Spring Contribution for Ash Interments

20% contribution available on selected plots for families who feel this may be the right time to make arrangements.

Grief – The Unwelcome Journey

Event Overview

“Grief is not a sign of weakness, but a sign that you cared”
– Dr. Bill Webster

Grief is a deeply personal journey, unique for each individual. Dr. Bill Webster BEM, Grief Counsellor, author and well-known international speaker, understands this not only through his decades of professional experience, but through his own personal losses.

After the death of his wife in 1983, and more recently his son, Dr. Webster came to understand grief in its rawest form. While others encouraged him to “let the healing begin,” he learned that true healing only starts when we allow ourselves to truly hurt – and that journey can take longer than expected.

With over 40 years of experience supporting people through grief, Dr. Webster offers a gentle reminder that grief isn’t something to “get over”. It is a natural response to love and loss – something that stays with us and changes us. Yet there are compassionate ways to help us adjust and find meaning in a changed world.

This April, GreenAcres welcomes back Dr. Webster to Rainford Park, for a free, in-person seminar designed to offer understanding, comfort and practical guidance.

A gentle, supportive session where Dr. Webster shares insights and personal strategies from his own grief journey. Discover what grief is, why it occurs, how it affects us and how we can begin to heal. He’ll explore the early emotions of grief, the importance of memories and finding meaning after loss.

We warmly invite you to attend and hear from someone who truly understands. 

All welcome. Free to attend but spaces are limited – early booking recommended.

Event Overview

Join us at GreenAcres Heatherley Park for an informal and interactive afternoon designed to help you plan ahead with confidence and clarity.

This relaxed event offers the opportunity to meet a range of trusted local professionals who can provide guidance and answer questions around future planning. Attendees will be able to speak with wills and estate planning specialists, including Lisa Hughes of Carson & Hughes, alongside representatives from Fox’s Folders, celebrants, funeral directors, florists, printers, memorial jewellery providers and I’m All Ears.

Throughout the afternoon, you’ll be able to take part in friendly, no-pressure conversations, enjoy light refreshments, and explore a few gentle activities and quizzes designed to help you reflect on your preferences in a relaxed and supportive setting.

Whether you are just beginning to think about planning ahead or simply want to learn more about the options available, this event offers a welcoming space to gather information at your own pace.

GreenAcres sponsors St Clare Hospice Lions on the Loose campaign in 2025, and GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks is delighted to announce our sponsorship of this inspiring community art trail. The campaign will help raise vital funds to support people living with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

At GreenAcres, our mission has always been to provide places of peace, reflection, and connection in nature for those experiencing loss. Likewise, St Clare Hospice shares this deep commitment and delivers compassionate care, dignity, and comfort at life’s most challenging moments. Through this partnership, GreenAcres sponsors St Clare Hospice Lions on the Loose as part of our wider commitment to community, care, and remembrance.

Lions on the Loose features a pride of spectacular, artist-designed lion sculptures across West Essex. Through this trail, the campaign celebrates creativity, community spirit, and the restorative power of nature. These values reflect the heart of everything we do at GreenAcres. Lions symbolise strength, courage, and guardianship. As a result, they provide a powerful emblem for remembrance and shared support throughout life’s journeys.

Christopher Koller, Managing Director at GreenAcres, said:

“We are incredibly proud to support St Clare Hospice through the Lions on the Loose campaign. Both of our organisations understand that moments of beauty, connection, and creativity can offer comfort during times of grief. By bringing art, nature, and community together, Lions on the Loose will inspire hope, spark joy, and raise essential funds for the incredible work St Clare Hospice delivers every day.”

Funds raised through the campaign will directly support St Clare Hospice’s vital services. In turn, this funding will help patients and their loved ones receive expert care, emotional support, and compassion when it matters most.

Through this partnership, GreenAcres is honoured to help create a legacy of kindness, remembrance, and connection. Ultimately, it reminds us that even in difficult times, community and nature can light the way forward.d.

GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks is delighted to announce our sponsorship of the Thames Hospice’s Trunks Across The Thames campaign in 2026 – a vibrant fundraising initiative that will help provide vital care and support for those facing life-limiting illness. 

At GreenAcres, our mission has always been to provide a place of peace, reflection, and connection in nature for those who are experiencing loss. Thames Hospice shares this deep commitment to supporting individuals and families in their darkest moments, offering comfort, compassion, and dignity when it matters most. 

The Trunks Across The Thames campaign, featuring beautifully decorated elephant sculptures displayed across the region, celebrates creativity, community spirit, and the healing power of nature – values that are at the very heart of what we do. Elephants are known for their strong bonds and enduring memories, making them a powerful symbol for remembrance and the support we give one another through life’s most difficult journeys. 

Christopher Koller, Managing Director at GreenAcres, said: 
“We are honoured to stand alongside Thames Hospice in this uplifting campaign. Both of our organisations understand that, in times of grief, moments of beauty and connection can provide strength and hope. By bringing art, nature, and community together, Trunks Across The Thames will touch hearts, raise essential funds, and remind us all of the resilience of the human spirit.” 

Funds raised through the campaign will directly support Thames Hospice’s essential work, ensuring that patients and their loved ones receive expert care, emotional support, and comfort in a compassionate environment. 

Through our partnership, GreenAcres is proud to help create a legacy of kindness, remembrance, and healing for our community – a reminder that even in the most challenging times, nature and togetherness can light the way forward. 

About GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks 

GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks is proud to announce the installation of Help & Hope benches – one in each of our beautiful six woodland and parkland sites – launching during National Grief Awareness Week (2-8 December 2025). 

This initiative, organised nationally by The Good Grief Trust, places special plaques on benches with a QR code that links directly to an umbrella service of over 900 charitable bereavement organisations and support services. 

Why this matters 
Grief support is central to GreenAcres’ mission of providing not just beautiful, natural spaces for remembrance, but an ongoing commitment to the emotional wellbeing of the bereaved. The Help & Hope bench programme demonstrates our belief that reaching out to those living with loss is as important as the ritual of the farewell itself. 

Each bench will be placed in a tranquil, accessible area of our Parks, enabling visitors to sit, reflect, remember – and if needed, to scan the QR code to instantly access guidance, resources and support from The Good Grief Trust. The campaign is part of the Trust’s broader Sit With Hope campaign for 2025, which aims to make bereavement support more visible and available to all.  

GreenAcres’ Commitment to Community 
By launching the Help & Hope benches in all our Parks during National Grief Awareness Week, GreenAcres reaffirms its role as a community partner in the long-term journey of remembrance and support. It reflects our belief that those experiencing loss deserve compassion, connection and a clear route to help – whenever they are ready. 

Details & Call to Action 

 

Quotes 
“Grief is deeply personal, and never ‘one size fits all’ and we are privileged to help amplify the work of The Good Grief Trust, bringing this accessible support into our nature-rich environments where people already come to remember and reflect. The addition of these benches signals that help and hope are closer than many realise – you don’t have to search far when support is part of your everyday surroundings” said Christopher Koller, Managing Director at GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks. 

About GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks 

GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks is thrilled to announce that two of its parks – GreenAcres Epping Park and GreenAcres Colney Park – were finalists at the AGFD Good Funeral Awards 2025, recognitions that reflect our ongoing commitment to community, connection, and support for those navigating loss. 

Spotlight on Epping Park: Community, Nature & New Growth 

GreenAcres Epping Park, a 52-acre venue set in woodland and parkland in Essex, has always taken an active role in serving its community and in shaping its landscape so that it does more than simply provide resting places – it offers natural beauty, reflection, and a place where memories can be both honoured and revisited.  

Over the past two years, Epping Park has made significant enhancements to its grounds to deepen that experience of connection: 

The design ethos – woodland glades, gardens, tranquil pathways – ensures that memorialisation feels personal and natural. It supports people in choosing memorials that reflect their loved one’s character and the grief journey they are on.  

These ongoing improvements show how Epping Park is investing in both the natural landscape and in people’s experience of remembrance. The award for Cemetery of the Year recognises not just beauty, but the lived value the Park provides: a place of solace, ritual, memory, and community. 

“We are deeply honoured that Epping Park has been named Cemetery of the Year,” said Christopher Koller, Managing Director of GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks. “For us, this win is about more than prestige—it’s about the thousands of moments of comfort, of quiet reflection, of connection that people find here. The enhancements such as the Serenity Garden reflect our belief that nature, ritual, and community are fundamental to helping people live with loss. We’re also so proud of Colney Park’s nomination – its Bereavement Café is a real lifeline and embodies the spirit of what we do.”

About GreenAcres & The Good Funeral Awards 

The Good Funeral Awards, run by the Association of Green Funeral Directors, recognise excellence in natural and eco-friendly funeral practices, bereavement support, and memorialisation. These awards celebrate organisations that go beyond the basics to help make the journey of grief more compassionate, personalised and connected. (Visit agfdgoodfuneralawards.co.uk.) 

GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks remain committed to providing tranquil, nature-rich memorial spaces, and bereavement support initiatives that allow families to create rituals, share memories, and heal in community. 

Event Overview

Mother’s Day is a time of joy for many, but for those who have lost a mum, mother figure, or child, it may also bring sadness.

We invite you to our Open House at Chiltern Park, Epping Park and Heatherley Park to remember those no longer with us. Take a moment to reflect in our Service Hall, light a candle and tie a memorial heart on our Remembrance Tree.

No booking required.

Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome!

Event Overview

Mother’s Day is a time of joy for many, but for those who have lost a mum, mother figure, or child, it may also bring sadness.

We invite you to our special Remembrance Service – a time to honour cherished memories, reflect, and remember those who are no longer with us. You will also have the opportunity to light a candle and tie a memorial heart on our Remembrance Tree.

Booking is advised, please register below.

Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome!

Event Overview

Mother’s Day is a time of joy for many, but for those who have lost a mum, mother figure, or child, it may also bring sadness.

We invite you to our special Remembrance Service – a time to honour cherished memories, reflect, and remember those who are no longer with us. You will also have the opportunity to light a candle and tie a memorial heart on our Remembrance Tree.

Booking is advised, please register below.

Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome!

Event Overview

Mother’s Day is a time of joy for many, but for those who have lost a mum, mother figure, or child, it may also bring sadness.

We invite you to our special Remembrance Service – a time to honour cherished memories, reflect, and remember those who are no longer with us. You will also have the opportunity to light a candle and tie a memorial heart on our Remembrance Tree.

Booking is advised, please register below.

Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome!

Event Overview

Cafés are held within the beautiful landscapes of our Parks where you can feel the uplifting and healing power of nature around you.

Our Bereavement Cafés are welcoming spaces where the topic of death is not a taboo, but an open and honest conversation. Here, you can say your loved one’s name, share your memories, and talk about your grief with others who truly understand.

For those not ready to share, Bereavement Cafés offer the opportunity to simply listen, to be in the presence of others navigating loss, and to find comfort in knowing you’re not alone.

These gatherings are not about fixing grief or rushing healing – they’re about creating a safe, compassionate community where every experience of loss is respected, and every story matters. Whether you come to talk, listen, or just be, you are warmly welcomed.

All are welcome. Free coffee and cake!

Event Overview

Cafés are held within the beautiful landscapes of our Parks where you can feel the uplifting and healing power of nature around you.

Our Bereavement Cafés are welcoming spaces where the topic of death is not a taboo, but an open and honest conversation. Here, you can say your loved one’s name, share your memories, and talk about your grief with others who truly understand.

For those not ready to share, Bereavement Cafés offer the opportunity to simply listen, to be in the presence of others navigating loss, and to find comfort in knowing you’re not alone.

These gatherings are not about fixing grief or rushing healing – they’re about creating a safe, compassionate community where every experience of loss is respected, and every story matters. Whether you come to talk, listen, or just be, you are warmly welcomed.

All are welcome. Free coffee and cake!

Event Overview

Cafés are held within the beautiful landscapes of our Parks where you can feel the uplifting and healing power of nature around you.

Our Bereavement Cafés are welcoming spaces where the topic of death is not a taboo, but an open and honest conversation. Here, you can say your loved one’s name, share your memories, and talk about your grief with others who truly understand.

For those not ready to share, Bereavement Cafés offer the opportunity to simply listen, to be in the presence of others navigating loss, and to find comfort in knowing you’re not alone.

These gatherings are not about fixing grief or rushing healing – they’re about creating a safe, compassionate community where every experience of loss is respected, and every story matters. Whether you come to talk, listen, or just be, you are warmly welcomed.

All are welcome. Free coffee and cake!

Event Overview

Cafés are held within the beautiful landscapes of our Parks where you can feel the uplifting and healing power of nature around you.

Our Bereavement Cafés are welcoming spaces where the topic of death is not a taboo, but an open and honest conversation. Here, you can say your loved one’s name, share your memories, and talk about your grief with others who truly understand.

For those not ready to share, Bereavement Cafés offer the opportunity to simply listen, to be in the presence of others navigating loss, and to find comfort in knowing you’re not alone.

These gatherings are not about fixing grief or rushing healing – they’re about creating a safe, compassionate community where every experience of loss is respected, and every story matters. Whether you come to talk, listen, or just be, you are warmly welcomed.

All are welcome. Free coffee and cake!