THE first site manager of a brand new Hampshire crematorium says he can’t wait for it to open next year.

Graeme Horobin will take the reigns as site manager at New Forest Crematorium, which is being built near the New Forest national park to serve the communities of New Milton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and surrounding areas.

It will be the third crematorium in Hampshire to be run by Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 35 sites in England, Scotland and Wales.

It was a visit to one of those sites – Test Valley Crematorium at Romsey – that prompted Graeme to change career from retail to the bereavement sector.

He said: “Having spent my entire adult life working in retail, I wanted to do something that had much more meaning, somewhere where I could utilise my customer service skills in a caring environment.

“I was attracted to Westerleigh Group after visiting Test Valley Crematorium to attend a funeral service.

“I was really impressed with how they look after families on such difficult occasions for them – the care and attention to detail.

He added: “I want New Forest Crematorium to be the place of choice for families in the area, where we will provide a premium, uniquely personal, service in beautiful surroundings.

“This new crematorium is in such a lovely location and has a beautiful design. It is really needed by families who don’t want to travel all the way to Bournemouth, so I really hope it will help the local community.

“I’m looking forward to recruiting my own team ahead of our opening and seeing the way the crematorium develops over the coming months and years.”

New Forest Crematorium is due to open in spring 2022.