Church home for funeral firm

A funeral business has been set up inside a Black Country church after it was granted one of the first leases in the country for a consecrated building.

Ashley Savell-Boss, who has set up Trinity Funerals at Holy Trinity Church in Smethwick, also happens to be the assistant church warden there and his business partner Robert Hughes is the organist. Both say they are delighted to have won permission to use their place of worship to work from. The law changed in January to make this possible.

Before then it was not legally possible to rent or lease church premises that were still used as consecrated places of worship.

Before, areas would have to be de-consecrated, then alterations made to the church and the worship area would then be re-consecrated. The firm is using what was the old organ room and vicar's vestry at the Church Hill Street church for their business, which has been going for 10 days. The mortuary will be based at another site.

Mr Savell Boss said: "We both go to the church so it seems appropriate to work there as well.

"Since the law changed in January we are one of the first companies in the country to take out a lease on a church building which is still used for worship.

"The church had a refurbishment 10 years ago when there was a new organ put in which meant some of the rooms became vacant. It seemed perfect for us. It took nine months to negotiate the lease and there are 38 pages, but it was all worth it."

Birmingham Diocese spokesman Jessica Foster said: "He is the first in the Birmingham Diocese to take up a lease after the law was changed so people can use a consecrated area.

"He is believed to be one of the first in the country."