It is not a requirement that a funeral is conducted by a member of the clergy or other official person. You can choose your own celebrant or funeral conductor.
In our work as independent funeral conductors we do not represent any particular belief system. More and more people find that traditional funeral ceremonies fail to reflect the personal uniqueness and spiritual beliefs of the person who has died. When death occurs many questions that have remained unspoken come to the surface and it may become evident that a traditional ceremony held within the framework of a particular faith would be uncomfortable and inappropriate.
We work with the family to understand the person who has died and to devise a ceremony especially for them, describing different aspects of their life, passions, principals, interests and beliefs. Mindful of the diversity of families and any difficulties they may be facing we seek to offer choices in order to include everyone and smooth an often rocky path.
Jane Morrell and Simon Smith are co-authors of the book WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE FUNERAL - 101 PRACTICAL WAYS TO COMMEMORATE AND CELEBRATE A LIFE.
“Really just wanted to say a big thankyou for helping us organise Mum's funeral. We knew what we didn't want but didn't have any idea how to go about getting what we did want. You made it possible, and we all felt contented and peaceful afterwards.” Maureen Hutchinson
Jane Morrell
Jane founded green fuse in 2000 with a vision to use the beauty and ancient meaning of the flower to bring people into ceremony and ritual at important times of their lives. After training and practicing as a registered nurse she pursued her deep love of nature through a career in horticulture with the National Trust. Her own experience of being stopped from going to her own father's funeral when she was ten and the subsequent silence concerning his death gave Jane an interest in marking life's passage through ceremony. She trained in Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy in the 1990s and in ritual and celebrancy with Welfare State International in 2003-2004.
Jane's manner is warm and sympathetic. She brings a strong sense of love, spirit and ritual to the ceremonies she conducts.
Simon Smith
Simon has long held an interest in how people overcome life's difficulties and move on to a sense of personal choice and freedom. He is an author on this subject and trained in Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy in the 1990s. He also practices as a trainer coach and counsellor.
Simon experienced the importance and power of funerals when his wife died in her early 40s in 1997. Having successfully created a funeral which spoke to both her elderly parents and the younger generation of friends, he felt at first hand the incredible healing power of the funeral ceremony and how a well-chosen reading and heartfelt, honest assessment of a person's life can transform the ceremony and deepen everyone's understanding of and connection to the person.
Simon is trained in public performance and speasking as well as ceremonies. Passionate about words, music and poetry, he brings to his ceremonies eloquence, a gentle sense of humour and he creates a safe place to express feelings.
Other funeral conductors
We also recognise that each funeral conductor offers a particular personality and style which needs to suit you and your particular situation. So we are also happy to offer the services of other celebrants and officiants who we know and have worked with before.
For a funeral celebrant or conductor please call us on
01803 840779 or email jane@greenfuse.co.uk
