Trevor is a qualified counsellor and member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, a training that gives him sensitivity and empathy in his work as a funeral celebrant.

In his misspent youth he was a priest in the Church of England, and although he changed career after gaining agnosticism, he can include spirituality and prayers in services if required (and even wear clerical robes if needed!).

Brought up in Belfast, he has maintained his accent and Irish wit. Between this and his counselling, Trevor is often called upon for services that involve either ‘comedy’ or ‘tragedy,’ where humour is required, or the death was in difficult or traumatic circumstances.

Outside of his work, Trevor is passionate about community theatre, role playing games and his local Labour Party.
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£300/350 - please speak to Trevor about his fees directly

Trevor’s website

Frances brings a warm, joyful, dynamic and compassionate style to funeral ceremonies.

She will help you to mark and honour the death of the person you love, as well as remember and celebrate their life, loves and values. In partnership with you, she will create words about life and death, write a life story, co-ordinate tributes, readings and music, and think about collective moments to celebrate and reflect. This will be an opportunity to grieve as part of a group of people who all knew and loved the person who has died.

Frances is a proud Londoner. She hails from south of the river, but now lives in West London with her husband, children, and rescue dog, Iggy. She balances work as a celebrant, with being a lecturer and presenter - all roles that involve speaking sensitively and purposefully.

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£300/£350 - please speak to Frances about her fees directly.

Frances’ website

Richard made the leap to become a celebrant after 15 years working in restaurants - so he knows a thing or two about people, and how to hold space for them. He has a BA in Creative Writing and English Literature, and an MA in Critical Theory, both of which reflect and drive his passion for literature and for language; it is essential to him that language is woven into everything he does. He also studied French, and will happily deliver parts of a ceremony written in French.

Richard lived in Melbourne for 5 years (there might be a hint of an accent), and felt so at home in that city – it offers amazing food, great arts and music and is dynamically multicultural.

Literature and language are his first loves, but yoga now competes with them for first place. The practice and teaching of yoga has taught him a huge amount about people, and about respecting individual experience. As well as retreats, workshops and physically challenging classes, he also teaches mindful and accessible chair yoga, offering sessions that are inclusive of all ages, identities and abilities. The belief that yoga is for every body and everybody is fundamental to his teaching.

Richard is a passionate, enthusiastic and joyful individual, renowned for the restorative quality of his hugs and the vibrant energy he brings to any occasion. He considers himself, whether teaching yoga or delivering a ceremony, to be a 'joy facilitator'. He firmly believes this is a vital skill in delivering funerals, combining the ability to hold space for celebration with respect and time to grieve.

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£300/350 - please speak to Richard directly

Richard’s website

Sophie creates beautiful and meaningful ceremonies that reflect and celebrate the life of your loved one whilst sensitively acknowledging your loss. She’s a careful listener, a great storyteller and always brings warmth, empathy, creative thinking and a sense of humour.

Sophie is a professional actor and has worked at the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Royal Shakespeare Company and in the West End. She pops up on the telly every now and then. She lives on a boat with her daughter, their rescue dog and their ever patient cat. They’re running out of space. She’s passionate about nature and the environment. She loves a glass of wine and playing the fiddle in and out of tune.

Sophie guides and supports people to be as involved as they feel able and facilitates authentic ceremonies where everyone feels welcome and relaxed. She believes in the power of words to heal.

Sophie was a finalist for Celebrant of the Year at the 2021 Good Funeral Awards.

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£400/450 - please speak to Sophie about her fees directly

sophieduval23@gmail.com
07767 457047

Choosing a celebrant is a difficult and personal choice to make at a time when decisions are already so tough. You will find Philip empathetic and sensitive, ready to help you shape a ceremony that reflects your beliefs and those of the person who has died.

As a writer, Philip focuses on the big questions of life. He has a strong relationship with the natural world and through the beauty of ritual and symbolism, he weaves those elements into ceremonies, enabling him to bring warmth and hope to such difficult times.

Philip’s passion for literature will support your search for the right words and music that will help you through the difficult process of saying goodbye and making sense of death in your way.

Philip was a senior producer with the BBC, has managed the Royal Opera House Creative Partnerships programme and has worked on a range of national arts and cultural initiatives for schools and young people. He mentored young offenders on a range of rehabilitation programmes and is membership secretary at the Royal Academy Keeper’s House. He has written regularly for newspapers and is the author of two books. He lives and works in London.

Whether you want a ceremony based entirely on humanist principles, or with more spiritual elements, what you create together with Philip will be a meaningful and memorable occasion that celebrates past memories and future hopes.

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£300/350 - please speak to Philip about his fees directly

Philip’s website

Hester creates thoughtful and personal funeral services, and she can guide you through the process of organising a funeral that reflects your loved one. It is very common to have multiple belief systems among the mourners and, as a humanist celebrant, Hester can accommodate these differences in a broadly non-religious ceremony.

Hester is a confident and compassionate public speaker, a prize-winning author and an experienced events organiser, committed to providing an excellent service as she works together with you to plan and deliver the funeral ceremony you require.

Hester’s interest in stories about people, and their different experiences initially took her down the road of history. Three degrees from Cambridge University later, and seven years working there as a professional historian, she is fully trained in bringing other people’s stories to life. Alongside her celebrant work, Hester is a ghostwriter, and directs the literature events for the Dulwich Festival.

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£300/350 - please speak to Hester directly

Hester’s website

Sophie is open minded and imaginative. An empathic storyteller, she celebrates difference and individuality and is flexible in her approach. Whatever your beliefs or however you choose to live your life, she will help you find a person-centred way to say goodbye.

In addition to her work as a celebrant, Sophie is variously a novelist, a magistrate in training, a mother, a swimmer, a lover of theatre, art and the natural world. She is co-founder of award-winning children’s charity Scene & Heard, where for many years she enabled children to write their own plays. She lives in East London and stomps around Epping Forest while foraging for ideas before slinking back home to bury her nose in a book.

For Sophie, every life is a story to be told. She will create a bespoke ceremony which truly reflects your loved one. She will assist you to establish a level of participation which feels comfortable for you. Poetry, readings, music and song can all be part of a personalised ceremony and Sophie will curate these elements for you, listening to your wishes at all times. Her warmth and humour along with her attention to detail and practical spirit will provide you with a safe and caring pair of hands.

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£300/350 - please speak to Sophie directly

Sophie’s website

Coming soon

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£300/350 - please speak to Deborah about her fees directly
Deborah’s website

Kate is a very experienced celebrant who has been offering personal, tailor-made funerals and memorial services since 2004.

Based in London, she meets with families to create an appropriate and meaningful ceremony. She listens carefully and with empathy, so that she can respond thoughtfully to their wishes.

Kate supports those involved to express what really matters to them so that the service truly reflects their values, beliefs and traditions. She will, with their guidance and approval, aim to provide the best service possible - whether formal, informal, celebratory or tender; offering help with choices such as music, readings and other options.

She is naturally warm, compassionate and reassuring, with a light hearted approach when needed. She brings sensitivity and kindness to all stages of the process.

Trained as a One Spirit Interfaith Minister, Kate also leads retreats, offers Spiritual Counselling, teaches meditation and Yoga Nidra.

Kate has a background in education, and is a qualified teacher.

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£300/£350 - please speak to Kate about her fees directly.

Kate’s website

Anita is a warm, empathic and experienced celebrant, who works sensitively and listens carefully - enabling families and friends to make the difficult journey from the trauma of the death, to a beautiful and meaningful farewell.

She gently guides and offers support as needed, so that the music, words and tone all resonate; honouring the life, in a way that is authentic and uplifting.

Anita comes from a diverse family background and her varied professional experience includes counselling and addiction research; project management in advertising and animal photography and most recently, 20 years of teaching and leadership in Special Needs Education. She speaks French and Italian, has written a novel and is a trained counsellor.

Anita is passionate about all types of music and is currently training to be an opera singer. She also loves spending time with family and friends and walking in nature with her dog, who she adores.

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£375/425 - please speak to Anita about her fees directly

Anita’s website

Debi specialises in blended funerals and memorials. She has combined her experience and working knowledge of diverse cultural, traditional and religious practices to give attention to detail when devising ceremonies for people, whatever their belief and background.

She has a background in education, training & development and not-for-profit management. She runs several Death Cafes for a variety of audiences, volunteers for St. Christopher's Hospice with Croydon Creating Conversations, and is accredited with the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants.

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£300/350 - please speak to Debi about her fees directly

07956 834466, serenitygdns@gmail.com

As a Humanists UK funeral celebrant, Betsy supports families and others to prepare and deliver life tributes to remember those who have died. Whilst the Humanist ceremonies she provides are non-religious, being open to the views of both believers and non-believers allows everyone to have their beliefs respected within a Humanist ceremony.

For over forty years Betsy was a speech and language therapist. The skills of listening to others, summarising needs from various view points and communicating a shared approach are skills she utilises in supporting families in times of bereavement. She was involved in the local schools and community affected by the Grenfell Fire tragedy.

Betsy is a long-term supporter of the Wildlife Trust and Shelter. She enjoys her role as a volunteer reader in a neighbourhood school as well as volunteering at a local community charity which supports families with skills needed for further education and work. She also enjoys cycling, piano-playing, cooking for her grandchildren, swimming, and singing in a community choir.

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£300/350 - please speak to Betsy about her fees directly

Betsy’s website

Emma specialises in highly bespoke ceremonies together with bereavement support. She will work with you to create a ceremony that celebrates the life of the person who has died, whilst acknowledging the extent of your loss, whatever your beliefs.

Emma is also a grief counsellor and hypnotherapist. She trains celebrants in advanced bespoke celebrancy and mentors those in practice. In 2018 won the National Celebrant Award for influencing the wider professional of funeral celebrancy.She is also a professional opera singer.

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£50 per hour - please discuss with Emma directly

Emma's website