Elaine Sanderson | Funeral Celebrant

I am honoured to support you and lead you in this ceremony: your last gift to your loved one.

As a language teacher at secondary level, my whole career has been dedicated to creating an environment in which individuals’ needs are met, moving them forward even when it’s difficult or there are emotional barriers. My skills honed in that role are: pace, timing, understanding, problem-solving, organisation, research, creativity, and compassion, all of which I have in abundance, with the helping of a sense of humour – much needed, I can assure you!

What led me to this new vocation? Was it the emotional resilience I found when my mother died quickly of cancer in the first lockdown, when care and support was at its most scarce, when the reality that death is not like in the films hit me? Was it when I was caring for my father, with Alzheimer’s, watching the slow deterioration, but still finding something to smile about, be positive about? Or before then, when counselling students, or supporting staff as “Director of Welfare” or, further back, dealing with personal losses, including death by suicide?

The process of learning and developing has been decades long and I am now ready to support you in your grief. I have the compassion, understanding, practical and creative skills needed for the perfect ceremony for your loved one. I am a dedicated celebrant, and your and your family’s and friends’ needs will be my top priority as I undertake your ceremony.

Humour has been mentioned before. We all need it, even at these times, and maybe especially at these times. I have managed many difficult situations with a splash of humour, supporting resilience and easing tensions. I have even dressed as Mary Poppins, Professor Umbridge and Cleopatra in my time and have masqueraded as a witch, speaking a form of Latin to “Dumbledore” on the phone to add authenticity to a Harry Potter summer school. In short, I am open to participating in whatever theme you may like, such dressing in favourite football team colours (but may have to sneak out the house so my husband doesn’t see, if it’s not Grimsby Town). What ideas do you have? We could brainstorm some and see what we come up with!