A career as a funeral director might not seem an obvious choice, but for twin sisters Gill Martin and Nichola Linsley, working in the sector felt like the most natural thing in the world.
The pair from South Shields both work for Co-op Funeralcare after being inspired by their mother, Audrey Leonard, who has worked for the company for more than 20 years. Although Audrey had never actively encouraged her twin daughters to pursue careers in funeralcare, she admitted that as a family they have always been very open about discussing death and bereavement.
But it was only when the twins’ grandfather had passed away that they began to truly appreciate their mother’s line of work.
