About Us
Independent and family owned
Douch Family Funeral Directors is an independent, family owned funeral business serving communities across Dorset.
The business was founded by Frederick Charles Douch in Wimborne in 1910 and remains locally owned and managed by the Douch family today. Our seven funeral homes retain their individual local names and identities while being supported by the wider Douch Family Funeral Directors team.
We are not owned by a national funeral group. Decisions are made locally and our teams have the flexibility to understand what each family needs and help them arrange a funeral that feels right for them.
More than 115 years of funeral care in Dorset
Douch Family Funeral Directors was founded in Wimborne in 1910 and has now served families across Dorset for more than 115 years.
Over the years, a number of respected local funeral businesses have become part of the Douch family, including A.E. Jolliffe & Son in Ferndown, James Smith in Swanage, Albert Marsh in Wareham, Lesley Shand in Corfe Mullen and Blandford and Ives & Shand in Parkstone.
We have deliberately retained these local names because each has its own history and connection with the community it serves.
Our funeral homes across Dorset
- A.E. Jolliffe & Son, Ferndown
- Ives & Shand, Parkstone
- Lesley Shand, Blandford
- Douch & Small, Wimborne
- Lesley Shand, Corfe Mullen
- Albert Marsh, Wareham
- James Smith, Swanage
Each funeral home has its own local team and serves the communities around it, while families also benefit from the facilities and support available across the wider Douch Family Funeral Directors group.
Find your local funeral director
How we can help
We arrange cremation and burial funerals, direct cremations, woodland and natural burials, religious and non religious funerals and personalised funeral services across Dorset.
Families can also use our private ceremony rooms in Ferndown, Parkstone, Corfe Mullen and Blandford, as well as a range of other funeral venues.
We can help with funeral costs and choices, coffins and caskets, memorials, ashes, funeral transport and other aspects of arranging a funeral.
Prepaid funeral plans
We also offer prepaid funeral plans provided by Ecclesiastical Planning Services Limited.
If you would like to discuss a prepaid funeral plan, contact us and we will arrange for one of our approved funeral plan sellers to speak with you.
You can find out more about how the plans work on our Prepaid Funeral Plans page.
Supporting our communities
Our relationship with the communities we serve extends beyond arranging funerals.
Through our local branches we support bereavement groups, community events, Knit & Natter groups, lunch clubs, sponsorships and other local initiatives across Dorset.
Many of these activities are designed to help people stay connected before and after bereavement and to support the towns and villages in which our teams live and work.
Find out about our community work
Professional standards
We are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors and Selected Independent Funeral Homes.
Our teams undertake ongoing professional training and we are committed to maintaining high standards of care, service and professional conduct.
View our accreditations and professional standards
Why families choose Douch Family Funeral Directors
Being independent and family owned allows us to combine the resources of a larger funeral business with the personal approach of local funeral homes.
Families can choose from different funeral types, venues and levels of service while being supported by people who know the local area and the communities they serve.
Our aim is straightforward: to give families clear information, practical support and the freedom to arrange a funeral that feels right for them.
What families say about us
Choosing a funeral director involves a great deal of trust. We are proud of the feedback families share about the care and service they receive from our teams across Dorset.
You can read independently collected reviews of Douch Family Funeral Directors on Trustpilot.
Meet Douch Family Funeral Directors
Find out more about our family business, our history and the people who support families across Dorset.
<p>Find out more about our family business, our history and the people who support families across Dorset.</p>