Tackling Ceremony Poverty with Solidarity Ceremonies
Funeral poverty has been getting increasingly worse each year. Sun Life produces a report annually on the Cost of Dying and they estimate one in people five people / families paying for a funeral will get into financial difficulty. As the North East region is one of areas most affected by poverty and inequalities, funeral poverty is likely to be experienced by more than one in five here.
As a Community Celebrant, I recognise it is not enough to only offer high quality celebrancy to those who can afford to pay. Doing so is not in line with my inclusive values. However, it is not sustainable to completely waive the cost of funeral celebrancy - doing so would close my practice down. To solve this concern, I have developed a community initiative called Solidarity Ceremonies.
Solidarity Ceremonies is a pay it forward scheme covering celebrancy costs, in part of in whole, for folk in financial need organising a funeral or memorial ceremony. The option to pay it forward will be offered to all my clients, with no pressure, expectation or judgement. Anyone, client or not, is welcome to contribute any amount they choose. If YOU would like to contribute in solidarity with people facing financial stress and grief, please get in touch. As well as offering funeral and memorial celebrancy funded by your contributions, I will gift my time to trusted organisations organising wedding ceremonies for people with terminal or life shortening illnesses.
I will proactively work with peers in trusted organisations to get subsidised and gifted celebrancy support out to people. Please do not approach me directly to deliver a subsided ceremony for you. I ask this only because I do not have capacity to run my practice and receive unplanned requests for support.
Promoting Funeral Choices
There is a shortage of information on funeral choices presented solely in the best interests of people, families and communities. I commit to promoting genuine funeral choice through partnership work, community engagement, and providing information to the public. I will focus on three main goals:
Information on funeral choices that help alleviate poverty, such as do-it-yourself funerals and low-cost coffins.
Information on funeral choices that reduce the cost to the earth, such as natural burial.
Information encouraging people to choose the arrangements they want after death and make a plan to have their wishes realised.
I am keen to collaborate with people with similar goals and good values. If you are an interested community worker, health worker, or practitioner associated with death and dying, I would love to hear from you. I would be particularly keen to speak with community groups about the importance of planning ahead - do please get in touch.
Further Information and Support
These names of national level groups and organisations associated with death are provided with a brief explanation of what they do. To learn more, please use the title as an online search term. This will ensure you find their most up to date contact details.
Child Bereavement UK - an organisation that supports children and young people affected by bereavement.
Death Café - a movement encourages people to hold open and non-directive conversations about death. Death Café provides guidelines on how to facilitate these conversations.
Down to Earth - a helpline and support service from Quaker Social Action that helps people in funeral poverty.
Dying Matters / Hospice UK - a coalition of organisations that support end of life planning. They organisation information for the public as well as Dying Matters Week each year.
End of Life Doula UK - a membership organisation for end of life doulas (also known as death doula or death midwife) and provides information on how to get support from a doula.
Gift of a Wedding - an organisation that organises weddings at short notice when one member of the couple is close to the end of life.
Good Funeral Guide - provides free and independent information and advice for people planning a funeral.
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) - Support, information, email support and helpful for people who have been affected by a suicide.
The Natural Death Centre - a charity which oversees the Association of Natural Burial Grounds, a list of most natural burial grounds in the country.
Contact Kate
Do you think our values and social purpose align well? Do you think we could work well together? If so, please a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.