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Alan Duckworth Funeral Directors

Sunderland

About our Sunderland funeral home

We are Alan Duckworth Funeral Directors in Sunderland, and we are dedicated to providing the highest standards of funeral care to every family that we work with. We were formerly known as A & N Duckworth, and have been serving the local community since 1950.

Our funeral home on Chester Road is kept to the highest standards, and tastefully designed to provide a warm and welcoming environment. We are easily accessible from the surrounding areas including Millfield, Barnes, Thornhill and Pallion. We also have a sister branch in Sunderland city centre.

We have two chapels of rest which you can use to spend time alone with your loved one prior to the funeral. Whenever you visit us, our kind, respectful professionals will treat you as if you were part of our own family, working closely with you to plan the perfect farewell for your loved one.

We are here to support you 24 hours a day, so please give us a call at any time that suits you. We are funeral directors you can depend on.

What we offer

  • Advice and guidance at every step, including registering the death
  • Arrangements that are tailored to meet your family's needs
  • Local expertise and knowledge
  • Cremation or burial at any local crematorium or burial site
  • Funeral services of all faiths and cultures
  • Viewing of the deceased in the chapel of rest
  • Hearses, funeral vehicles and bespoke transport options
  • Memorials and tributes
  • Prepaid funeral plans

To arrange a funeral for your loved one, please call our funeral home on 0191 510 2960 today.

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Funeral Services with distinction

We are proud to be part of Dignity Funerals, a collection of the UKs finest funeral directors, with each and every one committed to setting superior standards.

Many Dignity funeral directors have been part of the local community for generations and it is a privilege to serve those who live beside us. Our rich and lengthy heritage ensures we can deliver our service with local knowledge and unparalleled expertise.

99.0%
99 per cent of families said that Dignity met or exceeded their expectations.
97.7%
97.7 per cent of people said that they would recommend Dignity.
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Our services

With two packages available, we will be able to arrange the funeral you have in mind for your loved one.

If you’re looking for a traditional or contemporary funeral with a service, you should consider our Attended Funeral. If you want us to arrange a simple cremation without mourners present, our Unattended Funeral may better suit your needs.

View our Standardised Price List, Additional Options Price List and Crematoria Price List.

A tailored funeral

The Attended Funeral

Our Attended Funeral includes care of your loved one, a Park Coffin, a service at the place of committal which can be personalised as required for your loved one, followed by a burial or cremation.

  • Attended Funeral £2595
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • Plus estimated third party costs for cost of cremation and attendance of a celebrant or minister£1302
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£3897
The estimated costs shown are for cremation only. Please call us if you would like to discuss a burial.
Our Local Simple Funeral

Our Local Simple Funeral

Our Simple Funeral offers a complete funeral at a lower cost, without compromising on the quality of the service that is delivered. It includes all of the essentials, including a professional and fully trained Funeral Director to support you every step of the way.

  • The Duckworth Funeral£1895
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • Plus estimated third party costs for cost of cremation and attendance of a celebrant or minister£1302
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£3197
Cost for cremation only. For information on burials, please call us.
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The Unattended Funeral

Our Unattended Funeral will best suit your needs if you want to arrange a simple and straightforward cremation without a service or ceremony, allowing you and your loved one's friends and family to commemorate them in your own way.

  • Unattended Funeral £1595
  • (includes our Park Coffin)£-
  • (Includes cost of cremation)£-
  • Total estimated cost excluding optional extras£1595
The estimated costs shown are for an unattended cremation. Please call us if you would like to discuss a burial.
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Memorials

Choose from a variety of options, including headstones and urns to memorial plaques, vases, statues, jewellery and plenty more. With a Memorial, you can create a tribute that especially reflects the life, love and cherished memories of your loved one.

Where to find us

Contact

Speak to our team 24 hours a day on 0191 510 2960

Our Address

200 Chester Road, Sunderland, SR4 7HE

Get Directions

Funeral home opening times

  • Monday0900 - 1700
  • Tuesday0900 - 1700
  • Wednesday0900 - 1700
  • Thursday0900 - 1700
  • Friday0900 - 1700
  • SaturdayClosed
  • SundayClosed

Directions and parking

We are situated on the same road as Sunderland Royal Hospital. There is parking available on surrounding streets, and paid parking nearby.

0191 510 2960
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Supporting you along the way

We understand that there is a lot to think about, so if you do need assistance with your loved one's funeral arrangements, our funeral experts will offer you all the support you need.

What to do when someone dies

What to do when someone dies

It’s perfectly normal to be unsure of what you need to do following the death of a loved one. These step-by-step guides will carefully explain everything you need to when someone dies, helping you through each stage of the process.

Planning a funeral

Planning a funeral

Our guides on planning a funeral will ensure your loved one's send off is a personal and unique celebration of their life. We will explain how our Funeral Directors will help you plan a funeral service and support you at every stage.

The day of the funeral

The day of the funeral

This guide will explain what happens at a funeral; including the funeral procession, funeral service, committal service and the wake. We will be here to help you through every step of the journey.

Frequently asked questions

When someone dies, the first steps will depend on how and where the person passed away. Our step-by-step guides will walk you through the practical steps. For additional support and personal advice, please get in touch with us.

You don't have to make an appointment at our funeral homes. However, doing so will ensure that someone can be available to cater to your needs. When arranging a funeral, our Funeral Directors are happy to visit you in your own home, if required.

Third party funeral costs are additional charges which we will manage for you and attach to your single invoice. Get in touch with us to confirm costs and plan a funeral to fit your budget.

If you choose to arrange the funeral with us, you will be given the option of a complimentary Funeral Notice. We will set it up for you using the details discussed during the arrangements. All we need is an email address.

Dignity Funeral Plans let you pay for your funeral in advance and at today's price. It's a way of taking control of the unexpected, setting out the arrangements and limiting the costs by paying for the services included in the funeral plan upfront.

We are a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors and as such we abide by The Funeral Director Code. We also have a legal obligation to try and ensure the person who is arranging a funeral has the right to do so, or has permission from those who do.

If you are aware that someone has been appointed as the administrator, you should only arrange the funeral with this person's agreement.

If there is no Will or Letters of Administration, then the responsibility would pass to the next of kin.

A Memorial is a way of creating a lasting memory to help remember a loved one.

Dignity has been established for over 200 years and is one of the UK's leading providers of Funerals and with an 'Excellent' Trustpilot rating (02/24). We are proud to help our customers every year with a diverse range of Memorial products and services to help remember their loved ones.

We offer a wide range of products – from traditional headstones, kerb sets, urns and benches to remembrance trees, plaques and vases. We also offer more personal and modern options such as jewellery, pin badges and photo related memorial products. As well as completely customised items.To organise your Memorial contact us on {{BRANCH_PHONE}}

From 9 September 2024, there will no longer be a doctor's fee in England and Wales when arranging a funeral. This is because from this date, all deaths in England and Wales will be independently viewed, either by a relevant coroner or by a Medical Examiner and the cost will be met by the NHS.

A Medical Examiner is a specifically trained independent senior doctor who will scrutinise all deaths across a local area that do not fall under the coroner's jurisdiction. By providing a greater level of scrutiny over the cause of deaths; it is hoped that the introduction of Medical Examiners will make it less likely that unnatural causes of death will go unnoticed; that the number of deaths unnecessarily referred to the coroner will be reduced and that national data about causes of death will be captured with greater accuracy.

Medical Examiners, or Medical Examiner Officers, will also be available to meet with families, or their representatives, if they wish to discuss the cause of death.

Our reviews

4.92
based on 36 reviews
Helen Dunning
21st Dec 2024

I called having read the reviews, not knowing what I was doing and obviously upset after my dad's passing. Everyone I came across was amazing, comforting and knowledgeable. They helped me with everything and answered any questions. 5 stars just isn't enough for these people.

colin bendelow
17th Sep 2024

Rachael wilson
20th Jun 2024

I can not speak highly enough about the people and the work this funeral directors do.

The kindness and support we received was outstanding and the service of every member first class.

Jacqueline Charlton
21st Jul 2023

I only have praise for the way Alan Duckworth’s Funeral Directors on Chester Road in Sunderland organised my mother’s funeral. Margaret was fantastic and kept in contact throughout providing me with confirmation regarding the various different details of the service. Alan himself contacted me the day before to go through the arrangements to make sure everything ran smoothly, which it did. Alan and all of the staff at Alan Duckworth’s made sure my father, who is 90, was able to get in and out of the cars safely and took the time to talk to him, to make sure he was okay. I know I speak on behalf of the whole family to say that we could not fault the service we received.

Dianne Holyoak
15th May 2023

My sister and me were very pleased with the service we received from beginning to end. Very professional. A special thank you to malcolm. Nothing was too much trouble. Thank you

Calls are recorded for monitoring and quality purposes. All calls made to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free of charge whether made from a landline or mobile phone. Dignity Funerals Limited is a company registered in England No. 00041598. VAT registered No. 486 6081 14. Registered office: 4 King Edwards Court, King Edwards Square, Sutton Coldfield B73 6AP. Dignity Funerals Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 967130. Please note that the selling and administering of funeral plans is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however if you are purchasing a funeral without a funeral plan this will not be covered by FCA regulation.