Inspired by a chance encounter with the charity The Natural Death Centre, Rupert realised that being an undertaker was his vocation, and drawing on his experiences as a bereaved child, as well as running around the hospice where his mother worked, The Green Funeral Company’s radical ethos was formed almost instantly, and is constantly evolving ever since.

Rupert has also become an author and public speaker, editing the 5th edition of The Natural Death Handbook, and he and Claire Phillips have been written about in 9 non fiction books, and did a TED X talk together entitled, “Death, grief, ritual and Radical Funerals. Rupert started The Green Funeral Company in 1999, with no previous experience of the industry or family connections to the trade, but an awful lot of experience of bereavement at a young age, particularly the early death of his parents, and the unsatisfactory funerals that followed.

Rupert has written his own book Published the 15th September 2022.

What Remains? is a deeply moving book that will change the way readers think about life, death and the all-important end-of-life experience. As Ru memorably says, ‘Death has shown me unimaginable horror, the unbreakable core of love and courage that lies at the heart of what it means to be human.’
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Claire came to The Green Funeral Company in April 2021. Her background has been in Occupational Therapy and Home Care, supporting older people within the community.

These roles have given her an insight into the many faces of death and the experiences of those who approach it. Having attended many funerals held by Ru and Claire, and been inspired by their truth and ability to capture the true essence of the individual, she was honoured to join the company.