Stephen Fulton

No two days are ever the same for Stephen Fulton in his role as Depute Burial Grounds & Crematorium Supervisor with Inverclyde Council.

"Last week I had to liaise with the army for the funeral with military honours of one of the soldiers who died in Afghanistan," he explains. "At other times I am meeting funeral directors or memorial masons, meeting families, sorting out the exact location of graves and dealing with family requests. We try to accommodate them as best as possible and make it dignified."

Genealogy is also an increasing part of the job. "Showing families the graves of their ancestors or helping them find details of their family history gives me great pride in the work I do," he adds.

After leaving school, Stephen worked as a landscape gardener on projects including the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival. He joined Inverclyde as a gravedigger working predominantly in Greenock Cemetery, one of the largest municipal cemeteries in Europe, before becoming chargehand at Knocknairshill cemetery and then securing his current post.

Inverclyde Council have funded Stephen through a number of national certificates including the Cemetery Operatives Training Scheme and Crematorium Technicians Training Scheme.

"The best part of the job is knowing that bereaved families have been helped during the most traumatic period of their lives, and that the funerals of their loved ones have taken place in a dignified manner," Stephen concludes.