Registering a death in Calderdale on a weekend or bank holiday is now easier after the introduction of a Community Registrars service.
Previously an out of hours on call service was operated by the registration service between 10am and 12noon on Sundays and bank holidays, for people who needed a quick registration to enable a burial or cremation to take place the same day.
After looking more closely at these arrangements, Calderdale Council agreed that pre-approved members of the community could undertake the task of issuing certificates for burial or cremation while the Register Office is closed, providing they had the necessary medical certificate of cause of death.
Once this certification has been supplied, the Registrars would be able to issue the paperwork for the funeral to go ahead. However, relatives will still need to contact the Register Office on the next working day to make an appointment to register the death.
This new, improved service has launched this week, with four volunteers from the Council of Mosques appointed as Community Registrars to assist people from all faith groups in Calderdale wishing to make funeral arrangements in line with their religious needs. The Community Registrars can be contacted between 10am and 6pm on 07940 541583.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, Cllr Susan Press, said:
“When a loved one dies it can be a difficult time for everyone involved, so we want to make the process of registering as simple as possible.
“By introducing a Community Registrars service, we are able to improve our existing service and provide more extensive weekend cover, increasing the hours of availability on Sundays and bank holidays from two to eight. This will assist those who are required for religious reasons to immediately register a death to allow burial or cremation to take place as soon as possible after death.
“I’d like to thank our new volunteers for assisting us with this new service and giving their time to make a difference to our communities.”