CERTIFIED MEMORIAL MASONRY TRAINING
2025 was one of our busiest years yet since we began delivering our Training Courses.
During the year we have delivered training across the UK as far north as Orkney and as far south as London.
We wish all our students who we met during 2025 a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Some of you we look forward to seeing again during 2026.
2026 Winter Update
We have started off 2026 with six persons recently attending at out Kirkcudbright Training Centre and successfully completing their J1N8-45 Manage and Maintain Burial Ground memorials award. We are also in the process of further developing a Gantry operation and lifting training course, which we already demonstrate during our Dismantle and re-fixing courses.
Keep a lookout on our Facebook page for further information regarding our Open Courses and awards which are being planned for 2026.
The Inspection and Assessment of Burial Ground memorials course combined with the SQA Manage and Maintain Burial Ground Memorials award is still proving to be very popular and we understand that this is the only certified Memorial Safety Inspection Award available in the UK. This award has a SCQF level and credit value.
https://on.abdn.ac.uk/discover/credits-explained
In addition to these courses we are also carrying out HA1J-04 Fixing assessments on Memorial Masons as and when required.
NEWS
We are still negotiating with the Scottish Lime Trust Centre based in Charleston in Fife where we have delivered training courses in the past, with a view to offering some of our training courses through them. We shall post any further information developments regarding these courses here. We hope to run these courses in March 2026.
We strive to improve our training and keep all of our courses as current as possible; Douglas is involved with the National Occupational Standards Committee who are currently reviewing a number of the stone masonry awards, whilst also looking at modern apprenticeships. The British Standard BS8415 – 2018 has been reviewed and no changes have been made. Any changes to the standards will be absorbed into our training ensuring the information we deliver are up to date.
Our awarding body the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) is changing during 2026 to Qualifications Scotland, this change shall not make any difference to qualifications already achieved nor to those which we offer. The change is a restructure within the awarding body, which shall remain an international qualifications awarding body.
Other news is that any candidates who have previously received a Tomasson Memorial Inspection Competence Certificate (or equivalent award) can now upgrade that certificate (for a reasonable fee) to the SQA J1N-45 Manage and Maintain Cemetery memorial award, provided that the candidate is currently actively involved in memorial testing activities. (Please contact us for more information)
Tomasson Consultants
Although originally based in Glasgow the consultancy provides Memorial Masonry Training anywhere in the UK including Northern Ireland and can deliver SVQ qualifications.
The consultancy employs fully qualified industry experienced memorial masons to deliver a wide range of memorial masonry training courses including headstone or memorial fixing, headstone or memorial repairs and restoration and The Testing and Inspection of Burial Ground memorials.
Training courses and assessments in Memorial masonry can be arranged at your place of work, any cemetery or burial ground, or at our fully equipped training centre.
Courses and training can be tailored to suit individual requirements where a special skill is required, or as part of one of our standard courses.
Tools and equipment are supplied for all courses.Students are required to provide their own PPE. A list is provided for students, which will normally comprise of the following items:
- Overalls or work trousers
- Steel toe capped boots or shoes
- Safety gloves
- Wet weather clothing
- Ear defenders or ear plugs
- Dust masks
- Safety goggles or safety glasses
