Susy's Story
"When my mum was dying, I didn't have a clue what to do because no one has ever passed in our family. She had a payment plan towards funeral expenses but there was £2,000 we had to pay on top of that.
All the family got together and it was a nightmare. We got the funeral arranged, and we got the money. But it pulled people apart rather than bringing people together, because there is that expense. And if you're not working it's even harder. If you're on a low income, it's hard."You can read more about similar stories to Susie's in a recent article our director contributed to in the Observer.
Down to Earth is a practical service helping people living on low incomes to have the funeral they want at a price they can afford.
When someone close to us dies, money is often the last thing on our minds. However, in 2008 the average cost of a funeral was £7,000. For someone on a low income, finding that money can be the first step in a downward spiral of financial difficulty and debt.
Very few people leave clear instructions or financial provision for their own funeral. Down to Earth is developing support for people during this difficult time. We want to help bereaved people to plan a funeral that honours and celebrates the life of the person who has died, but which will not have a negative effect on their own financial future.We also agree with the Natural Death Centre, that "a preparation for dying is a preparation for living". We therefore want to find creative ways of helping people think about and discuss death before they have to.
If you are interested in getting involved in focus groups or strategic partnerships to campaign for fairer funerals, please contact Shaun Powell, Down to Earth project manager via shaunpowell@qsa.org.uk or on 020 8983 5056. More information about our plans for Down to Earth can be found here. If you would like to find out more about becoming a volunteer funeral mentor, supporting bereaved people on low incomes to plan funerals, please visit the information page here and contact shaunpowell@qsa.org.uk for further details.
Visit our gallery to see photos from our launch event held on September 2nd 2010, and visit the news page for more information on the event.
