The new Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been claimed to be one of the most infectious strains, with numbers of infections sky rocketing in the UK over the last few weeks, and there has been a lot of talk of restrictions being put back into place over the next few weeks to reduce the spread and minimise the strain on the NHS going forward. One of the main concerns with the idea of restrictions being reintroduced in the UK is where that leaves funerals, after two years of restrictions that have limited the send off of loved ones for millions of families, but it has now been reported that funerals and weddings will be exempt from any other restrictions going forward, which will be a relief to grieving families. The Times have reported that ministers have decided that the disruption caused to significant life events in the previous episodes of restrictions must be avoided, even if there are limitations made on indoor events. The government have been rumoured to lean towards guidance as opposed to legally binding restrictions that will cause disruption across the country for the fourth time in two years, and Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to make an announcement before the New Year on whether he will impose restrictions or offer guidance based on their findings on how much of a threat the Omicron variant poses on the public. Funerals are still able to currently go ahead as usual with no restrictions at all on any ceremonies or wakes and will be expected to continue as normal no matter what the outcome of the Prime Minister’s decisions on restrictions or guidance over the next few weeks.

Contrary to popular belief, anybody can actually conduct a funeral service and there are many popular alternatives to the traditional religious leaders taking services. We’re sharing some of the different people you can use to conduct a funeral service if you are looking for something more unique.

Civil celebrants

Civil celebrants are more suitable for those who don’t want to use religious motivated conductors, but you can tailor your service to add elements of religion in if you do want to add something like hymns or a reading from religious content. Civil funerals focus more on the unique needs of the family and friends, and how they want to celebrate the life of a loved one, rather than sticking to the status quo of a generic religious leading service. These kinds of funerals are becoming more popular as religion is not something that is as widely popular or followed as it once was, so these alternatives can be more suitable and more fitting for a lost loved one who maybe didn’t follow a particular religion or have religious beliefs at all. Some people may choose to add elements of religion into the service and that is welcomed just as must as non-religious settings, you have the freedom to find what works for you and fits right for the service you want to reflect and honour the person that has passed.

A member of the family or friends

As we stated above, anybody can conducted a funeral and if your loved one wanted something different or more personalised, having a family member or friend lead the service can be a fitting way to pay tribute if somebody is comfortable to do that. The role can be a lot of pressure so making sure you, or the family member or friend must be comfortable and organised in doing so, and feel that they are able to lead an organised funeral. Leading can include readings of prayers, poems and eulogies, amongst other things so making sure you are a comfortable and literate speaker is essential in taking on the position. Another option is splitting the service between several family members and friend which can take the pressure off one individual and can be a perfect way for people to feel that they have been involved and have done the loved one justice by leading the perfect tribute to them.

Humanist celebrant

This particular leader is very niche and would likely be something that is planned and vocalised by a loved one if they had the opportunity to choose what kind of service they would like. A humanist celebrant, and specifically humanism, is the belief of science as a meaning of understanding the universe and human purpose, which can be an important part of a person’s outlook on life and death, which would be considered a fitting way to celebrate and honour a person’s life when they have passed. Humanist celebrants pride themselves on being compassionate and supportive, they will meet with the family to ensure they create and lead a service that is unique and personal to the person they are celebrating. There would be no room to add religious content into the service with these celebrants, but they will offer to honour the person’s life in the way that is fitting and suitable to them.

When a loved one passes away it can be a really overwhelming time, even without all of the formalities of what needs to be done after somebody has died. However, there are a number of organisations you will need to notify as soon as possible, we’re sharing all the need to contact organisations…

Immediate Contact:

• The person’s GP
• Relatives and friends
• The funeral director
• Register office
• Employer/school
• Health professionals

Household & Bills Contact:

• Mortgage provider or landlord
• Utility companies (electricity, gas and water)
• Buildings and contents insurance provider
• Mobile phone provider
• Broadband
• TV companies

Government Official Contact:

• HM revenue and Customs for tax purposes
• Pension providers
• Passport agency
• DVLA if the deceased held a driving license
• Local council for council tax and Electoral Register

Financial Contact:

• Bank and building societies
• Insurance companies (life, car and travel)
• Credit card providers
• Solicitor
• Accountant

If your loved one has passed away you can use ‘The Bereavement Register’ to ensure that marketing calls and post will no longer be addressed to them too. If you’re not sure how to contact all of these organisations, Thomas Brothers can help you along the way with the right advice and experience to help make the process as easy as possible for you.

Visitations, otherwise know as viewings and gatherings are a popular feature that many choose to have before their funerals, burials and cremations. Cremations are no different to any other services when it comes to allowing visitations before the day of cremation. Visitations are an opportunity for families and friends to say their last goodbyes and pay respects in a more personal setting with other relatives and mutual mourners of the deceased. Typically, during visitations, the body will be dressed and placed into an open casket. These visitations usually take place before the funeral, and is usually best to hold on the day before or the day of the funeral, as those who have travelled to be there can then attend the visitation too. Families can choose the amount of time they gather at visitation, obviously at the discretion of the service holder, but usually they are more than willing to accommodate for up to a few days so that larger families and groups have had the opportunity to pay their respects. Most funeral homes will require the body to be embalmed before visitation proceedings, this is due to the amount of time your loved one is likely to have been deceased leading up to visitations and funerals. Funeral homes will want to present your loved one to you as accurately and best presented as possible. Visitations can occur in many different settings, including the private home, funeral homes will consider what is best for the body, what is best to suit the needs of the family according to their wishes and religious beliefs. Funeral homes are the most suitable and common places for visitations to occur to ensure the best presentation of your loved one, so it is important to weigh up your options in the best interests of everybody involved.  

Funerals have been classically a very similar, unchanged affair for as long as any of us can remember, but the way people live and how they want to be celebrated when they die has drastically changed in the last 3 decades. The traditional funeral is, ironically, dying out and many people are choosing new, alternative ways to have their loved ones celebrate their life after death. We’re exploring some of the popular trends and changes we are seeing in the modern day funeral.

No Black Clothing

According to studies, more than half of british people want to have an ‘unconventional’ funeral, starting with the banning of black clothing, which we has been something that has been becoming more popular for many years. Many people are opposed to black clothing at funerals and go even as far to choosing colours that represent the individual personally or themes that are reflective of a hobby or an interest that the person who has passed away loved, for example football shirts are a popular alternative.

Woodland Burials

Woodland burials are really high in popularity right now, many celebrities have been buried in woodland ceremonies, notably the late Caroline Flack was buried in a woodland setting. These high profile burials have encouraged and opened up a new avenue of burials, with many people choosing woodland burials as their preference.

No Hymns

Some people feel that hymns are dated and don’t represent them and their personality in the modern times we’re living in, music is hugely popular and we often attach ourselves to styles of music or songs we love, and that is usually what those that opt out of hymns, want to reflect in their funeral.  

The popularly known ‘Freedom Day’ that was promised to us for the 21st of June, has now been pushed back four weeks to July 19th, but what does this mean for funerals and families planning funerals during this period of postponement? We are covering everything you need to know… On June 21st some restrictions on weddings and wakes are expected to be made, but these will still be strict and limited to ensure the spread of coronavirus can be stumped and cases don’t continue to rise.

• Guest limits on wakes and funeral services will be at the discretion of the venue, depending on their covid safety guidelines will depend on what attendance numbers you can be offered.
• At wakes, people must sit on tables of no more than six, and be given table service if having food and drink during the wake.
• Funeral and wakes will NOT be restricted to a maximum attendance, however you will need to take into consideration that your venues hosting these services will only be able to cater for a certain number of people due to covid safety guidelines still needing to be met. Have a chat with your venue to get an idea of your attendance restrictions within their rules.
• The government advises that those who are hosting funerals make a thorough risk assessment ahead of the event to ensure social distancing guidelines can be met and to make sure you are abiding by the law whilst keeping your family and friends safe during this time.

For more details and to keep up to date with information, make sure you check the government website for peace of mind and clear guidelines that are expected of those hosting and planning funerals.

The cap on funeral attendance was lifted early on May 17th, but what does June 21st mean for funerals? Currently, you can attend a funeral with more than 30 people in attendance, but should still be exercising strict social distancing whilst in attendance. Although uncapped attendance, the venue of which you hold the funeral should assess the number of people that they can hold whilst following social distancing guidelines, and this should be communicated with the funeral organisers to ensure that distancing can be strictly and efficiently followed. Wakes can be attended both outdoors and indoors, but are still restricted to 30 people.

So, what changes can we expect on June 21st?

If June 21st goes ahead as projected, we could see social distancing and PPE completely scrapped, with both being optional for personal preference. We expect all guest attendance limitations on funerals, burials, cremations and wakes to be completely lifted, with attendance and planning of funerals to be easily resumed to what we were used to before the pandemic hit the UK. MP, Mr Jenrick has said: “I look forward to working with faith leaders responsible for places of worship, and those who manage venues such as funeral homes, to introduce the new arrangements in a way that continues to keep people safe.” The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has also said that in step four “we will aim to remove all legal limits on social contact and on weddings and other life events. Thomas Brothers can help you with getting all of the information you need when it comes to adhering to Coronavirus restrictions over the coming weeks before restrictions are completely lifted.