The Church, located on Kings Road, Kingstanding, in Birmingham, attracted an array of public service vehicles, including police, fire and ambulance fleets, along with an old Walsall Double Decker bus on loan from the Aldridge Transport Museum.

The Reverend Andrew Brazier, one of the organisers, thought it would be fitting to include a classic hearse along with the public service vehicles. He approached local funeral director Ian Hazel to bring along his rare classic 1980s Daimler DS 420 low line hearse.

Ian Hazel said:

“When first approached by Reverend Brazier, I was more than sceptical as to what the public might think of a hearse being displayed along with other classic and public service vehicles, but Reverend Brazier assured me that he felt it would be a good talking point for those attending – and he was absolutely right!”

“Ours is a rather rare hearse, being one of only a handful of Daimler hearses built in the lower line style rather than the more traditional higher decked model. This particular hearse has local connections as it was built in Aston, Birmingham by renowned coach builders Thomas Startin. It was constructed in the traditional coachbuilding method, which meant first having a wooden (Ash) frame, hand built onto the Daimler DS 420 chassis, then skilled metal workers would hand-make and fit the steel panels over the Ash frame.”

The show also attracted a collection of Motorcycle trikes and classic cars from the surrounding area, along with a model railway layout for the children to play with. The fine weather and a bar-b-que helped to deliver a good turnout from the public, who were fascinated by the Daimler Hearse.

Reverend Brazier added:

“Kingstanding Methodist Church wanted the community to know that it was friendly and approachable. The classic cars and railway memorabilia, including Mr Hazel’s gorgeous Daimler, seemed the perfect way to celebrate the warm weather and open our doors to everyone. It turns out that our area is knee deep in car buffs and petrol heads. Around 150 people either popped in or stayed for a burger.”

About Perfect Choice Funeral Plans

Perfect Choice Funeral Plans are provided by NAFD Services Limited which was set-up by the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) whose member firms carry out over 80% of all funerals in the UK. NAFD Services Limited is a founding member of the Funeral Planning Authority, the official body that oversees the operation of companies offering funeral plans.

Perfect Choice Funeral Plan funds are held securely in a guaranteed whole of life assurance policy. For maximum security NAFD Services only works with UK-based life assurance companies that are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the PRA and Financial Conduct Authority. A key difference with Perfect Choice Funeral Plans is that the pre-payment monies cannot be used for anything other than the client’s funeral for total peace of mind.

For more information call us on: 0121 308 7777

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Meet the Winners! ‘Innovative Saver’ prize presented to Ian Hazel Funerals at 2016 Love Energy Savings Awards

The Love Energy Savings Awards are in their second year, and the standard of entrants has risen to new heights, leaving the judges with some very difficult decisions to make.

Our ‘Innovative Saver’ prize is awarded to the business that has shown the most creativity in order to make themselves greener, or to an organisation that has introduced one innovative project to maximise their efficiency.
Ian Hazel Funerals has earned the title of Innovative Saver in the 2016 Awards, in recognition of a huge project that was aimed at overhauling their premises.

Ian Hazel, founder of Ian Hazel Funerals, commented on the business’ achievement:

“Ian Hazel is delighted to have won the ‘Innovative Saver’ award from Love Energy Savings. I have always been committed to creating a ‘greener funeral’ and helping the environment. Our new state-of-the-art funeral home makes great leaps towards providing an environmentally-friendly funeral service whilst remaining committed to traditional values. We continue to work hard as a family firm to deliver exemplary customer service and hold hands every step of the way when families have lost someone close to them.”

The Innovative Saver category was sponsored by British Gas, who will present Ian Hazel Funerals with a cash prize of £600, so their team can celebrate their success.

Robin Lacey from British Gas, said they were very happy to have been involved:

“British Gas is delighted to have sponsored the ‘Innovative Saver’ category in the 2016 Love Energy Savings Awards. It’s fantastic to see businesses like Ian Hazel Funerals making the changes to invest in a sustainable future.”

What changes did they make?

Ian Hazel is a family-run funeral service, but that didn’t stop them from setting some ambitious targets for themselves. One of the biggest changes they made was to install a solar power system consisting of 78 panels on the roof of their premises. This project has produced enough power to meet approximately 70% of the business’ electricity requirements.

That’s not all. They also commissioned a major redevelopment of their property to include a number of new initiatives, including:

• Rainwater harvesting capabilities
• Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
• Energy-efficient LED lighting
• Motion sensors to automatically control lights
• Underfloor heating

Ian tells us what inspired them to become more energy efficient, and what the Award means to the business:

“Winning the Award means a lot to me because it means that people outside of my industry and local community are aware that a small to medium-sized company that trades in a very specific local area is trying to make an ecological impact on the country as a whole.”

“I have always hated to see waste in any form, especially if steps can be taken to reduce it. Having the chance to build a new funeral home gave me the biggest opportunity to make as many energy-efficient savings as possible. I want my clients to see that we are a responsible company trying to do our small bit in the bigger picture of things.”

What will the future hold for Ian Hazel?

Even though they have a Love Energy Savings Award to their name, Ian Hazel Funerals show no signs of resting on their laurels. They have their sights set on even bigger and better ways to improve their energy efficiency.

As one of their major sources of energy expenditure, vehicle efficiency is at the top of the company’s priority list.

Ian Hazel tells us how they plan to reduce their environmental impact on the road:

“During 2017 we will try to do more recycling. I am attending the ‘Green Fleet Arrive and Drive 2016’ event at Rockingham Raceway on 22nd September to see, test and evaluate a range of low-emission, hybrid and electric vehicles with a view to reducing our vehicle fleet emissions to an even lower level. I feel this is the next biggest area where energy savings can be made.”

Article written by Megan Crehan, the full article can be seen by visiting loveenergysavings.com

For more information call us on: 0121 308 7777

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The family firm recently installed a 78-panel solar energy system on its south facing garage roof. This will generate enough electricity every year to cover almost 70 percent of the funeral home’s total needs.
Managing director Ian Hazel, supported by his daughters Amy and Emma, has been awarded the highest possible Energy Performance Certificate (A).
Click here to read the full article

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