What if I don't want a funeral?

I was talking to my old aunt and she said she wasn’t going to have a funeral, she wanted to donate her body to medical research instead. She said she had never wanted a funeral, that they were a waste of money and she could just go to the local medical school.

Sounds a good idea? Or does it?

Most people who request their body be donated to science sadly do not have their wish fulfilled. Medical schools have many criteria to be met before they will consider taking a body in, and decisions have to be made quickly. Sometimes it is just not possible to get decisions made in time, if you die at a weekend for example.

So what other options are there if you don’t want a funeral?

There is no legal obligation to have a funeral, only to dispose of the body. An increasingly popular choice is to have a ‘direct cremation’ this means that your body will be taken into cool safekeeping by your funeral director, they will get the necessary paperwork sorted out, for a cremation this means two doctors (or just the Coroner) have to examine you and sign some paperwork agreeing that you are dead and that no foul play is suspected, also to check for pacemakers and anything else that could blow the crematorium up.

Your funeral director will then take you off early one morning to a crematorium and bring the ashes back to their office, or your relatives, so that you can dispose of them at your leisure. You will note that there is not a ceremony and no mourners are allowed at the crematorium.

Of course your relatives are at liberty to have whatever kind of memorial get together that they want, but your body is no longer there, just your ashes.

This method is inexpensive and can be a very good way to dispose of your body.

The last ‘Direct Cremation’ we did cost the family around £1300 which included meeting with family, doctors fees, dealing with all necessary paperwork, simple coffin (maybe cardboard), transportation, cremation and scattering of ashes.

You will have heard many stories about the incredible cost of funerals. FUNERALS DO NOT NEED TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE. Our family company tries very hard to keep costs transparent and low, to ensure you have all you need for a dignified send off, without having frills and fuss that you don’t want (but we can do frills and fuss if you want it!)

For more information on low cost but dignified funerals in the Wyre Forest and surrounding areas contact Attwood Funerals.