Make arrangements in advance

Pre Paid Funeral Plans

A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance. A plan allows you tospecify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. As customersoften tell us, that can bring peace of mind to you and your family. A plan from Golden Charter alsoincludes an allowance towards third party costs. These are essential, non-funeral director servicessuch as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service.

At N. E. Downing (Blackheath) Ltd., we work in partnership with Golden Charter to provide you witha simple way to plan ahead. As one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers, Golden Charter has helped nearly 1 million people to plan ahead, so we’re completely confident in offering their plansto you.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans we offerare as flexible as possible. When you get in touch, we’ll be happy to discuss your funeralrequirements and tailor a plan to suit you. Rest assured a plan from Golden Charter is available to allUK residents regardless of age or state of health.

What’s Included in a Golden Charter Plan

A plan allows you to:

Specify your personal wishes and preferences in advance.
Pre-pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan.
Receive an allowance towards third-party costs, such as cremation or burial fees, and the minister or officiant’s fee for the service.

The allowance included in your plan may grow over time. There will only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if the third-party costs exceed the allowance at the time you buy your plan, or if those costs rise faster than the plan’s growth.

View our plans

How does it work

Step 1

Talk to us

Your first step is simply to start a conversation. We’ll sit down with you, either at one of our branches or in the comfort of your home, to talk about your wishes and what’s important to you. There’s no obligation or pressure, just honest, caring advice.

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Step 2

Choose your plan

Together, we’ll look at the different types of funeral plans available. Whether you’d prefer a simple, direct service or something more traditional, we’ll help you understand what each option includes and tailor it to your preferences.

Step 3

Fix the cost

Once your plan is agreed, you’ll secure today’s prices for the services included, protecting against rising costs in the future. We’ll explain all costs clearly and transparently, so you know exactly what’s covered and what’s not.

Step 4

Record Your wishes

We’ll make sure every detail is carefully recorded, from the type of service to any personal touches such as music, readings, or flowers. These records are kept safe with us, ready to be carried out exactly as you intended.

Step 5

Share with loved ones

We’ll encourage you to share your plan details with your family or next of kin, so they’re aware of your arrangements when the time comes. This helps reduce stress and uncertainty for them later on.

Step 6

Peace of mind for the future

With everything in place, you can rest assured that your wishes will be honoured and your family supported when the time comes. You’ll have the comfort of knowing that your arrangements are settled, and that those you love will have one less worry to face.

Why choose N.E. Downing

At N.E. Downing, every plan is handled by people who care deeply about doing things the right way. As a family-run, independent funeral directors, we offer:

Personal guidance

Real conversations, not call-centre scripts.

Clarity and transparency

No hidden costs or confusing small print.

Local trust

Decades of service to families across the West Midlands.

Ongoing support

We’re always here if you wish to review or adjust your plan.

Why Choose a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan?

Peace of mind, knowing that your arrangements are taken care of.
Financial security, pay at today’s prices and protect against future cost increases.
Personal choice, create a funeral that reflects your life, values, and wishes.
Support for loved ones, relieve your family of difficult decisions during an emotional time.

Would you like to know more about how a Golden Charter funeral plan could work for you?
We can provide clear, honest information to help you make the best decision for you and your family.

¹ Based on a Golden Charter analysis and independent research of the funeral plan market size as at December 2024.
² Correct at September 2024.

N.E. Downing (Blackheath) Ltd., also trading as J.T. Brookes & Co., J.R. Jones & Co., and T. Hadley & Co., is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited, trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 965279).

As an independently owned funeral director, we’ll take the time to understand your wishes andtailor a plan to suit you. We can discuss these at our premises or in your home, at a time that isconvenient for you. If you’d prefer to discuss this over the phone or via email, we can assist with thistoo. You can tell us about any preferences you have in mind – the type of funeral you would like tohave, hymns, music or any other personal touches – and we’ll make sure your plan takes these intoaccount.

Our funeral director’s services will be covered in your funeral plan, which means our fees will be fixed at today’s prices and protected against rising costs. These services typically include:

Professional services and making arrangements for the funeral
Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to our premises, chapel of rest or
other suitable location
Care of the deceased and preparations for family viewing if requested
Advice on the certification and registration of death and related documentation
Provision of funeral vehicles
Advice on bereavement counselling
Coffin or casket requested

Although a pre-paid funeral plan can cover all of the services above, there are some additional third party costs to consider. These are the costs for essential, non-funeral director services required to carry out a cremation or burial which need to be paid at the time of the funeral. These costs are outside our control. Depending on the plan type chosen, a Golden Charter funeral plan can include a contribution towards some third party costs. They may include:

Crematorium fee
Minister or officiant’s fee
Cemetery fee: the opening of a new or existing grave for burial or interment of cremated remains

Other third party costs that may be associated with a funeral include:

Purchase of grave or lair
Hire of church or other venue
Fees for organist or soloist
Memorial, such as a headstone, entry in a book of remembrance, or the planting of a tree
Catering, floral tributes and newspaper announcements

There will only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if the third party costs exceed the allowance when you buy your plan, or if the costs increase by more than the growth of your plan.

However, even if prices rise in the future, you’ll have the reassurance of knowing there’ll be nothing more to pay for our funeral director’s services included in the plan once your plan is fully paid for – guaranteed.

With a Golden Charter funeral plan, you can pay for your plan in several ways. Spread the cost ormake a one-off payment – simply choose the one that’s right for you. We will provide you with theinformation you need to make an informed decision.

The retail price of your funeral plan is representative of the equivalent cost of a funeral today plusan arrangement fee of £325 which is retained by Golden Charter to help cover the costs of setting upyour plan.

Your payments are held within the Golden Charter Trust. With almost £1.21 billion undermanagement3, the Trust is operated by a Board of Trustees, completely independent of GoldenCharter. Their role is to hold your payments and ensure that the funeral director services in yourplan can be paid for at the time they are required – however far into the future that may be. Formore information on how your payments are protected, please visit goldencharter.co.uk/faqs

As a Golden Charter plan holder, you’ll receive personalised plan documents, which include asummary of your plan, our details, your plan holder certificate and a personal membership card foryou to carry in your purse or wallet. You can add a nominated representative to your plan if you wish to do so. Your nominated representative will receive a letter which will provide details of your planand our details, as your chosen funeral director. They will have no authority to make changes to your plan.

You’ll also receive a statement from Golden Charter every three years which will be sent via post.

As your funeral director, we’ll hold full details of your funeral plan. When the time comes, onephone call is all it takes to activate your plan and get the arrangements underway.

Ready to take the next step? Get in touch today

As well as the comfort of having a plan in place, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with being able to help save your family from worry and expense in the future. So why not take the next step?

Alternatively, if you would prefer to view or buy a plan online, please click below to explore the options.

Buy a Funeral Plan

If there are no plans available online that suit your needs or you’d like a burial plan, please contact us on 01384 77098 and we can tailor a funeral plan to your specific requirements.

1 Based on a Golden Charter analysis and independent research of the funeral plan market size as of
December 2024

2Correct at September 2024.

3Confirmed by Golden Charter Trust’s audited accounts at 31 March 2024.

N. E. Downing (Blackheath) Ltd.is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter
Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).

Should a Funeral Director have a Legal Entity name which is different from their trading name, the
Legal Entity name must be mentioned in the disclosure as follows:

N. E. Downing (Blackheath) Ltd. trading also as J. T. Brookes & Co. J. R. Jones & Co. & T. Hadley & Co. is an appointed
representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated
by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).

Blackheath (N.E. Downing) Blackheath (T. Hadley) Brierley Hill Kingswinford Hagley Dudley Gornal

Branches

Proud to serve our communities

Over the years, N.E. Downing has grown to bring together some of the region’s most respected funeral directors, with branches across the Black Country and West Midlands. Each branch carries its own history and trusted reputation, united by the same family values of dignity, care, and compassion.

Wherever you visit us, you will find the same warm welcome, the same personal service, and the same commitment to supporting you and your family when it matters most.

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