New bereavement support service launches in Edinburgh

A not-for-profit funeral director has launched Caledonia Funeral Aid which aims to provide an extra support system for recently bereaved people in Edinburgh.

Caledonia Funeral Aid is an extension of the work of Caledonia Cremation – a social enterprise funeral directors set up to fight funeral poverty by offering not-for-profit cremations.

Since its inception in 2018, it has been supporting Scots facing the additional stress of not being able to afford a funeral. During that time, the social enterprise found the support required wasn’t just financial, but practical and emotional too.

Co-founder John Halliday said: “We have learnt that just providing a not-for-profit funeral wasn’t enough – people needed more. By setting up Caledonia Funeral Aid– we will provide full emotional and practical support to the recently bereaved.

“We will provide a trained coach and funeral support worker to help Edinburgh residents who have experienced a bereavement in the past 6 months This support will focus on their emotional needs. We will deeply listen to their needs and give them a safe and trusted place in which to discuss their loss and the impact on their lives.”