Carlisle retains ‘UK best’ award, again

(Date of issue: Thursday, 2 October 2008)

Carlisle’s Cemetery has been singled out as the best in UK, for a record breaking third year running.

Carlisle City Council, who owns and manages the facility, collected the award for Best Cemetery (over 15 acres) award at the Institute of Cemetery and Cremation Management (ICCM) Annual Conference, held in Warwickshire on Tuesday night (30 September). In total the Richardson Street based facility have won the award four times over the past 10 years.

The awards, now in their 11th year, were devised to raise standards in Management services, customer care and burial grounds and reward those who work hard to maintain our local burial sites. The competition also aims to increase public awareness of the importance a cemetery can play within a community and encourages cemeteries to give the public more choice, whilst working within the parameters of what is safe to put up in a cemetery.

Carlisle City Cllr Ray Bloxham, Portfolio holder for Environment & Infrastructure, said:

"The Cemetery provides a top quality service for the local community and the staff deserve all the plaudits they receive. To be singled out as the best in the UK, for the third year running, recognises the excellence displayed on a day to day basis and through the hard work of all the staff. I'd like to be the first to pass on my congratulations."

Carlisle Cemetery celebrated its 150th anniversary in October 2005 and was the first in the UK to offer a woodland burial option, in 1993. This continues to be available along with traditional burials.

A new Babies’ Memorial Garden opened at the Richardson Street Cemetery last year. Carlisle City Council invested £8,000 in the new garden and worked with Columbaria, a specialist memorial company, to create the new features