Advice, guides & articles

Here on the funeral-notices.co.uk blog we like to highlight awareness days and charity campaigns as much as we can, but there are just so many of them that it would be impossible to write about every single one. When it came to the month of March, I scrolled through trying to choose one and there were just so many that sounded interesting or that were completely unknown to me, that I thought it would be fun to highlight a few of them for you here!

For most people, speaking with a funeral director is something that only happens when you need them. Understanding what the funeral profession is about, and recognising that funeral directors are human too, can have a really positive impact on how you feel when you do need to engage one. This is why we invited funeral directors to feature in our blog; helping to break the taboo surrounding death, dying and the role of a funeral director. We invited experienced funeral director Richard Parson to answer a few questions about his experiences. He is uniquely placed to talk about the profession, having been born in a funeral home!

When Paul Andrew Whittaker sadly passed away, his family chose to raise money for the Macular Society in his memory through his notice page right here on funeral-notices.co.uk. In doing so they raised over £3,000 for the charity, which I know will be very gratefully received. But just who is the Macular Society, and what do they do? Let’s learn a little bit more about this fantastic charity.

Helplines Partnership is a membership body for charities and organisations that offer help and support via telephone, email, text or webchat. They currently have around 350 member organisations in the UK, who offer services across a wide array of topics, ranging from adoption to Alzheimer’s, from bereavement support to mental health emergencies, and many more beyond.

My day starts at 4am when the phone rings. I wake automatically, look at the phone 'Unknown Number'. I go into work mode, lamp goes on, my pen and pad ready to go. Not knowing who is on the other end of the line, I take a deep breathe, calm my voice, and answer: “Funeral Services, my name is Inez, how can I be of assistance to you?” Fifteen minutes later I am getting ready to go on a call out. I send a message to my colleague to say I need their assistance and we meet at the Funeral Directors to collect the vehicle. Two hours later I am home, deciding not to go back to bed before work, I pour myself a large coffee and make some toast. Whilst I sit there, I contemplate... How fragile life is. Here I am drinking my first coffee of the day, about to get sorted to head into work, and the family I have just left are having the worst day of theirs. I came into their lives only an hour or so ago and yet they trust me to care for not only their loved one but them too. I’ve been trusted to care for someone so loved and valued. Many people have never had to organise/plan a funeral before, so they look to the funeral director to help them when they feel so low and vulnerable. I reassure them, I talk to them about the next steps. I become their guidance; I am now a part of their journey.

I remember going to a funeral for one of my grandparents when I was a child. I was sitting in a pew at the church with my brother and sister, and I remember trying desperately to hold my laughter in. I don’t remember what I was laughing at; probably something one of my siblings had done. I just remember feeling like I couldn’t let anyone know I was laughing because I was at a funeral and it was wrong to laugh at funerals. Fast forward 20 years to 2021, when I went to the funeral of one of my friends who had sadly passed away. They played a light-hearted video montage of him, his loved ones read humorous eulogies and I found myself laughing through my tears. I’d been dreading the funeral, but it really was more of a celebration of his life, and when I look back on it I remember these moments more than the overall sadness of the day. This leads on to our blog topic today; do funerals have to be sad occasions? The traditional funeral is generally thought of to be a serious occasion. Black is commonly worn in mourning for the person who has passed away, and people feel that smiling, laughing, or appearing happy in any way can seem disrespectful to both the deceased and their grieving family. However, a lot of modern funerals are focusing more on celebrating the life of the deceased, rather than mourning their loss. Family and friends are encouraged to share happy memories of their loved one and reflect on the way they lived, rather than dwelling on the fact that they’re gone.

Yoga, with its combination of movement, breathing, meditation and mindfulness, has long been thought to help improve mental health when practised regularly.

We have reached new heights this week with the publication of our five millionth notice. In recent years funeral-notices.co.uk has grown to become the go-to place for people to pay tribute to their loved ones by adding virtual candles, photographs, videos and messages of condolence. Tribute pages also come with the option to include an online charitable collection.

Forrest & Family is the newest independent Funeral Directors in the Stoke-on-Trent area. Established on High Lane in Burslem earlier this year by Lucy Forrest and her husband Lee, it was always going to be something different to the traditional concept of a Funeral Directors in every way.

To mark the start of LGBT+ History Month, I thought I would take a look at LGBTQ+ representation in one of my favourite mediums, comic books! I’ve read a lot of comic books and graphic novels over the years, but lately I have come to appreciate those that make the effort to include a more diverse cast of characters, and so I thought I would share a few of my favourite comics and graphic novels that feature LGBTQ+ representation in one form or another. There are thousands of books out there that could fit onto this list, but I only wanted to share books that I myself have read and enjoyed, and therefore could honestly recommend. They are in no particular order, and hopefully there is something here for everyone!