Falkirk call centre worker's career move to help people deal with death of loved ones

After working at Sky TV in Livingston for over 20 years, Laura Anderson is now putting her vast experience of building relationships with total strangers to better use, helping people say goodbye to their loved ones.

Laura, who is now a trainee funeral arranger with Falkirk Co-op Funeralcare, said: “Joining Sky all those years ago was a great experience for me and I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity because it truly opened my eyes as to what I value in a job, which is to build relationships with clients.

“I wanted to move into more of a caring role and was always intrigued by the funeral sector and helping bereaved families.”

Laura applied for the job at Sky TV straight after school and began working there when she was just 17, steadily progressing through the ranks until she left to join Co-op Funeralcare almost a year ago.

She said: “When I first became a funeral arranger in September, I would never have imagined my training year would have come during a global pandemic. The last few months have been very challenging for us, but in this profession, you are hardwired to want to offer bereaved families exactly what they want for a funeral.

“The restrictions introduced had a huge impact on what we could offer our families, this was difficult for all of our colleagues. I have experienced so many people suffering loss who sadly have not been able to physically comfort each other at a time they need it most.”

Co-op Funeralcare offers an industry-leading training programme and welcomes applications from a diverse range of backgrounds. All Co-op ask is that applicants have a genuine desire to help people at the time they need it most

Laura said: “I feel proud my role as a funeral arranger has played an important part in comforting and supporting bereaved families at this time. This career change was definitely the right decision.

“My advice to anyone considering a career in the funeral industry is, if it gives you more fulfilment and a sense of purpose, you’ll never look back.”