Frustrated by the lack of good natural burial grounds, we founded Back to Nature Burials first to establish and run our own site, and then to replicate our expertise and good practice nationwide. To do this, we are seeking to build partnerships with likeminded landowners and developers bringing benefits to all parties whilst conserving the land and protecting the environment.
Across the UK, traditional cemeteries and churchyards are running low on space, at a time when people are also seeking to limit their impact on the environment and looking for more meaningful and less polluting alternatives to one-size-fits-all cremations.
These factors have brought about a sharp rise in demand for natural burials and surveys indicate that around 10% of the UK population would choose a natural burial today if they could, and this number is likely to grow as environmentally-aware younger generations age. As the provision for this type of burial ground is still fairly limited across the country, with only 300 existing sites, not all meeting the highest standards, there is a real need for more well-run sites to meet a growing demand.
Our vision is to ensure that every part of the country has access to one of these sites, to enable people to choose a gold-standard natural burial should they wish to, and to enjoy the benefits of a more peaceful environment for a funeral, surrounded by nature and a beautiful place to visit the resting place of their loved one later on. As natural burial grounds utilise land that wouldn’t always be suitable for farming or conventional cemeteries and can be integrated into existing green spaces, our aim is collaborate with landowners seeking to diversify their land to create more burial grounds across the UK. Not only does this approach provide a new and viable alternative to traditional burials and cremations, but would also preserve precious rural spaces and contribute to enhancing biodiversity and wildlife across the country.
Jo owns and runs Albany Funerals Ltd, recognised as one of the best funeral providers in the UK by the Good Funeral Awards due to her pioneering approach. Her passion for providing options to people financially, emotionally and aesthetically in a sector previously dominated by traditional cremations and church burials set her apart from her contemporaries. This people-first attitude developed her interest in Natural Burials, which to date had few options in the UK. It is her opinion that this growing sector not only provides solace to people in their time of grief but helps preserve our beautiful landscape for future generations.
Hannah qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2012 and since grew her Kent based accountancy practice, Glengracie Accounting Solutions Ltd to great success. She has been working with Jo for more than ten years, all the while developing skills bespoke to this niche industry. Her friendship with Jo bolstered their vision for creating a new way of doing things- an accessible and beautiful place which can facilitate eco-friendly, natural burials for the whole community and beyond.
As the owner of Ellipsis Land & Planning Ltd, Stephanie brings extensive experience and a strong reputation for excellence in navigating the planning process. Her deep technical knowledge and clear strategic approach ensure projects move smoothly from concept to consent whilst supporting a sustainable and well-considered development. Combining this skillset with Hannah's business advisory and project management expertise provides the perfect partnership to work with Jo's deep knowledge and intuition for the sector.
If you have land that you think would be appropriate for natural burial, we can offer a consultation process to confirm this with zero financial outlay. From commencement to completion, we will guide you each step of the way culminating in the protection of your rural land that also provides you with an income with very few overheads from your side.
We will liaise with you throughout the consultation process to identify suitable land and agree a plan for the implementation and operation of site.
Once this is agreed, we will provide a written agreement outlining terms for both parties and providing the footprints for the next steps.
During the planning process, our Planning Director Steph takes the lead to ensure a smooth and efficient journey from start to finish. With her expertise and network of contacts, Steph manages this phase at no cost to the landowners, except for necessary disbursements. She leverages her experience to navigate through regulatory requirements, environmental considerations, and logistical challenges effectively with trusted third-party experts. Landowners can benefit from her knowledge and skills to streamline the development with minimal financial risk.
Once planning permission has been granted, we will guide you through the process of moving to implementation and assist you with any planning conditions that need to be discharged prior to opening of the site. As these are natural spaces, the preparation of the site for opening is fairly minimal, depending on planning conditions and usually involves the construction of a small car park and necessary landscaping in line with local planning requirements and grave mapping laid out in the landscaping plan. The landowner will arrange for these works to be carried out ready for handover on opening.
When the site is ready to open to the public, Back To Nature Burials will provide support to the landowner to operate the burial ground and manage the daily operational administration as set out below. The landowner can opt to use it’s own resources to manage the maintenance of the site, or we provide this for an extra cost.