We are delighted to share the fantastic news that Emilia Hunnaball has achieved her Level 4 Diploma in Funeral Directing from the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), the sectors leading education provider.
Emilia had this to say about her achievement:
To be ‘Hunnaball’ for me is a way of life. I feel incredibly fortunate to have grown up and been submersed within The Hunnaball Family Funeral Group for the duration of my life up to now, so much so that my birth was scheduled around Dad’s funeral commitments. To be exposed to a family culture, founded upon providing generational excellence in services to the bereaved, caring for the deceased and educating communities in our field I was hooked, as it is for Grandad and Dad, this was my calling too.
Coupled with my addictive thirst for education and development, The Hunnaball Family Funeral Group have always believed in empowering individuals through accreditation within the industry. Supported by my previously ascertained honours degree in Business Management and the practical experience steadily gained across all areas of our workplace, I began my educational journey within the funeral industry. At the end of November 2023 I, alongside my colleague Dan, sat the London Association of Funeral Directors exam, ‘Certificate in Funeral Arranging and Administration’ after a three-month interactive study period. During which time, I was lucky enough to be taught by sector leaders including Brian Parsons. This resulted in me achieving a distinction and the President’s Award.
Following this and sparing no idle time, January 2024 saw myself and Dan beginning our National Association of Funeral Directors L4 Diploma in Funeral Directing. A fifteen-month course encapsulating twelve interactive modules including fundamental industry specific topics including understanding funeral directing within a commercial environment and specialist subjects, namely bequeathal of the deceased. The course was primarily led by NAFD tutor Emily Houghton and featured talks from several pioneers in specialist subject areas such as Sue O’ Connor, Associate Professor in Anatomy at The University of East Anglia. The course was assessed by varying methodology and tested my skills extensively; all twelve modules appraised with a total of 44 written assignments, supplemented by two final examinations. Firstly, verbal in nature, a series of questions asked by an NAFD examiner on the specialist subjects exclusively, lasting approximately forty-five minutes. This was superseded by the final examination the following day; a three and a half hour written examination paper consisting of twenty-five questions. I always say I enjoy examinations and those surrounding me laugh, but despite the range of emotions I felt prior and during this course, I truly did enjoy every moment of both the examination phase and the experience in its entirety.
To have completed the NAFD Diploma in Funeral Directing and to have received a distinction in this stage of my educational journey, how do I feel? Most definitely proud of my achievement, looking forward to celebrating successes with fellow students and also seeking new educational endeavours in the future. Yet above all, able to carry forward a greater wealth of knowledge with me as I go on to support and serve to the very best of my ability, the bereaved members of our community, alongside my family.
