It has been an honour to help, support and comfort many Kent families over the last 75+ years and we would like to thank each and every one of our valued clients for their loyalty and hope to continue to serve for many more years to come. Free, expert, and impartial help & advice Tailor-made funeral arrangement to your specific needs, whatever they may be We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year We can visit you at home at no extra charge if you need us to Qualified in-house Bereavement Counsellor We have a deep commitment to providing a reliable, caring and above all, personal service to suit your specific needs We have a proven record and experience in providing high standard service since 1948 Our Funeral Directors are qualified members of the BIFD (The British Institute of Funeral Directors) and hold the Diploma in Funeral Directing – We currently have two Trainee Funeral Directors who are in the process of completing their Funeral Arranging and Administration Certificate from the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), who will then be doing their Diploma in Funeral Directing Tim Welch, the current Managing Director, is also a fully qualified embalmer and member of the BIE (British Institute of Embalmers) We are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) Alfred Welch, the ‘A’ of A. Welch & Sons, was born in 1876. Like his father and grandfather before him Alfred became a coachman. Alfred married Ellen Tritton and they had eight sons and two daughters. In time, five of the sons joined their father in business, and so A. Welch & Sons was born – carrying out household removals, taxi work and supplying horses, carriages, and coffin bearers to the four local Funeral Directors in Herne Bay. One of the sons, Harold, also assisted one of the funeral directors, initially with coffin making and later with arranging and conducting funeral services. When the sons returned from the second World War, and, in 1948 the family decided to undertake funeral arrangements in their own right alongside the other work the company was doing. Evolution When motor vehicles replaced the horse and carriage, our stables at Downs Park, Herne Bay, were converted into workshops, timer stores, and a Chapel of Rest. In 1960 the decision was taken to concentrate solely on funerals. Our premises were continually updated and improved. Refrigerated storage facilities and an embalming theatre were installed and we became the first fully equipped Funeral Directors in the Herne Bay, Beltinge, and Canterbury District. During the 70s we had four private viewing chapels and a private service chapel built. In 1994 we opened a second branch in Burgate, Canterbury. Premises Our premises undergo regular improvements and modernisation. 2012 saw the completion of an extensive refurbishment of our mortuary and chapel facilities. Our funeral vehicle fleet is regularly replaced, and we currently run a fleet of bespoke Hybrid Ford vehicles purchased in 2020.