Why we are building a different kind of end-of-life business

By Zillah Byng-Thorne, Chief Executive, Life Services Group

Death is one of the few experiences that every family will face. Yet the services surrounding it remain remarkably fragmented.

Writing a will might involve one provider. Planning a funeral another. When somebody dies, their family can find themselves dealing separately with funeral directors, crematoria, probate services and numerous other organisations, often at a time when navigating even simple administration can feel overwhelming.

There is a better way to support people through this period of their lives.

That is behind the launch of Life Services Group, the new corporate identity for the business that many people will know as Dignity.

Dignity has an extraordinary heritage stretching back more than two centuries and remains at the heart of our business. But the Group we have today is much broader than the funeral business people traditionally associate with the name.

We now provide services spanning wills, funeral plans, funerals, probate, cremations, burials and memorialisation. Our brands include Dignity Funeral Directors, Dignity Legal Services, Farewill, Simplicity Cremations and the Crematorium and Memorial Group.

Bringing them together as Life Services Group reflects the business we have become and, more importantly, the one we are trying to build.

Our ambition is to become the UK's leading end-of-life services provider, supporting one in three families as they plan for and cope with death. Achieving that is primarily about making the end-of-life experience simpler.

There is no good reason why families should have to navigate a collection of disconnected services at one of the hardest points in their lives. We want to join more of that journey together, helping people access the support they need before, at and after a death.

Technology will play an important role. The acquisition of Farewill in 2025 brought new digital capabilities into our Group, which we are increasingly using across our businesses. Our websites have moved onto common digital infrastructure and we are developing technology that will allow us to understand and support customers more effectively across different services.

We are already seeing what that can mean in practice. Farewill customers can access Simplicity funeral plans, Simplicity customers can access will-writing services, and Dignity customers can access legal services through Dignity Legal Services.

Life Services Group therefore represents more than a change of name. It reflects the transformation of the business since 2023, including investment in our technology and infrastructure, the expansion of our services and the work we have done to build stronger foundations for growth.

There are also some things we have no intention of changing.

Families will continue to see and use established names such as Dignity, Farewill and Simplicity. These are trusted brands with their own expertise, customers and communities. Bringing them together does not mean making them all the same.

Most importantly, the quality of care families receive remains fundamental. I am incredibly proud of our compassionate colleagues who work tirelessly every day to support families at some of the most difficult moments in their lives. Yes, technology can make services easier to access and ultimately create a better experience for those who turn to us in times of need. However, it will never be a substitute for the judgement, compassion and professionalism people need when somebody dies.

We are now bringing together what makes Life Services Group distinctive: specialist expertise, trusted brands, national scale and better technology. By connecting those strengths, we can make one of the most difficult periods in people's lives simpler and easier to navigate.