SME News Southern Enterprise Awards 2023 | 60 as this, it hosts a support group that runs every two weeks and a yearly remembrance service. Hillier Funeral Service is deeply committed to its community and believes that it owes its successful century of operation to their continued support. Amidst the current cost-of-living crisis, it is more difficult than ever for people to donate to local causes. For this reason, to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the company has decided to give back to the people of Swindon by creating ‘The Hillier Community Fund’ to support local charities. The fund was set up with £100,000, which has already been used to donate to 15 charities. Alongside its commitment to its community, Hillier Funeral Service is also dedicated to the environment. The company is proud to be 95% paper free, having made a number of changes to its operations. Furthermore, in the last few months, Hillier Funeral Service has begun planting a tree for every funeral it conducts, which adds up to between 700 and 800 per year. To further reduce its carbon footprint, it also plans to only purchase hybrid or electric vehicles from now on. For the warmth, kindness, and care with which it delivers its services, Hillier Funeral Service has been awarded Most Compassionate Family-Run Funeral Services Provider in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2023. We congratulate the company on this exceptional achievement and wish it the best of luck in the years to come. Contact: Rebecca Hillier Company: Hillier Funeral Service Web Address: www.hillierfuneralservice.co.uk Most Compassionate Family-Run Funeral Services Provider 2023 Currently celebrating its 100th year of operation, Hillier Funeral Service is one of Wiltshire’s oldest familyowned independent funeral service providers. For four generations, the company has offered compassionate funeral care to families in Swindon and its surrounding areas, striving to help them make arrangements without unnecessary stress and hassle. Born in 1900, Harold Hillier served in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, operating De Havilland 9 A Bombers. After the war came to an end, he went on to work for the Great Western Railway, before establishing a building company at The Broadway in Rodbourne Cheney. While this venture was initially successful, growing into a team of 60 men who built many houses in the area, the depression days soon arrived, causing contracts to dry up. In 1923, Harold came to start his funeral service business when his cousin, a former undertaker, suggested that he try carrying out funerals. He set up an office in a house on Victoria Road, while the workshops, garage, and chapel of rest were located on The Broadway. Over the next several decades, Harold worked to build the business, before retiring in 1952. His son, Michael, took the reins, having joined the company in 1944. When Michael eventually retired in 1993, his own son, Mark, took over. Today, Hillier Funeral Service is run by Mark Hillier and his daughter, Rebecca, although Michael still shows an active interest in the company. Mark has successfully driven the business forward, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps by continuing to provide a highly personal and compassionate standard of service. He opened a third branch in 2018 and has worked to expand the range of services the company offers to keep up with the changing needs of Swindon’s grieving families. Now celebrating 100 years of operation, Hillier Funeral Service has worked with a number of different families with various needs, providing them with bespoke funeral services to meet any and all of their requests. No matter the tribute they decide on, big or small, the company’s experienced team vows to curate the perfect final farewell for their lost loved one. In the last few years, there has been an increase in demand for personalised funeral services, with special touches like floral tributes, service sheets, coloured clothing, and more. Many churches and crematoria now have TV screens, enabling families to display photos of their loved one. Hillier Funeral Service creates touching photo montages for clients and sets them to play with their chosen music during the funeral. With compassion at its core, Hillier Funeral Service is proud to offer every family four free counselling sessions with its in-house counsellor to help them deal with the difficult emotions that come with loss. As well
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