Show Notes
This is the episode we didn’t know we needed… but I’m so glad we’ve got it. This is a great way to end this series.
Let me introduce you to Mathew Crawley, Chief Executive of the ICCM (Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management), a role that carries huge responsibility across the UK, and one Mat brings to life with real depth, honesty and character. This conversation goes far beyond what I expected We explore everything from talking about death and dying, bereavement leave, and the realities of working in this world, to the wider impact these conversations have on all of us as humans. There are moments in this chat I didn’t see coming, topics I didn’t plan for, and reflections that genuinely stayed with me. It’s open, it’s real, and it’s incredibly thought-provoking. I’m also deeply grateful to Mat for sharing his own personal experience following the death of his father last year, bringing a level of honesty and humanity that makes this episode something really special.
If you’ve been following Series 3, this is a powerful note to end on.
Mat has spent more than three decades working in bereavement services, dedicating his career to supporting people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives. He began his journey as a funeral director, gaining first-hand experience of the care and empathy required to guide families through loss. Over the years, Mathew has worked across many areas of service provision, developing a deep understanding of the sector and the people it serves.
In 2025, Mathew became Chief Executive of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), where he now leads the organisation with the same commitment and energy that has shaped his career. His work is driven by a genuine passion to improve the services that bereaved people rely on, always seeking ways to ensure they are delivered with compassion and are truly individual to those accessing them.
Mathew describes his career as colourful, shaped by a wide range of experiences and the many remarkable people he has encountered along the way. Throughout it all, he has held firmly to a belief that humour, compassion and honesty are powerful vehicles for better developing our understanding of grief and those navigating their own bereavement path. These values continue to guide his leadership and inspire his work to strengthen and advance bereavement services for the future.
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More from Dying for a Cuppa - The Podcast
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I first saw Silas Armstrong perform at the Child Bereavement UK Christmas concert in December 2025.
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