Community Activities
Long-established West Yorkshire funeral firm A N Abraham celebrated the opening of its new funeral home in Hemsworth by extending its support for a renowned local brass band.
The firm, which was established in South Elmsall in 1993, the year the local Frickley Colliery closed, has a three-year sponsorship agreement with the successful Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band.
To mark the opening of the nearby Hemsworth branch earlier this year, A N Abraham decided to donate £50 to the band for each pre-paid Choice plan it sold during the opening period.
At the Service of Dedication for the new branch’s Chapel of Rest, the band was presented with a cheque for £2,050.
The Service and official opening was attended by more than 20 staff, band representatives and local dignitaries, including four ministers, local councillor and former AN Abraham employee Mr Wilf Benson, and retired AN Abraham founder Arthur Abraham.
Mr Abraham said: “I’m proud to see that the staff, who are all local to our area, are continuing to give a high level of service to our local community, with which we have a long history and association.”
A N Abraham Funeral Directors Brett Benton and Tony Daley are supported by Funeral Arrangers Chris Whitehouse and June Patton at the new Kirkby Road premises. Chris said: “It was lovely to welcome members of our community to our new branch, including Father Robert Hart from St Helen’s Church who led the service, and Father Timothy Kaye from South Kirkby.”
Brett Benton said: “We are supporting the community by providing more choice when it comes to funeral services in Hemsworth and are delighted to offer our high quality service and expertise to support people during what is a difficult time in their lives.”
Mr Benton and Mr Daley, who both live in South Kirkby, have a combined experience of around 35 years in the funeral industry. Both started as Funeral Service Operatives and progressed to Funeral Directors, with Mr Benton having joined A N Abraham straight out of college.
The company’s Regional Director Julian Hodgkinson said: “As a local firm, we are happy to support our local band, which has enjoyed considerable success in prestigious competitions. We hope our sponsorship and the substantial £2,050 donated from the sale of our Choice plans will help them to travel to national and international events.”