Here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, we are delighted to welcome Mandy King to our team as a funeral arranger. She joined us at the end of May, after spending nine years in a pastoral role at St Gregory’s Catholic School in Tunbridge Wells.
“I really enjoyed that role and loved helping students,” Mandy explains. “However, my children are now both out of full-time education themselves and I didn’t necessary need a term-only job anymore, so I started looking around for something else.”
Initially, she was offered a role at the National Trust property, Standen House, which she enjoyed, However, she missed ‘looking after people’, so kept her eyes open for other opportunities. That was when she saw we were on the lookout for another team member.
“In my new role here at Tester & Jones, I am often the first point of contact a family has with us,” Mandy explains. “I am here to guide them through everything that needs doing in the run-up to their loved one’s funeral. In many ways, it’s event planning but with more challenging deadlines than most other events. But I thrive on that.”
Her time working in pastoral care means she has some experience of dealing with students in grief, as well as students with life limiting illnesses.
“It’s good to be able to help families at such a hard time, when they are probably not thinking straight and need our support,” says Mandy. “It’s also a privilege to be let in by a family and have an insight into somebody’s life. Helping a family to create a fitting tribute is an amazing thing to be able to do.”
Having not worked in the funeral industry before, Mandy has been shadowing Sharon, while drawing on the ‘vast knowledge’ of everyone else at Tester & Jones.
“It’s obvious how well respected Tester & Jones is as a firm locally,” she adds. “I have been made to feel very much part of the team. It’s very rewarding to be arranging funerals on my own now but I know I can always ask any questions and feel incredibly supported.”
In her spare time, Mandy enjoys yoga, has recently joined a gym and discovered the joys of gardening. She enjoyed her job at Standen House, so has maintained her connection there through volunteering.
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