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We view the of the Funeral Officiant’s Authority as genuinely beneficial and reassuring. Having an independent register in place provides great value in safeguarding families and gives us, as funeral directors, extra confidence and security — knowing that those we work with are aligned with a recognised organisation such as the FOA. It seems very likely that we will see greater regulation across our profession in time, and developments like this represent another important, positive step forward in building public trust and raising standards for everyone.
We at C.J.Reilly believe that the Funeral Officiant Authority will play an essential role in strengthening the profession. We believe their commitment to raising standards and supporting officiants in their practice will make a meaningful difference, helping practitioners become better prepared, more confident, and equipped to deliver services with consistency and care.
We also feel that the reassurance the FOA will offer families during life’s most difficult moments will be invaluable. Their focus on compassionate, reliable, and respectful support will bring genuine peace of mind to those who depend on officiants at times of loss. We feel this will reflect a level of integrity that will elevate the profession across the funeral industry.
For these reasons, the Funeral Officiant Authority will have our full support as they continue advancing this important mission.
“As a funeral director with 20 years in this profession, and having served as President of the London Association of Funeral Directors, I’ve seen first-hand how much trust families place in the people who conduct their loved one’s final farewell. That trust has to be earned, and it has to be protected.
For too long, anyone could call themselves a funeral officiant with no checks, no accountability, and no standards to uphold. The Funeral Officiant Authority changes that. An independent register, proper DBS checks, and real accountability aren’t bureaucracy for its own sake, they’re basic safeguarding for grieving families at their most vulnerable moment.
I’m proud to support the FOA, and I’d encourage every funeral director who cares about the standing of our profession to do the same. Families deserve nothing less than officiants they can trust completely.”
"Gary Valentine-Fuller Dip FAA, Dip FD"
My name is Lauren Morgan and alongside my husband Rhys we have over 30 years' experience within the funeral profession and have successfully run our own funeral home for 15 of these years.
We are passionate about what we do and believe that all grieving families should receive the utmost support at their time of loss and the fact that the industry lacks a government enforced licensing regime is quite honestly shocking, this is one of the many reasons why the FOA has our full support.
We have known the founders of The Funeral Officiants Authority on a professional and personal basis for many years and their knowledge of the industry is what has driven them to introduce the FOA and to ensure that every celebrant and family they support has somewhere to go - for celebrants the work they do can be overwhelming and this will be a place of support and guidance all under one umbrella, this is just some of the many benefits that will be available to them - and for families it is knowing that whoever is coming into their home and supporting them at this vulnerable time is also a professional, it will also give families the option of choosing their own celebrant or seeing their profile rather than relying on their chosen funeral director, something that rarely happens currently. Unfortunately, because our industry does not have regulations in place there is no possible way of checking that a celebrant meets the strict industry standards required. Creating this register will alleviate so many worries from lots of grieving families.
As Funeral Directors the FOA is an absolute necessity, we are held in a position of trust by our families and need to know that who we are appointing to support them as their celebrant meets all the expectation's needed from them. For too long now the Funeral Director has been held accountable for a celebrant's behaviour when things have sadly gone wrong, the register now protects them and supports the family if sadly this happens. The board appointed by the FOA as their governing body will be the resolution panel dealing with such occurrences again giving further support and security
The Funeral Officiant Authority is becoming such a vital asset for funeral directors across the UK.
We work in an industry where you carry the ultimate responsibility for a family's experience, so having a reliable benchmark for vetting officiants mitigates risks and enhances our service delivery.
The service itself is such an important part of the funeral and it is essential that we find the right officiant to best deliver that service and meet the needs and wishes of the family. The FOA allows us to delegate the officiating with absolute peace of mind, leaving us to focus on the logistics and care of the family.
At Lilley Funeral Directors, we are proud to support the FOA and its mission to promote professionalism, integrity and high standards among funeral officiants. We believe every bereaved family deserves the very best care, and that includes having complete confidence in the quality and professionalism of the officiant leading the funeral service for their loved one. Supporting the FOA will also allow us, as funeral directors, to recommend officiants with complete confidence, knowing they share our commitment to providing the highest standards of care, compassion and support.
We are delighted to support the FOA's work in raising standards, encouraging professional development and helping to strengthen trust across our profession. By working together, we can help ensure that families and communities receive the exceptional care and service they deserve at one of life's most difficult times.