The Society, a registered charity, not conducted for profit, was established in 1874. It is the pioneer of cremation in Great Britain and built and operated the very first crematorium for public use, in 1885 in Woking, Surrey. Since the Society's formation it has worked tirelessly to promote and establish the practice of cremation among all members of the community. It has aided both private enterprise and local authorities in the setting up of new crematoria and has pressed the Government departments concerned for developments in the law so that this rational, safe and dignified method of disposal of the dead might be practiced with the least possible restriction.
The Society was responsible for drawing up the forms of certification for cremation and these were later adopted as the basis for the first Cremation Act in 1902. As a direct result of its activities cremation now accounts for approximately 78% of all funerals in the British Islands. We publish a quarterly journal, Pharos International, which is read internationally by those in the bereavement sector. We also publish a monthly online news review, keeping readers up to date with all the latest news and developments from across the bereavement (and particularly the cremation) sector. We hold an annual conference, jointly with the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, which is a highly-regarded event within the sector and attacts top quality speakers and delegates. We attend regular meetings with various government agencies and working groups and are involved with ongoing development of codes of practice and other changes in practice.
