ABOUT US
OUR CARING TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS
Phil New
Managing Director
Dip. Funeral Director & Dip. Embalmer
Phil joined VJ Williams in 2006. In 2008 he graduated with a Diploma of Embalming and in 2011 a Diploma of Funeral Directing. Phil strongly advocates education in the funeral industry. Phil enjoys installing headstones and plaques and can often be found in our local cemeteries and urupa. Phil has volunteered for the New Zealand Fire Service for nearly forty years enjoying roles of Deputy, Chief and Station Officer during this time.
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Sarah Snookes
Funeral Director & Embalmer
Dip. Funeral Director
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Sarah joined the team in October 2020 previously enjoying a career in tourism. She has completed her Diploma of Funeral Directing and is competent to embalm. Sarah enjoys installing and refurbishing headstones. Married to Steve, Sarah was born and raised in Otorohanga and in her spare time raises funds for charity with a group called “The Fun Raising Chicks" volunteers for the New Zealand Fire Service and Otorohanga Riding for the Disabled.
Janene New
Director & Celebrant
Janene works part-time in the business, is a wedding and funeral celebrant and also an urban councillor for the Waitomo District Council. Passionate about her community Janene is the treasurer of Legendary Te Kuiti and secretary for Waitomo Sister City Inc. Married to Phil, they have three adult children and two gorgeous grandchildren. In her spare time Janene raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis through a Facebook page “Made With Love”.
Lynette King
Administrator
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Lynette joined the firm in 2019 and in addition to administrative duties is the headstone and plaque consultant for V J Williams & Sons. Lynette can show you the options available and work with you to provide a fitting monument as the lasting tribute for your family member. Lynette is married to Darren (also a volunteer fire fighter) and they have two adult children. Lynette has been involved in local committees throughout their children’s schooling years and is an avid supporter of their sporting pursuits
Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ)
Code of Ethics
Members of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand and the individual funeral directors on its register recognise the responsibilities entrusted to them in their relationships with:
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the bereaved they serve
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the public at large
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the profession of which they are a part.
To accept as a duty the maintenance of truth, accuracy, dignity and good taste. Specifically they have agreed:
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To maintain in all matters the highest standards of business, professional and personal conduct.
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To respect in all circumstances the confidentiality and trust placed in them by reason of their function and calling.
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To preserve within the bounds of dignity, good taste and practicality, the right of personal choice and decision-making for the families they serve, and due regard for the ethnic origin and spiritual beliefs of the deceased person.
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To maintain qualified and competent personnel with facilities and equipment adequate to provide a comprehensive funeral service.
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To provide accurate information concerning the range of services and merchandise available, the prices of the same, and the functions and responsibilities accepted on behalf of their clients.
New Zealand Embalmers Association (NZEA)
Code of Ethics
Membership to the NZEA requires strict adherence to the following Code of Ethics:
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As an embalmer I fully acknowledge my individual and collective obligations to safeguard the public health, especially of those whom I serve, and my mutual responsibility for the proper welfare of the funeral profession.
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I will at all times and in all circumstances vigilantly support the laws of our country, and render service with absolute fidelity, observing the highest standard of competence and dignity.
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I will at all times treat with confidence my business and professional relationships, co-operate with customs of all races, nationalities and creeds, observe the respect due to the deceased and ensure that all services are provided without any form of deception or misleading representation.
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As a member of this association I will share my knowledge and skill with fellow members.
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I will at all times and support high educational standards, improve techniques and encourage scientific research, observe all rules of fair competition and maintain favourable personal relations within our own, and allied professions.
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I will ensure at all times that public announcements are such as will not bring criticism to fellow members and disrepute to our profession.
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As an embalmer I acknowledge my duty to make myself fully conversant with the rules of this association and abide and adhere to them at all times.
VJ Williams and Sons
funerals & headstones
Privacy Statement
Background and Scope
Waitomo Funerals Limited trading as V J Williams & Sons is committed to protecting the
privacy of the personal information it collects and receives. We are required to comply
with the New Zealand Privacy Act 1993 (“the Act”).
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This policy explains how V J Williams & Sons collects, uses, discloses and otherwise
handles personal information relating to individuals, deceased persons and their families.
It also explains how you can ask to access and correct the personal information we hold
about you or complain about any suspected privacy breach. Nothing in this policy limits
any of our other obligations at law.
Collection of Personal Information
V J Williams & Sons is required to collect personal information in accordance with the Act.
Where possible we will collect personal information we require directly from you or as
authorised by you.
Personal information we hold may include, but is not limited to, your name, address,
telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and information we require to perform our services
for you.
Personal information entered into V J Williams & Sons databases will not be used or
disclosed by us, except as authorised by you to perform our services for you.
Should you choose not to provide personal information or authorize its disclosure we
may not be able to provide you with the services you require at a sufficient level that we
regard as important for performing at best practice.
We may collect personal information:
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from the information supplied by you to V J Williams & Sons
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in conversation and communication with you or your representative
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from publicly available sources of information
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when we are required to do so by law
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from our own records of previous transactions with you or your family
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Where V J Williams & Sons collects your personal information, V J Williams & Sons will
take reasonable steps to notify you of:
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the purposes for which we are collecting the information
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the third parties to whom we may disclose the information of that kind
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how to access and correct personal information and make privacy complaints
V J Williams & Sons will only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary
for our core functions or activities.
V J Williams & Sons will enable you to access our website and make general telephone
enquiries without having to identify yourself.
Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
Your personal information may be used by us to:
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provide products and services to you
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collect payments and to administer your account
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provide you with updated or new information about our products and services
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enable our service providers to provide products and services to you
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develop existing and new products and services
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maintain and update our business infrastructure and systems
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promote our other products and services to you.​
In providing our products and services, or collecting and using your personal information
your personal information may be disclosed to third party organisations including:
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our legal, accounting, financial or other
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professional advisors regulatory, government and other authorities as required by law
Opting Out
By providing us with your contact details, your consent to receive communications will
remain current until you advise us otherwise. However, you can opt out at any time through
the following channels:
By Mail – V J Williams & Sons, PO Box 241, Te Kuiti
By Email – office@vjwilliams.co.nz
By telephone – +64 7 878 6100
Unsolicited Information
Unsolicited personal information is personal information we receive that we have taken no
active steps to collect. If the information we receive is not required by V J Williams & Sons to
perform one or more of our services or activities, V J Williams & Sons will destroy or remove
anything that could identify you from the information as soon as practicable.
Quality of Personal Information
V J Williams & Sons takes reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information we
collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date. However, the accuracy of that
information depends to a large extent on the information you provide. We recommend that
you let us know if there are any errors in your personal information so we can update your
Profile
Security of Personal Information
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information we hold from misuse, loss,
unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
We will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently remove anything that could
identify you from personal information if it is no longer needed for any purpose for which
the information may be used or disclosed. V J Williams & Sons is not responsible for the
privacy or security of third-party websites that you access via links on the website.
Access to Personal Information
You are able to access your personal information that we hold, except as provided for in the
Act. To obtain access to your personal information please email office@vjwilliams.co.nz
requesting your personal information and confirming your identity and we will provide it to
you. We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for the provision of this information. If
we refuse your request, or if we refuse to give you access in the manner you requested, V J
Williams’s policy is to provide you with written confirmation of the reasons for our refusal
and the available complaint process.
You can find out more information about your rights, including processes for making
complaints regarding privacy matters, at the website for the Office of the Privacy
Commissioner www.privacy.org.nz
Complaints
If you have a complaint about how V J Williams & Sons has collected, stored or used your
personal information, please contact us. We will endeavour to respond within five business
days. If your complaint is unable to be resolved within five business days, V J Williams & Sons will advise you in writing including letting you know when we expect to provide our response.
Please contact V J Williams & Sons if you have any queries about the personal information
that we holds about you or the way we use or disclose that personal information.