Clare Bennett - Funeral Celebrant

01/10/2026

Today is National Poetry Day.

If you Google ‘Poems for funerals’ you will be hit with 100s of different poems, many of which that have become very popular over the years.

Some are written from the perspective of the mourner, whilst others are written as though it’s our loved one speaking to us from beyond the grave.

Some are very sombre, reflecting the immense grief that is being felt, whilst others are more uplifting and some even humorous.

The right poem can set the mood for the whole ceremony, or end it with words for family and friends to take away with them. It can convey words that, at the time, may feel difficult to express.

As a celebrant, I am sometimes asked to recommend poems to families who themselves are unsure or overwhelmed by all the choice available to them. It is only through spending time with them and finding out about their loved one, their life and their passions that I can then try and make suggestions that may be suitable for them.

You may be surprised at what poems are out there, especially when it comes to hobbies and interests. I have poems for people who love fishing, knitting, drinking tea, riding motorbikes, even Everton FC….the list is endless.

I have favourite poems that I would class as my ‘go to’ poems, but I am also always on the look out for new poetry, and I love it when a family suggest a poem that I have never come across before.

This poem by James Mooney is one that I only found online a couple of days ago, and I knew as soon as I read it that it will be one that I use in the future. It seems perfect for those ceremonies of people who want people to celebrate their life rather than grieve their death.

What’s your favourite poem?

Have you a specific poem that you would like read at your funeral?

08/07/2026

☀️ A Message to Families Attending Our Services Over the Next Few Days ☀️

With the warm weather set to continue across Liverpool, we would like to offer a few simple reminders to help everyone stay safe and comfortable while attending our services.

Please remember to:
💧 Bring a bottle of water and stay hydrated.
🌳 Take a few moments in the shade if you need to cool down.
👒 Wear light, comfortable clothing where appropriate, along with a hat if you’ll be spending time outdoors.
❤️ Keep an eye on elderly relatives, young children, and anyone who may be more affected by the heat.

If at any point you feel unwell or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to speak to a member of our team. We are always here to help.

Looking after yourself doesn’t take away from the importance of the day. It simply helps ensure you can be present to honour, remember and celebrate the life of your loved one.

From everyone at Richard & Shannon Jenkins Family Funeral Directors, we wish all families attending services over the coming days a safe and comfortable time.

📍 3 Allerton Road, Mossley Hill, Liverpool L18 1LG
📞 0151 318 4660
🌐 www.rsjfunerals.co.uk

07/05/2026

Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, however a ceremony that has been created by a celebrant will provide the family to share some of their treasured memories.

05/05/2026

Talking about death and dying can be difficult, and often, people don’t know where to start.

This is a brilliant resource to get the conversation started.

04/05/2026

This week is Dying Matters Awareness Week & this year’s theme is ‘Let’s Talk About Death and Dying’.

The mission of Dying Matters is to break down the stigma and taboo of talking about death and dying. But sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start.

27% of people find it hard to talk about death with family or friends, and 30% bottle their feelings up. If we don’t talk about death and dying and bereavement, it can be harder to cope when we experience it. (This research is from polling commissioned by Celebration Day in 2025.)

As a funeral celebrant I’ve witnessed first hand the different experiences families go through based on whether they had had open conversations about death and dying with their loved ones or not. Usually, those who have had those difficult conversations feel so much more comfortable and confident about the decisions they are making as they know it is what their loved one wanted.

Death, dying and bereavement affect us all. This Dying Matters Awareness Week they are focusing on the importance of conversations about death and dying – with family, friends, employers, anyone in your life – helping you to get the conversation started.

For more information and suggestions on how to get that conversation started go to https://www.hospiceuk.org/our-campaigns/dying-matters/dying-matters-awareness-week

15/04/2026

Today marked 10 years since I conducted my first funeral.

Back then, I was still teaching part-time only having recently returned to work after having my second child. I knew I needed a change and it was a friend who was already in the funeral industry who suggested I trained to be a celebrant.

I spent some of my maternity training with UKSoc - the UK Society of Celebrants - to ensure that I could give the best ceremonies possible. Thank you to my tutor James Convery for all his advice and guidance, and to all the members of UKSoc who are a constant source of support and advice.

Just 1 month after conducting that funeral I had handed in my notice to leave at the end of the school year.

Since then, I have conducted the ceremonies of 1884 individuals - from babies born sleeping to a 108 year old.

I will never take for granted the honour I have of families welcoming me into their lives during what can be one of their most vulnerable times & sharing with me, someone who is a stranger, all their stories and memories of their loved one. There can be tears, but more often than not there is laughter and smiles as they remember all the happy times. I feel even more honoured when they tell me a story and then say ‘but you can’t include that in the ceremony!’

By the time we have finished our meeting, we are no longer strangers, and over the years, there are some families who I have come to regard as friends.

I have learnt so much about the social history of Liverpool - I could probably name every factory that could be found along Edge Lane, and every dancehall where so many relationships started.

Most of the funerals I conduct are for people I have never met, but I always hope that that is not always apparent to those attending. However, there have been times when I have met the person, and their family before. It is my greatest privilege, although one filled with sadness, to be asked by a family to work with them again.

There are also the ceremonies I have conducted for personal friends. Ones where I have fought to hold back the tears, knowing that this is the least I can do for people so special to me.

I couldn’t have done this without the support of my husband Michael, my family and my friends.

I would like to also say a huge thank you to all the funeral directors and funeral arrangers all over the city who have put their trust in me and recommended me to the families in their care, to the staff in the 11 crematoria, 2 chapels and 7 cemeteries I have worked in for showing me the ropes, and for putting up with my sometimes strange requests, to the drivers and pall bearers for their smiles and hellos.

Here’s to the next 10 years!

15/04/2026

10/04/2026

National Siblings Day is today.

If you have lost a brother or sister, you won't ever need reminding they are not here. Losing a sibling is losing shared history, a witness to your childhood, the person you expected to grow old alongside and someone who knew you before you knew yourself.

A day that recognises brothers and sisters can find you in a different ways however - perhaps in a memory, a photo, and of course in their name - always on your lips. Grief doesn't observe a calendar and sibling bereavement, though one of the most significant losses a person can experience, remains one of the least acknowledged.

Today is for you too.

You might be the one holding others up while quietly falling apart yourself. You might want to be asked more often how you are - not just “how are your parents?”

So here are some reminders - not instructions, but gentle permission slips for today, or on any day things feel hard without your brother or sister:

You have permission to feel like your grief matters, it does
You have permission to feel the loss, even if others don’t always see it
You have permission to talk about them - or not
You have permission to not be coping better
You have permission to not hold it together every day
You have permission to laugh without guilt
You have permission to take things slowly
You have permission to find your people (the ones who really listen)
You have permission to have good moments alongside the hard ones.

There’s no timeline. No “right way” to do this.
Just your way.

SLOW offer year-round bereaved sibling support for:
🌱 7–14-year-olds
🌿 14–18-year-olds
🌳 Adult siblings (18+)

Find our simple self-referral form here: https://slowgroup.co.uk/contact-us/