A FAMILY-run Stourbridge funeral directors has completed a major renovation project to meet its growing demand.

H Porter & Sons, now in its sixth generation of ownership, has increased its office space, landscaped its courtyard and refurbished its refreshment room, which can now cater for up to 60 people, as part of the makeover.

As part of the renovations, the refreshment room was made more welcoming and comforting as a space for people to come together, while the courtyard is now set to be used as a relaxing place for reflection and peaceful thought.

Lucy Cambridge, current owner of the South Road-based business and great, great, great granddaughter of founder Richard Porter, said: “We have been growing steadily every year.

“Our premises needed expanding and we wanted to use the opportunity to modernise some of our facilities to make the experience as straightforward as it can be for our clients and to offer a complete funeral service from our premises.”

Architects Johnson Design Partnership (JDP) had to overcome strict planning guidelines by creating a complete glass link and open brickwork feature where the old chapel meets the refreshment room.

Lucy added: “Due to the historical nature of the adjacent church, we needed to enlist the support of architects JDP, who quickly brought into our ideas and produced designs that were sympathetic with the environment we work in and improved the way we delivered our service.”

Matt Spinks, director at JDP, said: “This was a fairly challenging project, but one that has turned out exactly how Lucy and her husband Ben, who runs the day-to-day operations, envisaged.

“We spent a lot of time listening to them both and the type of environment they wanted to create, designing solutions that met planning guidelines but also worked both aesthetically and functionally.

“The refreshment room and landscaped courtyard provides a space for peaceful reflection and the new office space will improve communication and efficiency across the business.”

H Porter and Sons, which has recently taken on a new funeral director and additional staff to take its workforce up to 14, has also completed recently launched new branding and signage and redeveloped its parking area.