The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)
Harold White holds membership of two respected funeral associations, and they complement one another. The NAFD is the largest body in the profession nationally, while SAIF, the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, speaks specifically for independent firms like ours. Being answerable to both means our work is judged against the standards of the wider profession and the values of independent family businesses alike.
What is the NAFD?
The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) is the oldest and largest trade association in the UK funeral profession, and is often described as the voice of the profession. Founded in 1905, it represents funeral directors across all four nations of the United Kingdom, speaking up for both funeral firms and the families they serve. Its membership spans the entire spectrum of the profession, from small independent and family-run firms through to co-operatives and large national groups, with more than 4,000 funeral homes in membership. As a fifth-generation, independent family business caring for East London and Essex since 1888, we’re proud to take our place among them while keeping the personal, community-rooted service that has defined us for over 135 years.
How does NAFD membership protect families?
NAFD membership means our standards are independently checked, rather than simply taken on trust. Every member must abide by the Funeral Director Code, which was developed in consultation with both the funeral sector and consumer organisations. Many of its requirements — including transparent pricing, professional education and a commitment to equality — sit alongside the recommendations made by the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA).
Importantly, the NAFD doesn’t simply take a member’s word that these standards are being met. Its own Inspectorate carries out regular checks on firms like Harold White, including physical on-site inspections with written reports, desk-based reviews (such as checking the information published on member websites) and targeted mystery shopping. This kind of ongoing, independent scrutiny is exactly what any family should expect before trusting a funeral director with something so important.
If you’re ever unhappy
NAFD members are covered by NAFD Resolve, an independent dispute resolution service run in conjunction with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR). We always hope that every family is happy with the care they receive, but it’s right that you should have somewhere independent to turn if you’re not. Separately, the NAFD’s Committee for Professional Standards considers wider concerns about a member’s conduct. Together they mean that any complaint is dealt with fairly and impartially, by people who are entirely independent of us.
More than just standards
The NAFD’s role reaches beyond its members. It campaigns and advises on a broad range of funeral and bereavement issues, helping to shape policy across the UK, and it invests heavily in education and training to raise standards across the whole profession. There’s even a free repatriation helpline to call upon should a loved one pass away abroad and need to be brought home, another example of the support that membership puts at our fingertips, and yours.
Care you can count on
At the heart of everything is a simple promise: to look after your loved one, and you, with genuine care. The NAFD’s standards and inspections are how that promise is kept honest — checked by people outside our family business, so you don’t just have to take our word for it. If you’d like to talk anything through, you’ll always find a real person at the end of the phone.
Get in touch or arrange a call back
You can call us anytime on 0208 529 1530 or send us a message and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. Please let us know if you’d prefer to receive an email rather than a telephone call (or vice versa).
