A career built on caring for people

From serving customers in a village food store to supporting funeralcare colleagues across the UK, Lottie Townsley shares how the community has been at the heart of her career for more than two decades. 

Tell us about how you started your career with Co-op

 

I joined Co-op 26 years ago, working in a local food store at the heart of my village community. It was the kind of place where you knew your customers by name and built relationships with people every day.

When the store introduced a Post Office, I moved into a Customer Service Assistant role, which gave me the opportunity to broaden my skills and support even more members of the community.

 

Looking back, those early experiences taught me the importance of helping people and making a difference in everyday moments, something that's stayed with me throughout my career.

 

How did you move from Food to Funeralcare?

 

When the Post Office was sold to a new owner, I started looking at other opportunities within Co-op. In 2010, I joined Funeralcare as a Funeral Arranger. If I'm honest, it wasn't Funeralcare itself that initially attracted me to the role. It was the part-time hours that first caught my attention. But that quickly changed. The more I learned about the role and the support we provide to families, the more passionate I became. Before long, I knew I'd found a career I truly loved.

 

Tell us about your career journey in Funeralcare

 

I've always been someone who's keen to learn and develop, so even as a Funeral Arranger I was looking for ways to broaden my experience. I regularly volunteered to support Funeral Service Crew colleagues, helping bring people into our care and learning more about different parts of the operation.

When an opportunity arose to step into a Funeral Director role while a colleague was away, I jumped at the chance. That role later became permanent and felt like a real turning point in my career.

 

Being a Funeral Director was an honour. It helped shape who I am professionally and gave me an even deeper understanding of the difference we make to families. I stayed in the role for around four years before deciding I wanted to take my next step into leadership.

In 2017, I became a Funeral Service Manager, leading operational teams across care centres and funeral homes. I started by managing one care centre and seven funeral homes, and over time my responsibilities grew to include two care centres and 13 funeral homes.

The role involved supporting colleagues, maintaining high standards and ensuring everything ran smoothly, but at the centre of every decision was one thing: delivering the best possible care for our clients and their families.

 

In 2022, I took on a six-month secondment as a Regional Operations Support Manager in Essex and Hertfordshire, despite being based in the North East.

It was a fantastic opportunity to support a new region, help embed new ways of working and improve consistency across teams. I travelled extensively, delivered training, supported colleagues and worked closely with operational teams on assurance and compliance.

Most importantly, the role helped me discover a real passion for developing others. I loved helping colleagues build their confidence, understand the reasons behind what we do and develop the skills they needed to succeed. That experience led me to my current role as Funeralcare Training Lead.

 

What do you do in your current role?

 

Today, I support colleagues and leaders right across the UK, helping them develop their knowledge, skills and confidence. I've had the opportunity to create management upskilling programmes, coach leaders and influence how we support our operational teams. One highlight was receiving Co-op's 'Do What Matters Most' recognition award, which was an incredibly proud moment.

While my role has evolved over time, one thing hasn't changed: my connection to families and communities. I live in a close-knit community where everyone knows each other, and I still support local funerals from time to time. Being able to stay connected to that side of Funeralcare means a great deal to me. I genuinely feel lucky to do the job I do.

 

Have you had the support you needed to progress?

 

I've been fortunate to have leaders throughout my career who believed in me, recognised my potential and encouraged me to take on new opportunities.

They challenged me when I needed it, supported me when I stepped outside my comfort zone and helped me build the confidence to progress.

Alongside the experience I've gained in my roles, I've also completed professional qualifications, including my Funeral Arranger and Funeral Director NVQ. I've always felt supported to learn, develop and grow my career.

 

What are you most proud of?

 

I'm proud of the journey I've been on and the opportunities I've had to develop throughout my career.

But what means the most to me is being able to share my knowledge and experiences with others. Whether it's supporting colleagues in their development or helping them understand the privilege of working in Funeralcare, I love being able to make a positive difference.

I'm also proud to be an advocate for both Funeralcare and Co-op, helping others see just how rewarding a career in our profession can be.

 

What would you say to someone considering a career in Funeralcare?

 

Funeralcare is absolutely a career. Like any career, it won't be for everyone, but for the people who connect with it, there are so many opportunities to learn, develop and progress.

I certainly never imagined when I joined in Co-op food stores, that my career would take me in so many different directions. If you're willing to work hard, stay curious and embrace opportunities, there are lots of paths you can take.

Most importantly, you'll be part of something meaningful. Every day, you'll have the chance to make a real difference to families and communities when they need support the most.

For me, that's incredibly rewarding, and I wouldn't want to work anywhere else.