About Us

Funeral Directors serving our local communities since 1858

Family-owned Wathall’s is Derby’s longest established family-owned funeral directors with offices in Derby, Allestree, Alvaston, Borrowash, Ashbourne Chaddesden and Burton-on-Trent.

Our services include:

• Funeral arranging
• Pre-paid funeral plans
• Headstone design, creation and installation
• Bereavement Support

Wathall’s is renowned as a local funeral director serving families of all denominations in our local communities with a dignified and caring service – 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

The company, established since 1858, is headed by Helen Wathall MBE who is the fifth generation of her family to run the business.

Helen Wathall is one of the leading lights in the funeral industry and her contribution both to the industry and the local community was recognised in 2018 when she was awarded the MBE.

Helen is one of the few women to be running a funeral business in a traditionally male dominated profession.  She has now been joined by daughters Charlotte and Bec who are both learning the business from grassroots level.

They continue the Wathall family’s long-held commitment to providing a high quality and affordable service which is completely focused on the family and their loved one’s wishes.

By upholding the traditions of the past, Wathall’s is adapting to the social changes today and in the future to continue to provide a high-quality service to local communities and this commitment has been recognised through several local and national awards.

Our Contribution To Local Communities

Our commitment to the local communities that we serve is far-reaching.

Over the years, Wathall’s has been involved in raising thousands of pounds for charity. The team once completed a charity cycle ride to Paris from Derby, raising a whopping £10,000. The team also embarked on a charitable walk from Derby to London over five days, raising another £10,000.

Through A Wathall’s Wish, we support a wide range of local organisations who themselves share our ethos of supporting people at difficult times in their lives.  Over the past year, we have focused on financial donations to a wide range of local organisations and have also donated computer equipment to help both them and the people they support.

Charities supported by A Wathall’s Wish include First Steps ED, QUAD, Me & Dee, The Hardy Group, YMCA Derby, The Laura Centre, Street Food Burton, Ashbourne Community Transport, RSPCA Derby, Ready Call in Ashbourne, Safe and Sound and Derby Women’s Centre. 

We also sponsor a number of local sports teams in our local communities including Ashbourne Junior Rugby, Albert Village Junior FC, Mickleover Sports and Clifton Cricket Club in recognition of the value of physical exercise and social interaction on mental well-being.

And in summer of 2021, we joined the Derby Ram Trail – sponsoring a sculpture in the city centre that was dedicated to members of the Dandelions Bereavement Support groups in Derby and Ashbourne and to the families who lost a loved ones.