Testimonials

Cindy Groves | Family & Funeral Celebrant

I trained as a civil celebrant in 2014 and have loved being a celebrant from the start.  It is the interaction with humanity that brings me joy.

I get the most satisfaction from a funeral, but a good wedding is uplifting and helps to ring the changes.

In 2018 I trained as an end of life doula.  I find that this informs my work and is a useful adjunct to the funeral side of my business.

The U K Society of Celebrants is a good organisation, the mentors and team are supportive and a pleasure to work with.

I am regularly complemented on the quality of my work and this is down to a thorough training and ongoing advice from my colleagues.

Take a look at Cindy’s celebrant profile

 

Julia Hill | Family & Funeral Celebrant

For close on five years now, I have been working as a family and funeral celebrant. With excellent training in place by UKSOC and a trusted mentor always available if needed, I have been privileged to conduct ceremonies for folks from all walks of life, all situations. The sharing of these stories is always a great privilege – and in this my life story is enriched beyond measure. This has truly changed my life.

Choosing to train through the United Kingdom Society of Celebrants, has by far been the best and most life changing decision I have ever made. The training and mentor-ship are of the highest quality, and ongoing support means I never have to face a situation without being prepared. UKSOC remain committed to excellence on all levels and push me as a member to always go above and beyond; remaining committed to what I do on every level.

Take a look at Julia’s celebrant profile

 

Jane Grayer | Family & Funeral Celebrant

I spent some time comparing the courses that were offered by each of the celebrant organisations and looked at what kind of ongoing support was mentioned by them all. In the end I decided to go with UK Society of Celebrants as they offered a range of different ways to study and seemed to have ongoing support and an active peer support network. I knew I’d made the right choice when I started talking to my tutor and realised that he would tailor the course to reflect my previous experience, focusing more on the areas that were new to me. I felt that it was possible to take this huge step, and my tutor encouraged me with honest feedback and ideas.

The distance learning worked really well for me as it could fit around my other commitments. My tutor would always find a time to connect that worked for me – even if it was early morning or later in the evening. The course itself is intense but also really enjoyable. I looked forward to my sessions with my tutor and could feel my confidence growing as I gained experience in writing and delivering ceremonies. The peer support is great – a fab way to get advice and sharing experiences. It also really good to be able to give clients and funeral directors the peace of mind that being part of an umbrella organisation brings – knowing that if anything happened to me one of my colleagues would step in to deliver my ceremony on my behalf – no fear of being let down at the last minute.

I really enjoy the opportunities that I have had to meet other UK Soc celebrants in person and to take part in workshops and discussions – ongoing training opportunities are so useful. Its great to be part of an organisation which prizes individuality and sees me as an individual while making sure everyone has a robust training which gives our clients complete confidence in our ability to create and conduct the perfect ceremony for them

Take a look at Jane’s celebrant profile

 

Debbie Bairstow | Family & Funeral Celebrant

In 2017 I began my Funeral Celebrants training with UKSOC.

I travelled to Manchester for a days one on one training which was excellent, allowing me to firstly meet my tutor, ask lots of questions and get a feel for my new role. I had an understanding of bereavement and funeral directing, but writing ceremonies was a whole new ball game.

My tutor is a very positive person, allowing me to progress at my pace.  The tutor always gave excellent advice and pointers in ways to improve the assignments, if something was not quite right, after tutorials and re work the assignments became easier to write, adding strength, meaning and compassion within the content, often leading to laughter and tears.

I now have the confidence to write ceremonies which are individual and special for the family and deceased, which means that none of my ceremonies are the same in anyway at all.

Another huge part of the training is the delivery!  The tutor’s proactive approach and encouragement boosted my confidence, enabling me to stand up in public to deliver my ceremonies with correct pitch, pace and feeling.

In 2018 I decided to take on the family side of things. I was assigned a different tutor for this adventure.

Again, training was done at my speed and availability for tutorials

The tutor is very dynamic in her approach to ceremony delivery.  Obviously having written and delivered funeral ceremonies it was a case of learning to write for happier times, also to realise the opportunities to help people realise their dreams for a special day.

The tutor helps her students think beyond and outside the box, making anything possible.

I would highly recommend joining UKSoC  because they offer a very high standard of training producing individual Celebrants who go onto offer bespoke ceremonies of the highest standard. Plus, your tutors, who become friends are there for you after your training is complete, always there to advice and help.

Take a look at Debbie’s celebrant profile

 

Jane Arnold | Family & Funeral Celebrant

I remember how nervous I was when first contacting UKsoc, as I had no idea what would be expected of me. My tutor James was incredibly helpful, he explained everything and I was able to complete my Family and Funeral Diplomas online whilst I continued working. Skype sessions, emails and phone calls meant that I was supported throughout. I was surprised at the depth and detail of these courses. In the Funeral diploma, James helped me consider how I could best connect with grieving families and taught me how to ask the relevant questions needed to write a good Eulogy. In the family diploma, I was challenged to ‘ think outside the box’ so I am now able to offer unique and unusual ceremonies for my families and couples. The practise I gained through performing a ceremony ‘ live on Skype’ was an invaluable help for when I officiated my first ceremony.

The standards expected of a UKsoc Celebrant are high, so I feel proud to be a member. I continue to appreciate the support given by fellow celebrants and tutors, they help me be a trustworthy and professional celebrant. I am proud to be a UKsoc Celebrant and I love my job!

Take a look at Jane’s celebrant profile