Sudbury funeral celebrant keen to highlight work of profession and support available as part of national campaign

An independent funeral celebrant has joined a new national campaign to highlight the work of her profession and the range of services they can offer communities.

Heather Bartsch, of Sudbury-based Your Choice Ceremonies, is taking part in the first nationwide Funeral Celebrant Day, on November 22.

The initiative aims to educate people about the choices available to them and their loved ones for their ‘final farewell’, as many celebrants expand their role to include support, such as end-of-life training and bereavement counselling.

With most people only faced with organising a funeral once or twice in their life, Heather said they might not be fully aware of the breadth of support celebrants could offer.

This includes pre-planning, explaining eulogies or how to include children in a service, suggesting content such as poems, tributes or symbolic gestures and even advising on florists, caterers, cars or alternative venues.

“Funeral celebrants can make a massive difference to someone’s journey of grief,” said Heather.

“A funeral done well has an entirely different outcome to one that has been less carefully thought about.

“Although I am fully autonomous and self-employed, I work closely with funeral directors and funeral arrangers to help ensure every service meets the needs of the family and their loved one as smoothly as possible.

“The most important thing is that death and funerals become something we talk about more openly.

“Funeral Celebrant Day is about normalising these conversations and empowering people to have the send-off that is right for them, by providing them with the choice, information and support they need.

“We want to encourage people to get in touch with their local funeral celebrants to see just what a wealth of support we can offer. We can even help you plan your perfect send-off ahead of time – don’t leave it until you’re dead, plan ahead.”