Kia ora Raewyn, please introduce yourself and Resthaven funerals!?

 

Hi everyone, I’m Raewyn Proctor, one of the funeral directors at Resthaven Funerals. We started operating Resthaven back in year 2000, and from my old family home. Having grown up in Manurewa, I know a lot of people within our local community, and we do it because we love to care and support families at a time of grief. We are available 24 hours a day.

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When you get ‘that phone call’ from a family or friend asking about funeral arrangements, what does that process look like? 

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It’s all about providing what the family wants and working with their wishes and means. One of our team will meet and deliver arrangements within what they can afford and we manage the entire process. We can also make international arrangements to have the deceased farewelled and flown back to their home country. 

 

It’s all about choices, do you want to be buried or cremated. If buried, do you want a $1000 casket or a $5000 casket. Do we have a smaller 20 person funeral, or a 200 person at our chapel. Or do we play mums favourite music and the family sits with them for an hour at the funeral home. These are all options.

 

I think we do it well by sitting down with families, listening, then guiding them through what Resthaven can do for them. It’s all about respecting the deceased and giving the send off their loved one deserves, within the families means.

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What was the key decision factor to operate your first Resthaven office from Manurewa?

 

It’s definitely the love for the community with such a diverse range of ethnicities, difference cultures, people are warm and wonderful, it’s a real melting pot. For us it’s about helping our local people in the community within their means and facilitating the requirements and wishes for their loved ones. 

 

 

How do you make a difference to someone's day, when they are experiencing grief?

 

People that ring us, don’t want to be making that phone call (shock and grief). It’s hard for them, they are having a bad day and you want to make a difference. If you listen, treat them genuine and nice, that helps. Be supportive and kind, treat everybody as they are, as you take them. 

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How has Resthaven Funerals changed since starting in year 2000?

 

We’ve expanded and grown since starting in 2000. Initially it was just two of us, Rachel and I. That was pretty hard going for the first couple of years. We were up to midnight sometimes, prepping caskets and doing paperwork. But we loved it, and we took on our first staff member at the end of 2002. But we put the hours in because we loved supporting their loved ones. 

 

We now have a small team across two suburbs, right here in Manurewa and our other office operates in Howick. Resthaven has really just gone from strength to strength.

 

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Is Manurewa a safe place to live and do business?

 

It is certainly the place to be. I feel it’s safe - I go down to New World and get groceries. Society has changed since when I was a teenager, walking down to Southmall at 9pm at night, but today no matter where you are, you would think twice. I live here right in Totora heights, it’s a safe place.