Not-for-profit funeral home Tender Funerals is set open in Canberra later this year with the help of a $1 million collaboration with the Snow Foundation and Capital Airport Group.
The funeral home, which seeks to provide cheaper funerals with the option for families and friends to be more involved with the process, is due to open in a building at Fairbairn in August. It started in Port Kembla and was featured on Australian Story, sparking the interest in Canberra for a local branch.
The building, at 49 Laverton Avenue, now a conference centre, was once the officers' mess at the RAAF Base Fairbairn.
The new site in Canberra will feature facilities including two arrangement rooms, viewing or vigil rooms, wash and dress rooms, a mortuary, and a community space for workshops and ceremonies.
The Snow Foundation provided the initial seed funding to do a feasibility study and help find the right site.
It has since provided $1 million in funding comprising a $750,000 grant and a $250,000 loan. The Capital Airport Group is providing "pro bono resourcing", including supply the site at Fairbairn.
The Snow Foundation CEO Georgina Byron said it had been supporting Tender Funerals for three years since the idea of a Canberra outlet was first raised.
"In our support for Tender Funerals, we see an opportunity to address the needs of grieving Canberrans in innovative and caring ways. This partnership reflects our commitment to making a real difference in the lives of those experiencing loss in our region, ensuring they have access to services that respect their needs and circumstances," Ms Byron said.
"The involvement of Capital Airport Group, particularly in identifying and supplying the new site at Fairbairn, and project managing the fit out for specific requirements, highlights our family's collective effort to support community initiatives that make a meaningful impact."
Tender Funerals Canberra region general manager Catherine Prosser said the funeral home's model kept expenses down by charging clients only for the cost of goods and services.
It also used a mix of staff and volunteers so that if a family, for example, could not afford a celebrant, a volunteer celebrant could be provided.
Families who might be able to afford it could also donate a "pay-it-forward" amount that could help finance the funeral for someone else who couldn't afford it.
Ms Prosser, a former chair of the Canberra Montessori School and CEO of StageBiz, said Tender Funerals were usually "several thousand dollars cheaper" than other options.
She said the Fairbairn site for Tender Funerals in Canberra was already peaceful, surrounded by trees and grass, and had room to grow.
"We could not be happier with the location," she said.
Tender Funerals is also part of the Canberra Day Appeal by Hands Across Canberra to help purchase a vehicle and furniture. The link is here.
