZW, Blue AV, The Columbaria Company, ASSETtrac Ltd, Deceased Online, George Squire & Sons Funeral Service and Blue AV.

Its main aim is to raise standards in burial grounds and encourage choice for the bereaved. It is a competition for Cemeteries, Crematoria, Green Burial sites and Pet Burial sites, to encourage improved surroundings and facilities for the public. A burial site or crematorium should be a place that puts visitors first, where they can grieve and contemplate. It should include pleasant areas to sit, relax and appreciate the surroundings.

Burial grounds should be user friendly, include access for the disabled, and provide a quality service to the community. It is the aim of CYA to inspire communities to take pride in their grounds and encourage site managers to consider upgrades and new initiatives.

The judges will look at all aspects of the site including customer care, maintenance of grounds and buildings, safety and security, availability of choice to the bereaved, on site facilities such as bins, taps, shelters and toilets (including those for the disabled), environmental enhancements such as wild flower or conservation areas, and the encouragement and protection of biodiversity. The list is not exhaustive therefore if you have created something of merit, that is unique to the bereaved, it will score favourably.

All the entries will be visited, except for those specified in the entry form (please see Conditions of Entry). Our judges are aware that some of the most outstanding cemeteries in the UK are not necessarily the best funded, and that committed staff and innovative schemes can make a difference. Therefore the awards scheme looks further than aesthetics and judges how the cemetery best serves its community and visitors.

This year the awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 30th September at 6.30pm at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.