By Mara Daykin
Humanist funerals are becoming increasingly popular across the UK offering a way to say goodbye to loved ones who lived a life without any religious influences. The service has a keen focus on remembering the persons life and reflecting on relatives and friends memories. Oxfordshire Humanist Funeral Celebrant Ian Willox has been part of a pilot project in the county, run by Humanist UK, to create a national online archive of funeral tributes. The online portal will be a place to share and immortalise any memories and life stories a family wishes to share. Ian Willox said: “The archive has proved very popular with families – partly as a way of preserving the memory of a loved one – and partly as a way of weaving those memories into our social history. “It’s the ordinary life stories that are often lost and forgotten in time. But they are probably the most important element of the archive – as the pilot demonstrated.” This is so significant because it commemorates not only those who die in a heroic or more publicised way but also all those who fought their own personal battles. The Humanist Funeral Tribute Archive has already been launched with over 50 tributes, many from Oxfordshire, with more being submitted all the time. Fore further information visit: www.humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/funeral-tribute-archive/
