Funeral choices - making your wishes known

You can spare your loved ones the stress of deciding what you would have wanted at your funeral by recording your wishes in advance.

You can include these wishes in your Will, or record them in greater detail by drawing up an 'advance funeral wishes' document.

On this page:

Drawing up your advance funeral wishes
Involving children
Useful contacts

Drawing up your advance funeral wishes

You can draft your own document, listing everything from your choice of burial or cremation, to any specific poems or other readings you would like - and who you'd like to read them.

You can download a form here:

Advance funeral wishes form

This document must be signed and witnessed, and you should review it regularly. It should also be kept somewhere safe, ideally with your Will.

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Involving children

Children are often extremely sensitive to the tension and distress experienced by adults anticipating the death of a loved one.

Exactly what they understand and how they respond will vary according to a number of factors, such as their age, previous experience and individual personalities. However, it is always important to talk to children openly and honestly, to help them understand what is happening - and why.

There are a number of organisations that can help you prepare children for the death of someone close to them, either by offering advice or providing practical support such as picture and story books.

There are also some special helplines for teenagers and young adults who want to talk through their feelings about an expected death or any aspect of bereavement.

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Useful contacts

Child Death Helpline - supports any child affected by a death.

Tel: 0800 282986
Lines are open Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 1.00pm and until 5.00pm on Wednesdays only; and from 7.00pm to 10.00pm every day

www.childdeathhelpline.org

Cruse Bereavement Care - provides one-to-one and other support to any bereaved person.

General helpline: 0844 477 9400
Young person's helpline: 0808 808 1677

Lines are open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.00pm

Email: helpline@cruse.org.uk
www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk

Winston's Wish - supports children affected by the death of a parent or a sibling - and those caring for them.

Helpline: 08452 030405
www.winstonswish.org.uk

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