01 / Traditions
Cultural understanding
Debi has particular experience of African-Caribbean funeral practices and an appreciation of how identity, heritage and ritual can shape a farewell.
Independent funeral celebrant · London
Debi Roberts
A thoughtful approach to funerals that makes room for culture, belief and the many stories that shape a life.
Debi Lewinson-Roberts is a funeral celebrant and bereavement facilitator with a particular understanding of African-Caribbean traditions and ceremonies that bring together different cultural or spiritual perspectives.
Her approach
Culture, traditions and individual stories
Ceremonies
Funerals and memorials
Celebrant services
From £325
Getting to know Debi
More than one way to remember a life
Our histories, beliefs and relationships are rarely simple. A funeral can bring together people with different ideas about faith, tradition and what a farewell should look like.
Debi draws on her knowledge of religious and cultural practices, together with her experience of African-Caribbean funeral traditions, to help people explore a ceremony that reflects the person who has died.
That might mean honouring familiar customs, weaving together elements of different traditions, or finding an approach that feels personal without following a prescribed format. The starting point is a conversation about the person, the people gathering and what matters to them.
Good funeral ceremonies pay attention not only to what is said, but to whose voices are heard and which traditions matter.
Working with Debi
Thoughtful in the details
Each ceremony begins with a different life. These are some of the things Debi brings to the process.
02 / Beliefs
Room for different perspectives
She works with ceremonies informed by different religious, spiritual and cultural traditions, including occasions where people do not all share the same beliefs.
03 / Conversation
Listening to what matters
Her wider work facilitating conversations about death and loss informs the way she approaches sensitive subjects and personal histories.
Beyond the ceremony
A wider understanding of grief
Debi's involvement in conversations and research about bereavement is an important part of what makes her work distinctive.
Creating spaces for conversation
Debi has facilitated Death Cafés and online Loss Cafés, including spaces for people from Black African and Caribbean communities to talk about grief, death and bereavement. She has also volunteered at St Christopher's Hospice.
Research and lived experience
Her work has included contributing to research about the experiences of Black British and Black Caribbean people following a death. She was a community co-researcher on a University of Bristol study published in 2025, examining barriers to appropriate bereavement support.
Read about the researchFuneral celebrant services
Debi's fees
From £325
The fee depends on your requirements. Debi can confirm what is included, the final cost and her availability when you discuss the ceremony with her.
Contact Debi
Introduce your plans
You're welcome to email Debi to explain a little about the funeral or memorial you're considering and ask whether she may be the right celebrant for you.
Email Debi serenitygdns@gmail.comA few practical questions
Working with Debi
Does Debi only work with African-Caribbean traditions?
No. Debi works across different beliefs and backgrounds. Her understanding of African-Caribbean funeral practices is a particular area of experience, rather than a restriction on the people she works with.
Can we include elements of different religious or cultural traditions?
Debi has experience of ceremonies involving different beliefs and traditions. Tell her what you have in mind so she can discuss what might work and how the elements could sit together.
Can we contact Debi before deciding?
Yes. You can email Debi with an introduction and ask about her approach, availability and fees before deciding whether to book her.
Does Poetic Endings have to arrange the funeral?
No. Debi is an independent celebrant. If Poetic Endings is arranging the funeral, we can work with her to coordinate the ceremony and practical details.
Choosing the person who will lead a funeral is a personal decision. You can meet more of the independent celebrants we recommend in our London directory.
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