Announcing the winner of the APSE Cemeteries and Crematoria Innovation Award 2025

The winner was announced at the APSE Cemeteries and Crematoria Seminar at the National Memorial Arboretum on Thursday 1 May - celebrating outstanding local councils that use ideas and solutions to tackle the challenges facing their cemetery and crematoria services.  Presentations from the seminar can be viewed here.

Mo Baines, APSE Chief Executive, said: "This award recognises the excellent work that is happening in cemeteries and crematoria across the UK; contributing to the development of new initiatives, and of new working methods in their authority. Each finalist has made a substantial contribution to their service, catching the attention of their colleagues and managers and, most importantly, helping the local communities who use these vital services. Congratulations to all!" 

Winner

London Borough of Havering - Upminster cemetery extension

Finalists 

Derby City Council - Improving the customer experience

Rushcliffe Borough Council - Sustainable memorialisations 

Sefton Council - Collaborative working to provide a sustainable and supportive network for the bereaved

Walsall Council - Transforming for the future

ENDS

• Discover how your local authority cemetery and crematoria teams can benefit from APSE membership. Get in touch with Principal Advisor Victoria Hacking on [email protected]
• The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) is a not-for-profit local government body working with over 300 councils throughout the UK. Promoting excellence in public services, APSE is the foremost specialist in local authority frontline services and operates one of the UK’s largest research programmes in local government policy and frontline service delivery matters.