By raising monies for our Funeral Fund, we aim to provide financial help for those most in need in society living in Scotland, who have been impacted by the increasing effect of funeral poverty.
As we continue to raise funds, raise awareness of this social issue, liaise with Funeral Directors and local authorities, we hope to ultimately have an impact on reversing the tide of funeral poverty in Scotland.
Our Funeral Fund is set up to assist those people living in Scotland, who struggle to meet the cost of a funeral. The initial payments are to provide a Humanist Celebrant free of charge, but as the Fund grows, we will be able to provide additional monies to cover the cost of some or all of the funeral.
We are always looking for assistance with donations to our Funeral Fund, but from time-to-time we do hold fund raising events. If you would like to take part in one of our future fund raisers or have an idea of your own then we would love to hear from you.
As well as helping those most in need with funeral costs, we have to make sure the Funeral Fund is not only accessible, but that it is also sustainable. We liaise directly with Funeral Directors, local governments and other charitable organisations. We also ensure that the funds we provide are non-profit distributing i.e. organisation owners cannot profit from your loss.
When combined with bereaved people’s sense of disorientation, potential inexperience in arranging funerals, and a natural desire to ‘sort it out quickly’, this can all result in many people buying funerals they cannot afford and taking on unmanageable and devastating debt.
The average debt taken on by people who struggled to pay for a funeral in 2020 was £1,751.
Funeral poverty can also have a hugely detrimental impact on people’s emotional wellbeing. Whilst arranging a funeral, bereaved people can experience a broad range of emotions, including a need to provide the person who has died with a meaningful tribute. This can lead to anxiety about ‘getting it right’ and, if there are limited funds, an overwhelming sense of guilt, distress and shame.
Please read The Story of Funeral Poverty to find out more.
We work closely with a select number of funeral directors throughout Scotland, who help to identify those who may be at risk of being a victim of funeral poverty.
Part of our ethos at Thistle Ceremonies SCIO is to ensure that the monies raised to help with funeral poverty are used for non-profit distributing purposes. This means the organisations who receive monies from our Funeral Fund cannot simply use the funds to benefit shareholders or company directors, instead the funds are used to enhance the service they provide to grieving families.
You can decide to donate from set amounts of £5, £10, £20, £30 or choose a different amount if required.
