We are truly inclusive

When it comes to organising a funeral, each service we arrange is individual and specifically tailored to that particular person. Over the past 20 years, we have fulfilled many requests and, if we can’t help ourselves, we usually know somebody who can. For instance, we supported a family with Greek heritage recently and introduced them to a celebrant with a similar background. It meant that the service was tailored in a very special way.

We have established good relationships with local church ministers. This means that, if somebody wants a religious element to a service and doesn’t have an existing church they attend, we do our best to match them with a minister who suits their needs.

In addition, we have organised funerals for people of many different religions and will talk to our local contacts to make sure the religious parts of the ceremony are carried out correctly. We always talk to families about their cultural or religious traditions and sometimes this might include us following different rites or mourning customs for our families. In these cases, we partner with cultural or faith leaders for guidance when needed.

Recently, we worked with one family to hold a smudging ceremony. This is a Native American practice that involves burning sacred herbs to cleanse and purify a space (object or person). It is often performed at funeral services, as well as when someone is born or during times of crisis.

Here at Tester & Jones, we also have plenty of experience supporting families from myriad backgrounds – from pagan and traveller families to green funerals and people from our LGBTQ+ community. We absolutely pride ourselves at Tester & Jones in being truly inclusive.