Matt Golding: Myth busting funeral facts

By Matt Golding MattGolding

It’s often thought that funerals are strictly traditional affairs. For many, this may feel right for them, but it’s easy to forget that a funeral is a celebration of the end of your life. With the right amount of planning, you can ensure that your funeral is personal to you and make the process easier on your loved ones.

Between Monday, May 8 and Sunday, May 14, Lincolnshire Co-op is supporting Dying Matters Awareness Week to encourage people to think about the future.

Uncertainty about what a funeral involves is one reason why people don’t like to talk about death, so I have debunked some of the most prominent funeral myths…

You must have a traditional coffin

The more you plan your funeral, the more you can tailor yours to suit you. Lincolnshire Co-op offers a variety of coffin choices, including eco coffins such as bamboo, willow or cardboard. You can even decorate yours to add a truly personal touch.

Hearses are the only transport you should use

Just like a coffin, you can use any vehicle you like. We’ve known people to even have opted for their coffin to be transported in a specially adapted motorcycle sidecar, fire engine and double decker bus. Our funeral teams can offer a wide range of transport from a high-quality fleet of vehicles.

You have to go to a funeral to pay your respects

These days there are many ways you can share your messages of condolence no matter where you are in the world. Our online obituaries provide a place for people who were unable to attend a funeral to pay their respects, and is a permanent fixture that you can keep revisiting. Also, funeral can be observed via a web-link from some crematoria.

Your body must be kept in the funeral home

Your body can be kept at home before your funeral if you wish. If this is your wish, we advise embalming which drastically slows down the natural decomposition process and in these days where delays between the death and funeral are common, the modest cost of embalming gives great peace of mind to the bereaved family.

Funerals have to be expensive

Lincolnshire Co-op is committed to helping people find a funeral they can afford. We’ve signed the Fair Funerals Enhanced Pledge to help tackle funeral poverty by keeping our prices well below the national average and just under the local average. We share details of our prices with customers through our website

Funeral plans are also a way of spreading the cost of a funeral, giving you the option to pay in instalments.

It’s difficult to think about death, but talking to others and getting advice from your local funeral home is a good place to start.

Visit your local Lincolnshire Co-op funeral home or attend a coffee morning in your area to find out more about Dying Matters Awareness Week and current offers on funeral plans.

Matt Golding is from Lincolnshire Co-op's Tritton Road funeral home.