Archives for 2014 | Brighton Funeral Directors

Pauper’s Funerals on the Rise

Philip Evans
2nd June 2014
Categories: Brighton, Dying Matters, Hove, Hove Funeral Directors, Planning a Funeral

In the past, a “Pauper’s funeral” was a funeral paid for by the state, for those who either didn’t have enough money in their estate or family members willing to cover the costs of the burial arrangements. This was one of the earliest social welfare provisions in Britain, dating all the way back to Elizabethan times. In modern times, local government authorities are still obligated to bury those who die in destitute circumstances. The official name is “Public Health Funerals”, as these funerals are less about assuring the dignity of those who have died and more about disposing corpses in ... Read more

Tommy’s

Philip Evans
27th May 2014
Categories: Charities

Losing a baby at any time, is truly devastating and traumatizing experience for parents, and other loved ones of the child. Unfortunately, it is a rather common experience, as 25% of couples who give birth in the United Kingdom will lose their child either during the pregnancy or the birth. Tommy’s charity is focused on changing that statistic for the better–to save babies’ lives, and to spare parents the pain and suffering of loss. With today’s medical advances, Tommy’s believes it is unacceptable to have such a high rate of loss during pregnancy and childbirth. Tommy’s charity funds research through ... Read more

Body Donation Rising in Popularity

Philip Evans
21st May 2014
Categories: Dying Matters, Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

While many people continue to consider burial or cremation, others are looking into another option: body donation. In short, this is the act of donating your body to science as opposed to being buried or cremated. There is no denying that you will eventually come in contact with somebody who is interested in donating their body to science, however, they don’t know how to get started. This is much more difficult than just having their body dropped off at a local lab! The practice of body donation is highly regulated. Even though there are many advantages of body donation, it ... Read more

Neptune Memorial Reef: Deep Sea Diving for the Deceased

Philip Evans
15th May 2014
Categories: Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

The Atlantis Reef sits approximately 5.2 km off the coast of the Florida Keys. This man-made reef was originally created in 2007 as a safe-haven for marine life in the wake of so many marine reef habitats being destroyed thanks to human activity and large coastal storms, not to mention an attraction for divers and wildlife enthusiasts. However, one of the reef’s more interesting aspects is the span created as an art installation, resembling the fabled lost city of Atlantis with its spiralling gates and stone guardian lions that is set to be a final resting place for those looking ... Read more

The British Heart Foundation

Philip Evans
14th May 2014
Categories: Charities

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) works closely with families, and their funeral directors, who have lost a loved one as a result of heart disease to help them get through the grieving process. Thousands of families are left suffering, as a heart attack claims a life every seven minutes in the UK. Beyond helping families directly, BHF focuses on funding cardiovascular research that not only helps treat heart disease, but looks for ways to prevent it as well. Currently, BHF is funding research aimed at determining how a damaged heart may be able to repair itself. Funeral directors and families ... Read more

Balinese Funerals

Philip Evans
7th May 2014
Categories: Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

Often referred to as one of the most spectacular and interesting Balinese ceremonies, the “Ngaben,” or cremation, is a religious rite of Hindu descent, although it’s quite a bit different to death ceremonies found in India. In order for the deceased’s soul to move on to the afterlife and into the ancestral divine realm, a number of funerary rites and rituals must be carried out to rid the dead of all of their earthly impurities, and no expense is spared in a ceremony which involves the entire community. Several stages within the funerary rites denote the purity of the dead. ... Read more

Dargavs’ City of the Dead Holds Centuries of Mysteries

Philip Evans
15th April 2014
Categories: Brighton, Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

Agricultural prosperity, Christian churches, and the City of the Dead attract tourists from all over Russia. In North Ossetia, there is a village called Dargavs, which has a peculiar history behind it. The City of the Dead, as the village is known, is the location where people who lived in surrounding valleys buried the ones they loved. Nearly 100 ancient stone crypts can be found in this cemetery – turned town. This open air museum for Ossetians stretches for seventeen kilometers and gives an understanding of how their ancestors lived more than 400 years ago. Belongings and clothes are also ... Read more

Do You Know What Funeral Music Your Loved One Wants?

Philip Evans
15th April 2014
Categories: Brighton, Dying Matters

Would you know what hymn or song your loved one would want played at their funeral? If not, you are not alone, more than seven out of ten people in a recent survey said that they were not certain. Popular Funeral Songs In a previous survey of the nation’s top 10 most popular contemporary funeral songs were – “My Way” by Frank Sinatra “Time to Say Goodbye” by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler “Over The Rainbow” by Eva Cassidy “Angels” by Robbie Williams “You Raise Me Up” by Westlife “You’ll Never Walk Alone” ... Read more

Workplace Bereavement

Philip Evans
6th April 2014
Categories: Dying Matters

The National Council for Palative Care, The Dying Matters Organization, and the National Bereavement Alliance recently teamed up to study how employers and workplaces handle the bereaved. The study worked with four thousand individuals and what they found out is startling. The Results of the Study According to the report, the country’s employers are doing their employees a massive disservice. Among other things, this report reveals: One third of those who have dealt with the loss of a loved one within the last five years do not feel that their employers handled the matter well. Half of those polled said ... Read more

Bereavement Workplace Leave.

Philip Evans
26th March 2014
Categories: Dying Matters

The debate over employee sanctioned bereavement leave is a difficult one. On the one hand you have people who insist that bereavement leave should be a standard part of the employee benefit package, like maternity leave. On the other, you have those who say that regulating bereavement leave is much trickier and will be more difficult for businesses to implement and should be left well enough alone. They are both kind of right and kind of wrong. Bereavement and Maternity Leave Expectant mothers and fathers can count on being given at least a few weeks (though, in most cases it ... Read more

Year: 2014