Halliwell was among the first funeral firms in the country to offer a ground-breaking service which preserves the DNA of lost loved ones.

Our funeral directors are specially trained to take a sample from your relative before it is lost through cremation or burial. This discreet process involves taking a mouth swab or lock of hair.

Once extracted, this genetic material is sent to a specialist laboratory where it is sealed in a sterile vial and returned to you.

Thanks to scientific advances, DNA can now be stored at home indefinitely until required – either for clinical tests later in life or for genealogical research.

DNA is the blueprint of a life. It isn’t just the shape of our nose, or the colour of our eyes that our children inherit from us. We also pass on medical disorders, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and dementia.

Analysis of a family’s DNA is increasingly being used by the medical profession to track, diagnose and prevent everything from simple skin disorders to terminal cancer. This genetic information can also be studied to prove or disprove family relationships between people, and help to trace lost relatives.  

Tamworth Co-operative Society, which owns Halliwell, made national news when it became the first funeral provider in the UK to offer the DNA Memorial service from its main branch in Tamworth.

In addition to offering this hugely important health and social benefit for our families, the DNA can even be put into a range of handcrafted jewellery which can be worn close to the heart.

For more information about DNA Memorial visit www.dnamemorial.com