Advice, guides & articles

During the pandemic, deaths were commonly being reported by the media as merely a number or a statistic, and it became almost too easy for them to forget that behind every number was an individual person with their own likes, dislikes, hobbies, and friends. A funeral can be a time when we remember the individual by playing their favourite music, sharing our favourite memories of them, or just looking over old pictures of their happiest times. Now there is even the option of having a personalised coffin that really shows off their personality, and we thought we would share a few of our favourites with you here.

Planning a funeral for a loved one who has passed away can be an extremely difficult thing to do, especially at such an emotional time. It can be difficult to know where to start, so here is a quick guide on what you need to do and the various options available. It is important to ask for help from friends and family where possible. Help and support from loved ones can make a huge difference, and make the planning a little bit easier for you.

Neil Jefferson has been with Reach Plc for eight years now. He came to work with the Contact Centre under Darren Minns as a Designer, responsible for print and digital advertising design. Neil's skills came into their own when it came to launching our own platform for family notices, funeral-notices.co.uk. Neil is responsible for the look of the site and worked closely with Darren and others on the concept from the original idea through to the launch. He continues to be an integral part of the development of the website. Neil now works as part of the Commercial Marketing Team for Reach Plc under Nick Copson. Neil is a big football supporter, Hull City mainly but he watches all football. He has been coaching football for 10 plus years too. When he is not watching sport he loves watching TV shows, sci-fi and murder mystery being his favourite genres. Neil also collects Lego, and in the past has made his own custom sets.

It can sometimes be difficult to express your feelings when writing a memoriam notice for a loved one who has passed away. There are many verses and poems that can be used if you’re struggling to find the right words. Here are 10 popular verses that can be used in memoriam notices:

No one sees the broken heart That lies behind the smile, No one knows the loneliness That’s with us all the while. No matter how life changes, No matter what I do, A special place within my heart Is always there for you. Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am a diamond glint of snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awake in the morning hush, I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight, I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand by my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die. In our hearts you will always stay, Loved and remembered every day. Your presence I miss, your memory I treasure, Loving you always, forgetting you never. Remembering you is easy, I do it every day, Missing you is a heartache that never goes away. Our hearts still ache with sadness, Secret tears still flow, What it meant to lose you No one will ever know. We think about you often, We talk about you still, You haven’t been forgotten, You know you never will. There’s a face that’s always with us, There’s a voice we long to hear, There’s a smile we always remember Of the one we loved so dear. I hold you close within my heart and there you will remain, To walk with me throughout my life until we meet again. If tears could build a stairway, And memories a lane, I’d walk right up to Heaven And bring you back again.

Thank you for reading. If you now want to go ahead and create your own Memoriam notice, then click on the button below to get started.

Kristina 'Tina' Cartmell is one of our longest serving colleagues, having been with the media group (now owned by Reach Plc) for some 35 years. When not at work, Tina loves eating out (or anything to do with food), socialising, walking her dog, spending time with family and holidays. Tina is just beginning to learn how to play golf.

Each month we like to take a look at the many incredible collections that are being raised here on funeral-notices.co.uk, and pick one charity out to spotlight the brilliant work they are doing, all aided through your donations. This month we wanted to take a look at the notice for Graeme Convery of Seahouses, and the collection of over £1,400 for The Bradley Lowery Foundation.

Annie manages our Customer Contact Team who handle all our Funeral Notices enquiries, and she has been with us for over six years. When she’s not working, Annie loves spending time with family, eating out, and has a new found love of gardening after purchasing her own home. Annie came to us while studying at University to become a teacher and has stayed with us, becoming an integral part of our customer focussed team.

Saint George is the patron saint of England. He is also patron saint of Malta & Gozo, Palestine, Portugal, Ethiopia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Canada and many others cities, regions and countries across the globe. He is probably most famous though for slaying a dragon. This story dates back to the Middle Ages when the dragon was used to symbolise evil in its simplest form. The story of Saint George and the dragon is one of the oldest tales of the triumph of good verses evil; kind of like we see in modern day culture in things like the Marvel comic film series.

Mental health can often be treated like the kind of taboo subject that we should only talk about in whispers behind closed doors, when in reality we should be talking about it as openly and honestly as we would talk about having any physical illness. Here’s a list of five films that talk openly and honestly about mental health, their causes, and the effects it can have on you and those around you. The Breakfast Club (1985) This probably isn’t a film you would initially think of when you are exploring the topic of mental health, but really that is all this film is about. Every character is supposed to represent one stereotype or another, but under the surface you discover peer pressure, broken homes and abuse, that all add up to give our characters some real depth and substance. Good Will Hunting (1997) This modern classic depicts two different characters, each with their own unique mental health issues, who come together and ultimately help each other move forwards. Will Hunting (Matt Damon) has a brilliant mind but suffers from depression and anxiety because of a troubled upbringing, while his therapist Sean has also been battling his own depression ever since the passing of wife. Good Will Hunting has a lot of poignant moments and some very quotable lines. The Squid and The Whale (2005) This film is less about a specific mental health issue, but more about the toll that something like divorce can have on a family, and especially on the children. It is surprisingly witty, brutally honest, and incredibly insightful. Iron Man 3 (2013) Tony Stark is a billionaire, a genius, and a superhero, but underneath all that he is still human. After the events of his world saving exploits in The Avengers (2012), Tony is suffering from panic attacks and insomnia brought on by PTSD. This is not something that Disney and Marvel needed to address in a big summer blockbuster, but they did, and they did it in a way that felt natural and that lets people know that even superheroes need help sometimes. Inside Out (2015) This animated film from Disney Pixar is a great one to explore the idea of emotions and mental health with children. Of course the film is filled with jokes and action sequences, but it also reminds us that sadness and anger are just as natural as happiness, and we should not be afraid to acknowledge and become comfortable with our full range of emotions. Thanks for reading, hopefully you will find something here that resonates with you, and if you have your own suggestions then please let us know in the comments below! If you are looking for some more suggestions, then why not also take a look at a previous film blog by clicking the button below:

As part of Reach Plc, funeral-notices.co.uk have been publishing notices in local newspapers for over 100 years. With 34 years experience in the industry, Darren Minns has witnessed many changes in that time. Darren began his career at the Hull Daily Mail after leaving school and has enjoyed every day over the last 34 years. His career began by taking a funeral notice over the phone on his first day and has progressed with the company ever since. Darren is now the Contact Centre Director overseeing Funeral Notices, Public Notices and Customer Subscriptions (print and digital) for Reach PLC. A keen gardener, Darren enjoys spending sunny evenings and weekends in his garden. He also enjoys spending time with his family and taking their two Cocker-poos on long walks in the countryside.