Category: In the News
Dogs With Jobs: The schnauzer helping people through grief
13 December 2024 - The Post
Henry the schnauzer has an important job – helping comfort people who have just lost someone they love.
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Whanganui funeral home converts Harley Davidson motorbike into hearse for coffin
11 December 2024 - NZ Herald
A Whanganui funeral home’s converted Harley Davidson motorcycle is being used as a hearse by families to give loved ones a final ride to their resting place.
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Grief research reveals impact of loss during festive season
10 December 2024 - Northland Age
While the data in the research was fairly consistent across the country, President of the Funeral Directors Association, Andrew Malcolm, said Northland was unique because of its large Māori population.
There is a large percentage of Māori families in Northland, and they tend to go back to tangihanga and they say that it has a positive impact on the grief journey.
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Coping with grief through Christmas
29 November 2024 - Breakfast TV1
Gillian Boyes, CEO of the Funeral Directors Association, and Katrina King, General Manager of the Grief Centre, discussed the results of the National Grief Survey on TVNZ Breakfast this morning.
Bereaved families should understand rules if considering Mausolea interment
23 November 2024 - Tagata Pasifika
Charges of misconduct against a former funeral director prompt a warning from the Funeral Director’s Association of New Zealand over mausolea interment.
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Funeral directors reject allegations of predatory behaviour
7 November 2024 - Waikato Times
“We strongly refute allegations of predatory behaviour in our industry,” Gillian Boyes, chief executive of the Funeral Directors’ Association told MPs. Boyes was in Parliament to push back on claims made by Fergus Wheeler from Death without Debt, who is urging reforms to the country’s outdated funeral system, telling them it gave funeral directors a lucrative monopoly on death.
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Repatriating Wellington assault victim Luke Smith: Costs and administrative 'minefield'
15 October 2024 - RNZ
Funeral Directors Association CEO Gillian Boyes said she could not speak to the specific case, but the cost of repatriation - to or from New Zealand - could vary wildly. She said the starting point was about $10,000 and typically increased with distance.
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