Direct Cremation & London Funerals Pledges 10% of Profits to Train Future NHS Doctors

Direct Cremation and London Funerals, funds a new medical scholarship at City St George’s, University of London

LONDON, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, November 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Direct Cremation, London Funerals and Harbour Water Cremation, has funded a new medical scholarship at City St George’s, University of London, as part of a commitment to put 10% of its profits towards medical scholarships and the next generation of NHS staff.

The Lord Dennis Stevenson Medical Scholarship will support a selected second-year MBBS student at the university’s School of Health & Medical Sciences in Tooting. The recipient will receive £5,333 a year for Years 3, 4 and 5 of the Medicine degree, around £16,000 in total, helping them focus on their studies rather than financial pressure.

The scholarship is not open to applications. Each year a panel of university staff identifies eligible students and selects the recipient using two measures: an aggregated score from the first two years of exams, and indicators that the student needs financial support. The aim is to support equal opportunity regardless of background.

Steven Cains, founder of Direct Cremation, said: “ Supporting a student who might otherwise struggle with the cost of studying felt like the right place to start.”

Scholarships like this make usually make a real difference to students who might otherwise face financial barriers, and help ensure that talented future doctors can focus on their studies. The scholarship is named after Lord Dennis Stevenson, an entrepreneur and public servant who founded the mental health research charity MQ and has chaired organisations including Pearson, HBOS and the Tate trustees.

The scholarship is part of a broader commitment to direct a share of its profits towards medical education. Direct Cremation says the NHS and funeral care meet at some of the hardest moments in people’s lives, and it wants to support the people who work in healthcare at the start of their careers, when the cost of training can be a barrier.

Direct cremation is a simple, dignified option in which a person is cremated without a funeral service, and the family is free to hold a memorial at a time and place of their choosing. It is generally less costly than a traditional funeral. Harbour Funerals’ brands offer it across England and Wales, including to families in London, with Direct Cremation prices starting from £895.

Steven Cains
Direct Cremation