Heart of England Co-op Funerals Invests £1.5 Million in New Southam Facility

Development includes separate retail unit and three refurbished three-bedroom flats

GENERAL MANAGER – FUNERAL DIVISION
HEART OF ENGLAND CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY

The Heart of England Co-operative Society has brought more than 180 years of its award-winning expertise to Southam in the form of a new state-of-the-art funeral home.

Work has now been completed on a new £1.5 million development encompassing the funeral home – the 15^th in the Society’s network – as well as three refurbished, three-bedroom flats and a separate retail unit, all available to let.

Trading as The Co-operative Funerals the funeral home will cater for Southam and the surrounding areas, including Bishops Itchington, Long Itchington, Napton, Harbury, Ufton, Leamington Hastings, Offchurch, Chesterton and Ladbroke.

Work on the project started at the end of November and was scheduled for completion at the end of March but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Darryl Smith, General Manager of the Heart of England Co-operative Society’s Funeral Division, said as well as offering local families more choice the Society took the decision to expand the Funeral Division into Southam to further strengthen its links with the local community.

The new funeral home offers a modern and spacious feel, with client facilities including two chapels of rest and two consultation rooms, as wellas back-of-house facilities.

As well as the Funeral Division, the Heart of England Co-operative Society operates a Food Division, with a 35-strong network of Food stores.

The Society first opened a store in Southam in 1868 and its Coventry Street food store had a £507,000 refurbishment last year.

Darryl said: “These sizeable investments in our Food store and new funeral home, additional retail unit and three residential properties in Southam, is testament to our commitment to the people of Southam.

“While the town is already served by a well-respected and long-established funeral director it is our belief that offering choice is good for the client families in and around the area.”

The Society’s network of 15 funeral homes, which spans Coventry, Warwickshire, south Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, includes funeral homes in Leamington and Kenilworth.