An East Midlands-based Funeral Directors has invested in inclusive training for its employees to help develop their skillset and better support the communities it serves.
M.A. Mills Funeral Service, which operates four funeral homes in the region, has committed itself to ensuring its staff, from Funeral Arrangers through to Funeral Directors, have the tools and knowledge needed to support the diverse community in the region.
Funeral Arranger Kaitlan Thompson has completed training with GIRES (Gender Identity Research Educational Society) to enhance her understanding of arranging funerals for the Transgender community. The programme gave attendees practical tools, from embalming and dressing, and the necessary knowledge to navigate the process with confidence.
Kaitlan is committed to ensuring there is sufficient information and understanding both within the funeral industry and for the Transgender community, to provide assurance that their wishes will be carried out when they pass away.
It comes amid an increasing need to best support the growing Transgender community in the East Midlands and beyond. With the 4,780 hate crimes recorded motivated by Transgender identity recorded by police in England & Wales in the year ending March 2024[1], it is essential that organisations in every industry are actively taking steps to ensure everyone – regardless of gender – is best supported.
Kaitlan said: “It can be difficult to think ahead and plan for what might happen when we pass away for anyone, but particularly those, such as members of the Transgender community, who have concerns around what their funeral will look like if they aren’t there to make any decisions.
“There are several ways this can be managed, one of which is a pre-paid funeral plan, which allows a person to make all the key decisions on the type of funeral they like, but also note down any specific requests, such as preferred names and gender. Alongside this, making a will including your funeral plans and appointing a trusted executor can provide a further safety net.
“However, if either of these options isn’t possible, even a document detailing your wishes, with your signature at the bottom, can provide enough information for a Funeral Director to arrange a funeral in line with your preferred choices and can provide vital peace of mind.”
Kaitlan emphasised the importance of taking the time to research and pick which Funeral Directors you wish to use if opting for a pre-paid plan. The majority, including M.A. Mills, are bound by a code of practice through a professional body such as The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) or the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), which means those who use their services can be assured that the details of the funeral plan will remain confidential.
With the Transgender community most prevalent in the 16-28 demographic, Kaitlan believes it is essential that Funeral Directors start now in best understanding the process.
She added: “While currently Transgender funerals are fairly infrequent, we suspect this won’t be the case in even 10 years. We believe everyone deserves a funeral that reflects who they are and how they identify, and therefore it’s our responsibility to ensure we are best equipped to support and guide everyone we serve and give them rightful peace of mind at such a difficult time.”
M.A. Mills operates four funeral homes across the East Midlands. In January 2025, the business – which was acquired by A.W. Lymn The Family Funeral Service in late 2023 – expanded its offering in the region. Three former A.W. Lymn funeral homes in Allenton, Contmanhay and Aspley, were rebranded to M.A. Mills to offer a streamlined service for funeral care, with the same values and mission to provide compassionate, professional and family-focused care. The original M.A. Mills Radcliffe-On-Trent branch has remained in operation.
[1] https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-02-21/32361?
