Championing change in funeral floristry - The ICCM and The Farewell Flowers Directory
by Mathew Crawley, CEO, The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management
The ICCM supports professionals in the bereavement sector and holds an annual conference to share best practice.
Who are the ICCM?
The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) was founded in 1913 to represent and support professionals working within cemeteries and crematoriums, and the broader bereavement sector. Today, we serve local authorities, private operators, and individuals working within the funeral space across the UK. Our mission is to raise standards, promote best practice, and support sustainable, ethical approaches to bereavement care.
Our commitment to sustainability
Sustainability has long been a core part of our ethos. For over 20 years, our metal recycling scheme has enabled crematoriums to recycle orthopaedic implants and metal residues left after cremation – raising over £20 million for charities nominated by our members. It’s a powerful example of how even the most sensitive parts of our work can contribute to broader social and environmental good.
We first learned about The Farewell Flowers Directory through its founders, Gill Hodgson MBE and Carole Patilla, and the tireless work they’ve done to inspire change in funeral floristry. The Directory champions a simple but transformative idea: funeral flowers can be personal, beautiful, and environmentally responsible. That vision resonated deeply with us.
A shareable basket of flowers by Kitchen Garden Flowers and Produce, Matlock, Derbyshire. Photo: Angela Stubbs Photography.
Why we’re sponsoring the display at RHS Chelsea
When we heard that The Farewell Flowers Directory had been invited to stage the first-ever funeral floristry display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we saw a unique opportunity. This exhibit will be more than just a showcase of flowers – it’s a statement that grief, remembrance and sustainability can exist together in harmony. By sponsoring the installation, we are proud to help share this message with a national audience.
The Directory’s values align closely with our own: they promote informed choice, celebrate individuality, and reduce waste. At a time when many traditional tributes are made with plastic floral foam and synthetic materials, their compostable, arrangements which include British-grown materials are a refreshing and necessary alternative. These designs allow families to create something truly personal – whether it’s a casket spray using flowers from a loved one’s garden, or a walking boot bursting with blooms that reflects a passion for rambling.
Florists are artists, and the work they do for funerals is often profoundly moving. These arrangements are not only sustainable but thought-provoking, helping people to process grief and remember the uniqueness of the person who has died. A further benefit is that many of these tributes can be taken home or shared among mourners, reducing landfill waste and creating living, lasting memories – a pot plant placed on a windowsill or in the garden as a quiet remembrance.
This collaboration also marks a personal milestone for us. Our former Chief Executive, Julie Dunk, who retired in March, was the first to recognise the significance of supporting The Farewell Flowers Directory at Chelsea. I am proud to be continuing what she began and bringing it to life at one of the most prestigious flower shows in the world.
Chelsea - a catalyst for change
Let’s get the plastic out of funeral floristry
Beyond this project, we are involved in other sustainability efforts across the funeral sector, from promoting green burial options to reducing energy consumption in crematoria. But the work must continue. In the next five years, we would like to see a widespread move away from floral foam, greater transparency in funeral choices, and broader awareness of the environmental impact of traditional funerals.
We believe this display at Chelsea can be a powerful catalyst for that change. By inspiring florists, families, and funeral professionals alike, it can help shift perceptions and create a new standard – one where funeral flowers are as kind to the Earth as they are meaningful to the heart.
The Farewell Flowers Directory would like to thank the ICCM for its generous support in making our RHS Chelsea Flower Show display possible.
We’d also like to thank
The Green Funeral Flowers Online Course by Tuckshop Flowers
for their sponsorship of our display.