83% of people do not want conventional funeral, study finds

The coronavirus pandemic may be forcing people to rethink how death should be marked goodbye, with 83% of people claiming they do not want a conventional funeral, according to new research from Life Ceremonies.

The Life Ceremonies survey of 2,000 adults across the UK, found that 85% of people thought it would be a good idea to hold a separate memorial ceremony after the restrictions are eased.

It also found that 65% of people in the UK have been thinking more about death since Covid-19.

The survey found that the most unconventional burial people are interested in involves planting ashes with 73% saying they would be keen in becoming a tree.

Phil Walder, founder of Life Ceremonies, said: “It wasn’t a surprise to us that most people wouldn’t choose a conventional funeral for themselves, but it’s taken Covid-19 to force change on us.

 “The problem of course is that when a person has just been bereaved they’re grieving, and they usually only have a few days to arrange the funeral. Completely understandably, they follow the traditional route and do what’s always been done.”

He added:  “There have been so many restricted funerals now, and many people haven’t been able to grieve properly. I think this is going to create huge demand for memorials, and that’s ultimately what’s going to make people realise that they don’t have to do things the conventional way.”