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Plan Ahead,
With Confidence and Clarity

Whether you’re considering a pre-paid funeral plan or simply want to document your wishes, we’re here to help you take the next step — on your terms, in your time.

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Why HL Hawes & Son

We have established a legacy of trust, honesty, and dependability for more than 175 years.

As an independent, family-owned funeral director, we prioritise understanding your unique wishes. We will work with you to tailor a funeral plan that incorporates every personal preference, from specific hymns or music to any other personal touches you desire.

These discussions can be held at our premises, in the comfort of your home, or over the phone or 
email, entirely at a time that suits your convenience. 

Golden Charter
Funeral Plans

A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance. A plan allows you to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. As customers often tell us, that can bring peace of mind to you and your family. A plan from Golden Charter also includes an allowance towards third party costs. These are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service. At HL Hawes & Son, we work in partnership with Golden Charter to provide you with a simple way to plan ahead. As one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers 1, Golden Charter has helped nearly 1 million people to plan ahead 2, so we’re completely confident in offering their plans to you. Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans we offer are as flexible as possible. When you get in touch, we’ll be happy to discuss your funeral requirements and tailor a plan to suit you. Rest assured a plan from Golden Charter is available to all UK residents regardless of age or state of health.

A plan to suit your needs

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

Payment options to suit you

With a Golden Charter funeral plan, you can pay for your plan in several ways. Spread the cost or make a one-off payment – simply choose the one that’s right for you. We will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision. The retail price of your funeral plan is representative of the equivalent cost of a funeral today plus an arrangement fee of £325 which is retained by Golden Charter to help cover the costs of setting up your plan. Your payments are held within the Golden Charter Trust. With almost £1.21 billion under management 3, the Trust is operated by a Board of Trustees, completely independent of Golden Charter. Their role is to hold your payments and ensure that the funeral director services in your plan can be paid for at the time they are required – however far into the future that may be. For more information on how your payments are protected, please visit goldencharter.co.uk/faqs

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.

Ready to take the next step? Get in touch today

Contact us: Get in touch with HL Hawes & Son to discuss
your funeral requirements.

Discuss options: Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans we offer are as flexible as possible.

Tailor a plan: We will help you tailor a plan to suit your specific needs.

Contact us

For further information please contact us on:

Email: enquiries@hlhawes.co.uk

Contact Number: 0208 550 4047

Golden Charter ‘Independent Way’ 
Pre-Paid Funeral Plan Brochure >
Buy A Pre-Paid Funeral Plan Online >

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

2 Correct at December 2025

3 Confirmed by Golden Charter Trust’s audited accounts at 31 March 2025.

Looking after you as a customer

As a Golden Charter plan holder, you’ll receive personalised plan documents, which include a summary of your plan, our details, your plan holder certificate and a personal membership card for you 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 plan and 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, one phone call is all it takes to activate your plan and get the arrangements underway.

Golden Charter – FAQ

Yes. Golden Charter plans are available to all UK residents, regardless of age or state of health. If you choose to pay by the instalment payment option then you must be 78 or under when you apply. There are no maximum or minimum age limits if choosing to pay by single payment or by 12 monthly payments.

Golden Charter will send you a plan documents folder with all the information about your plan, as well as a membership card. If you have opted to have a nominated representative for your plan, they will receive a letter shortly after you have purchased your funeral plan. This will advise that you have put a plan in place and provide details of your appointed funeral director. You will also receive a customer statement which will be sent to you every three years using your preferred method of contact.

If you cancel within 30 days Golden Charter will refund the payment you have made. For details of cancellation terms after 30 days of receiving our written acceptance, please see our separate Key Features Document.

If that happens, Golden Charter will contact you to discuss options to reallocate your plan to another funeral director near you.
You can tell us about any special wishes for your funeral when you apply. If these involve extra costs, you will be able to add these on to the total cost of your plan.
Your plan documents folder contains the contact details for your funeral director. When the time comes your family contacts the funeral director and quotes your plan number. The funeral director will then take care of your funeral arrangements.
If you intend to travel overseas, Golden Charter recommend that your travel or medical insurance policy includes cover for repatriation costs back to mainland UK. Your funeral plan covers the cost of transportation of the body from the relevant UK airport or port to the funeral director’s premises.
You can transfer the benefit of your funeral plan to a nominated family member or friend who dies before you, once the total cost of the plan has been paid. Any change of arrangements following such a transfer (for example, a change of address for the nominated family member or friend leading to increased transportation costs) may mean that you need to pay additional sums.
This will depend on the type of payment method you have chosen. Please refer to Golden Charter separate Key Features Document for more information.
Yes, you will be appointed as the plan holder’s representative, and Golden Charter will arrange for all correspondence to be sent to you.
Please let Golden Charter know you are moving so we can update our records. You will have the option to move your plan to a different funeral director, if required.

Choosing What’s Right for You

You may still be unsure if a pre-paid plan is right for you — and that’s perfectly normal.

We’ll help you:

  • Understand your options without pressure
  • Compare plan types and costs
  • Think through personal details and preferences
  • Decide how (or if) you’d like to take the next step

There’s no obligation — just honest guidance from a family-run team that’s helped generations plan with dignity and care.

Let’s Start the Conversation

It’s not about the end. It’s about peace of mind for the future.

Request a No-Obligation Appointment
Visit Your Local Office
Request a Call

Words from the
Families We’ve Helped

I highly recommend H L Hawes & Son
They were so kind and caring and supportive to my family, though this difficult time. I would personally like to thank all the staff but give a special thanks to Richard for everything he did for us . We wanted Dad to have a lovely send off and that's what he got
The team is lovely
Special thanks to Brett who guided the family during a difficult time and was on hand to deal with all requests & queries. He made the process seamless. We had a traditional Hindu funeral and they accommodated all our needs. Thank you
We would like to take the time to Thank You
Thank You all for the very professional and amazing way looked after the final stages for my cousin’s funeral and memorial service. Your attention was wonderful. From the funeral home to the celebrant and the printer of the Order of Service . Nothing was left out .
Sensitive and professional, also with other traditions/religions (e.g. Sikhism)
We cannot thank Richard, Marc and the team enough. Came highly recommended, would highly recommend.
H L Hawes recently conducted the funeral of my late father.
They were so helpful throughout the whole process, and provided such a professional service before and on the day. I especially want to thank Lorraine, for all her patience, understanding, and support. You were amazing. Thank you all for ensuring my father had such a good send off.
We used H L Hawes to handle my Mum's funeral. The friendly team led by Brett gave us a such a perfect day.
They were so efficient and sympathetic throughout the weeks leading up to the event and that made it so much easier for us. They thought of everything – and it all went off so smoothly without a hitch. It was all just as Mum would have wanted, full of dignity and respect. I have no hesitation in recommending them for outstanding service .
We used H L Hawes & Son for my little sister funeral. They was so professional, polite, understanding and respectful.
Their communication and organisation was so amazing. I cannot thank Brett and team enough and forever grateful for giving my sister an amazing send off.
Thank you to Brett and Richard for helping the family to organise our Mum's funeral.
Obviously this is a very emotional time and they were both on hand, with nothing too much trouble, enabling us to rightly celebrate our Mum's life with dignity but not at all stuffy. Mum would have been proud.

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