Poppy's

Poppy's Award-winning independent funeral directors based in South London. We arrange all kinds of funerals, including traditional and natural burials, and cremations.

Let's create the funeral that works for you. Tooting | East Sheen | Raynes Park Poppy’s takes a fresh approach to funerals. Instead of following rigid traditions, we listen to what you want and need. Instead of hiding behind closed doors, we’re open about how we care for the living and the dead. We’re by your side every step of the way, creating a funeral that works for you. We're based in Tooting

, South London and provide funeral services throughout Greater London. We also regularly help families across the South East and beyond. At Poppy's, we believe in looking after you, the person who's died and the planet in the best way possible. We believe that great care for both the living and the dead can transform your experience. Our team will offer you meaningful choice and transparency, supporting you to make the decisions that are right for you. Respect for the environment is very important to us, with a range of sustainable choices available and a commitment to minimising our own environmental impact. Above all else, we’ll give you honest, straightforward advice and support you every step of the way. You can reach us anytime between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (except Thursdays, where we open at 9:30am). Our collections team are available 7 days a week, between 8am and 8pm. If you are calling after 8pm, please leave your name, number and any info you feel we should know. We will call you back in the morning to arrange bringing the person who has died into our care.

When do you think burial traditions began in the UK?You may be surprised to hear that the oldest known ceremonial burial...
28/04/2026

When do you think burial traditions began in the UK?

You may be surprised to hear that the oldest known ceremonial burial in Britain is thought to be 33,000-34,000 years old – pre-dating the peak of the last Ice Age.

First discovered in 1823, the ‘Red Lady of Paviland’ is a partial skeleton found at Goat’s Hole Cave in the Gower, Wales.

The Red Lady was coloured with naturally occurring red ochre and buried with beads, ornaments, stone tools and burned animal bones.

Recent study has found that the skeleton is that of a man rather than a woman. He may have been a hunter.

There is still so much we don’t know about the ‘Red Lady’ – but what we do know is that for tens of thousands of years we have been creating rituals to mark a death and to return humans to the earth with care.

The Red Lady currently belongs to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History's collection.

📸: Unsplash / iuliu illes. This image is not of Goat's Hole Cave.

Many people may think that you need to have your person embalmed if you want to visit them before their funeral.But this...
27/04/2026

Many people may think that you need to have your person embalmed if you want to visit them before their funeral.

But this isn’t the case. At Poppy’s, we don't routinely embalm people, yet we welcome clients to our warm and cosy Friends and Family Room every week to spend time with their person.

We prefer a natural, gentle approach to death care. There are visible differences between someone who is embalmed, and someone who is cared for naturally. However, these vary from person to person, and how someone looks after death can also be affected by how they died or by any medication they were on.

When your person comes into our care at Poppy’s, we will let you know how they are looking and what you might expect to see if you come for a visit. Our funeral director Amy says, “we don’t judge or pre-empt how people are going to feel or what meaning there is for them. We simply describe clearly and compassionately what to expect.”

This way, you can make the choices that are right for you - including whether to embalm.

To learn more, find a blog on embalming and the Poppy's alternative in the comments.👇

One of the reasons we love our high street shops is because we love to be part of our local communities.We want people t...
23/04/2026

One of the reasons we love our high street shops is because we love to be part of our local communities.

We want people to feel welcome in our shops. To feel able to pop in to ask questions. To find that going into a funeral directors doesn’t have to be scary, and the atmosphere won't be overly formal and sombre.

It was brilliant to welcome business owners and members of the Raynes Park community for breakfast in our new shop on 46 Coombe Lane this morning. Thank you to everyone who dropped in for a cup of a coffee and a croissant.

Many of us like to make purchases or decisions with the planet in mind – but when it comes to funerals, we may not be aw...
22/04/2026

Many of us like to make purchases or decisions with the planet in mind – but when it comes to funerals, we may not be aware that it’s possible to make more earth-friendly choices.

Poppy’s has offered greener alternatives since day one. We’re passionate about demonstrating that you can make eco-friendly choices, if that is important to you, without having to compromise on style or quality.

This , here are a few choices you can consider for a more environmentally-friendly funeral.

Welcome Lydia to the Poppy's team! 👋Lydia is our new Client and Operations Director. She joins us from a background in c...
20/04/2026

Welcome Lydia to the Poppy's team! 👋

Lydia is our new Client and Operations Director. She joins us from a background in consulting and start-ups, and will lead the team in delivering an outstanding service every time as we grow.

Many funerals are led by a funeral celebrant or religious minister. It can be very helpful and reassuring to have an exp...
17/04/2026

Many funerals are led by a funeral celebrant or religious minister. It can be very helpful and reassuring to have an experienced hand to steer the service - but for some, having a friend or family member of the person who has died leading the service feels more fitting. Have you experienced a friends and family-led funeral service?

If you’ve been asked, or you’d like to offer, to lead a funeral service for someone close to you, you can find a few useful pointers in our blog - find link in the comments.👇

Thank you for welcoming us, Guardian Angel Carers Wimbledon!
16/04/2026

Thank you for welcoming us, Guardian Angel Carers Wimbledon!

Many of us rarely talk about death and dying until we’re confronted by loss, illness or tragedy.That is not the fault of...
15/04/2026

Many of us rarely talk about death and dying until we’re confronted by loss, illness or tragedy.

That is not the fault of individuals – it is challenging to find spaces where we can talk openly and honestly about death. But when we do, it can be surprisingly life-affirming.

Our Death Cafés are inclusive, informal and friendly opportunities to gather together to eat cake, drink tea and talk about death. The next one is TOMORROW (Thursday):

📍 Tooting
Thursday 16th April 2026 10.30am – 12.00pm, , 75 Mitcham Road, SW17 9PD

You can just turn up on the day, or register via Eventbrite using the link on our events page.

NB: A Death Café a discussion group for adults, rather than a grief support or counselling session.

14/04/2026

WE’VE ARRIVED IN RAYNES PARK! 🎉

Our second high street shop is now open in Raynes Park. You can find us at 46 Coombe Lane, SW20 0LA.

We're proud to serve clients in Raynes Park, Wimbledon and the wider area already, and we're delighted to have a warm and welcoming shop in the area now, so people can come in and talk to us over a cup of proper coffee.

Pop in any time 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday to meet the friendly team, headed up by funeral directors Genevieve and Joe.

You can also find us at:

📍 Poppy’s Sheen, 202 Upper Richmond Road West, London SW14 8AN
📍 Poppy’s Tooting, The Gatehouse, Lambeth Cemetery, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0BY

Every organisation has values. These are Poppy’s. We aspire to live out these values every day, and to support each othe...
13/04/2026

Every organisation has values. These are Poppy’s. We aspire to live out these values every day, and to support each other to express them in our own unique way.

Why? Because these values help us to provide outstanding care to our clients, both living and dead, with kindness, creativity and confidence.

If these words resonate with you, and you’re looking for a meaningful role in a friendly, hardworking team, come and join us. We’re hiring a Client Support Advisor, to act as a first point of contact for people who need our support with arranging a funeral. Head to the link in the comments to find out more.👇

Last week, the Law Commission published the final report of its review of burial and cremation law.This is one of three ...
09/04/2026

Last week, the Law Commission published the final report of its review of burial and cremation law.

This is one of three strands of work in a project to modernise the laws governing how we deal with the bodies of dead people.

The legal framework around death and dying is shockingly sparse and what does exist is a patchwork of laws, much of which are outdated.

We appreciate that the Commission is grappling so thoughtfully with genuinely difficult issues - from the philosophical (do we still have rights after we die?) to the practical (could human composting be a feasible alternative in the UK?) - while also making recommendations that equip us to deal with death better in the modern era.

Stunning dark pink blossom is gladdening the trees in Lambeth Cemetery at the moment. We’re proud to call Lambeth Cemete...
08/04/2026

Stunning dark pink blossom is gladdening the trees in Lambeth Cemetery at the moment.

We’re proud to call Lambeth Cemetery home. Our Tooting offices and our mortuary are based here. This is where you’ll come if you visit your person with us. The quiet cemetery grounds are available to you to talk a walk or simply get some fresh air during your visit if you need to.

Address

The Gatehouse, Lambeth Cemetery, Blackshaw Road
London
SW170BY

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm

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