A Lanarkshire firm who specialise in honouring loved ones who have passed away with a special bird release ceremony have scooped a top funeral industry award.
Nothing is to much a burd-en for Hamilton businesswoman Karen McGuire and her partner Thomas Milne, who own Acts of Dove.
The pair, who cover funeral services across Lanarkshire and Glasgow, strive to create memories for families in honour of lost loved ones with their bespoke ceremonies.
Doves can be released into the sky during funeral services, wedding ceremonies or even private memorials.
And their work is certainly a labour of dove having won the Best Memorial Company at the Scottish Funeral Awards last week.
Karen told Lanarkshire Live : "We have helped hundreds of people show their love in a special and unique way and I absolutely love what we do.
"Doves have been used for centuries as a symbol of love, hope and peace which makes them the perfect act of tribute for lost friends and family.
"Being able to help people whilst grieving, bringing a sense of closure and healing is such an honour to be a part of.
"We have lots of touching reviews and often hear from families who have released doves, explaining what it meant to them which is why we do what we do.
"Children are also able to release Doves, which often is the only part of a funeral service that they can physically be involved in.
"All of our Doves are treated like any other family pet, they live in our back garden and are allowed to fly free every day.
"Each and every dove is trained to return home after every release and we use only use doves with homing abilities.
"We also help with bird rescue and have many birds in our lofts at the moment who have joined our Dove family."
Each finalist was required to submit an application with details of what they do, who they’ve helped and community involvement. This is then put infront of a panel of expert Judges.
"The final was held at the Marriott in Glasgow on Sunday, October 30 where the pair were "shocked" but "delighted" to be announced as winners.
Karen added: "We had such a wonderful night celebrating the achievements of so many people that work within the funeral industry.
“I am very honoured and proud to have received this award, I think we’re still on a bit of a high! It’s really nice to be recognised for all of the time and hard work that we put into what we do.
"We hope to continue to grow and help people with our Doves, spreading love."
You can find out more on the firm's Facebook page.
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