Veterans Funerals
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Rounce Funeral Services are a Recommended Supplier of Ex-Service Funerals, working closely in association with Veterans Bereavement Support for the benefit of ex-service men and women including the Merchant Navy and reservists.
5.0
based on 76 Google reviews
What our customers say
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Ian R Palmer
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At such difficult times when grief can become overwhelming families and loved ones need to be surrounded themselves in love and kindness. Janet and Chris played a major part in ensuring the family received the love and kindness to ease the pain of our loss and supported us through life celebration as we all said our farewells to our beloved dad, (Norman H J Ford), in August of 2017.
From the moment we entered the Rounce Directorship we felt calm and uplifted, there was a brightness and assurance that Dad’s Service would be the joyous celebration of his life that we so wished for. The choice of Bishop Tom Bodkin to be our celebrant was inspirational, the Service was beautiful and delivered with care and a true feeling of who our dad was, the life he had lived and what he meant to the family.
We thank Janet, Chris and the team at Rounce’s and Paul and the volunteers of Veterans Bereavement Support for the motorcycle outriders and Standard bearers which made Dad’s Service an ever greater tribute to a great dad, grandad, great grandad and great-great grandad.
Thank you all again
Tom, Andy, Eric, Cathy & Judy... and all the wider Ford family.
Veterans Bereavement Support
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Veterans Bereavement Support are a not for profit community organisation working for the benefit of those who have served in the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy and also for their families, by providing advice and support to families throughout the year and also run support services and a national helpline.
Your Ceremonial funeral?
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We believe that everyone who has served in the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy, including National Service and Reservists should be able to have a ceremonial funeral that reflects their service to the Country if they so wish.
At no cost to you or your family we will make all the arrangements for you to have a ceremonial funeral according to your own wishes. This can include:
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Standard Bearers slow march in front of the cortege
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A bugler for the act of remembrance (subject to availability)
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Coffin Drape for your service/regiment
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Guard of Honour of Veterans
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Medals on ceremonial cushion on coffin
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Cap or Beret placed on coffin
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Letter of condolence from the regiment for your family
Formal Partnerships
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Veterans Bereavement Support are formally partnered with the Royal Naval Association, the Royal Marines Association, the Submariners Association and the 100 members groups of the Conference of Naval Associations. They also work with many Ex-Service organisations as their preferred point of contact.
They have a National Database of Ex-Service Groups, Standard Bearers, Service Associations and support so that we can access this at the time of need to provide a ceremonial funeral across the whole of Sussex and beyond.
We also have a growing network of Ministers and Celebrants who specialise in services of Veterans and we can also raise awareness of Veterans Funerals on your behalf and contact the service organisations for you - just give us the details:
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Regiment Served
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Dates of Service
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Service Number if possible
Social Fund payments for Veterans and the Veterans Pension Fund
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Veterans Bereavement Support have opened a dialogue with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) regarding faster payments from the Social Fund for funerals and have also asked them to look at releasing a lump sum at the time of need from the Veterans Pension Fund to assist with the Funeral Costs. They have also made representations in Parliament for greater scope of the Armed Forces Covenant to include Funeral care and they are proud to be corporate members of the Covenant.
Custodians of the Veterans Fund
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Veterans Bereavement Support are also the custodians of the Veterans Fund, which they have created and which is managed by representatives from the services. It is available as a top up for funerals of those who have served and genuinely cannot access enough finance to ensure that the basic dignified funeral is conducted.
The Veterans Fund will also be available to ensure that no one has to have a non-attendance Paupers Funeral whether they pass without any provision for a funeral or have no family to make the arrangements. We believe firmly that anyone who has served our Country should be given a dignified funeral and the Veterans Fund will be able to help make this happen. In time it is hoped that this will stop the need for the ongoing requests in the media for donations to pay for a veteran's funeral and we hope that people will be able to donate to the fund online on an ongoing basis at http://remember.veterans.muchloved.com/
Summary
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How Rounce Funeral Services working with Veterans Bereavement Support can benefit Ex-Service men and women including the Merchant Navy and Reservists.
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We will provide a one-stop service for contacting ex-service organisations for the attendance of standard bearers, guards of honour, regimental drapes and wreaths and a letter of condolence from the regiment to the surviving relative. Just advise us of the regiment served, dates of service and service number and we will do the rest for you using our extensive lists of contacts.
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If an ex-service person passes away without any family or means for a full funeral, we will work with the dedicated team from the Veterans Funeral Fund to offer contributions towards the cost of the disbursements to enable the funeral to take place in a dignified manner. All we ask is a thank you in any publicity. If there is a local fundraising campaign to top up the required costs for the funeral to take place then any surplus would be greatly received to the Veterans Fund for future occasions. The fund is subject to funds being available.
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We can design and print order of service booklets for you and send a copy to you for approval - these include regimental crests, photographs, service content and details of the post funeral reception etc.
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We can access celebrants and ministers who have experience of ex-service funerals and can adapt the services to be religious or non-religious, dependent on the requests of the family.
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We can access regimental wreaths from national resources and contacts with regimental associations.
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We have access to a dedicated online garden of remembrance for those who have passed and we will happily create a memorial page for your loved one and any donations can also be directed through the page direct to the charity. The page becomes the control of the family after being created and is alive for as many years as they would like.
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Rounce and Veterans Bereavement Support
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In 2016, on a visit to Rounce Funeral Services in Worthing, the Founder of the Veterans Bereavement Support was able to present the staff with a certificate of appreciation for the high standards achieved in delivering funerals for those who have served in the Armed Forces over the years and by offering more affordable prices as a mark of respect for their service to Queen and Country over the years.
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Commenting on the achievements of Rounce Funeral Services, Founder of the Veterans Bereavement Support, Paul Burrows-Gibson said:
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Paul Burrows-Gibson
Founder of the Veterans Bereavement Support
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"I have seen first-hand the level of dedication shown by Chris Rounce, Jan Rounce, Tara and Penny to meet the wishes of families who have lost a loved one who served in the Armed Forces during periods of conflict. They have ensured that the relevant service history has been incorporated into the funeral service along with going the extra mile with the attendance of Uniformed members of The Forces, standard bearers and buglers, which is no mean feat and also the attendance of outriders has enabled the serviceman's final journey to be dignified and memorable. I have no hesitation in bestowing the award on the whole team at Rounces and in appointing them as one of the first highly recommended funeral directors in the UK".
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