Training Providers are
churning out new Celebrants into the market place every month!
Every couple of months or so,
I’m contacted by a new Celebrant either introducing themselves or asking for
some guidance!
And year on year, my funeral
portfolio work almost doubles!
So this week, I
decided to grab a coffee with a local North Staffordshire Funeral Director, to
ask him why he thinks our services are growing so fast!
Andrew Butcher
heads up his family owned funeral home - Hopkinson Wootton Lovatt (www.hopkinsonwoottonlovatt.co.uk)
which is based in the heart of Newcastle-under-Lyme . He’s the younger of the two in the picture
below! – and he’s got a good handle on the funeral industry and where it’s
heading.
Here are his thoughts to the questions I
asked him!
v
You and your family have been in the
funeral industry for many years. Why do
you think more and more people are favouring Civil Celebrant led services?
“Well if you turn the clock back sort of 15
to 20 years ago, there was a very strong, set tradition for a church
service. Whereas now, people tend to go
either direct to the crematorium, or to a chapel at a cemetery. It’s more appropriate in these places, to
have a Civil Celebrant, Humanist or a
Funeral Director who’ll conduct the service throughout.
People are favouring it, because it’s more
of a personal token to the deceased, rather than a member of the clergy
preaching to the congregation.”
v
When you’re with families, what triggers
you to suggest using a Civil Celebrant rather than a member of the clergy?
“As a Funeral Director, you’d take in all
the surroundings of that family, as soon as you walk into their home. You look to see if they’re committed to any
sort of church and then how you’d want to celebrate the life that’s just been
lost. This gives you the vibes for which
route you need to take the family down and what help they’ll need, to help them
say their last goodbyes to their loved ones.”
v
What’s the ‘best bit’ of a funeral led by a
Civil Celebrant?
“It’s often the personal touch that’s
always added in, or ‘off the cuff’ statements made during the service, which
brings laughter or applause. But as a
Funeral Director, we have hundreds of different contacts ranging from
Humanists, Civil Celebrants and Clergy.
You always have to remember – only use
someone if you’d be willing to let them conduct a service for your own family.”
v
What do you look for in the ‘ideal’ Civil
Celebrant?
“Well Carole, as you well know, I will not
just accept a ‘knock on the door’ from someone who introduces themselves as a
new Civil Celebrant. I like to do my
research on services they’ve done, their mannerisms, and how they conduct
themselves. They don’t just represent
themselves, but also our firm.
At Hopkinsons, we have a very high standard
which people have to work to. We would
never lower our standards and they always have to remember, that the Funeral
Director is in control of the service.
They need to work as a team in a very successful farewell for each
individual family.”
v
If you look ahead 10 years, do you see any
trends or patterns emerging for what people will want from a funeral service?
“Yes and No!
The British are very slow on change. We like tradition.
You have to remember, Humanists have only
been strong for the last 15 years and Civil Celebrants for around 4 or 5 years. People have started to notice it more. It’s all about educating families about what
they can have and what’s possible.
I feel that the next 10 years will see an
incline to Civil services being held in more public buildings. But as with most things and trends in life,
everything tends to loop round in a big circle!”
****************************
So there we have
it!
* Civil
funeral services are ‘personal’.
* They’re
not about ‘preaching’.
* And
the test for whoever you book for a funeral, is........’ only use someone if you’d be willing to let them conduct a service
for your own family.”
My thanks to
Andrew for sharing his time, his insights and his forward thinking in this developing
area.
And if you're interested in how a Civil Celebrant led funeral can really make a difference, then do get in touch: M 07723 346 820 or Email carole@sinceremoments.co.uk
Carole
And if you're interested in how a Civil Celebrant led funeral can really make a difference, then do get in touch: M 07723 346 820 or Email carole@sinceremoments.co.uk
Carole
