A partnership that began in 2014 between Funeral Partners funeral homes and the online tribute platform, MuchLoved, has enabled more than £10m to be raised for both national and local charities.
The alliance between the two gives bereaved families the opportunity to set up an online tribute page in memory of the person who has passed. Bereaved family and friends can then visit the page to contribute memories or photographs, view funeral notice information and set up a donation to a charity in memory of the deceased.
Over the past nine years, nearly 34,500 tribute pages have been set up, with donations made to over 2,500 individual UK charities. Of those, the top five beneficiaries to date are Cancer Research, which has received £706,583, followed by Alzheimer’s Society (£392,938), Woking & Sam Beare Hospices (£391,721), British Heart Foundation (£390,451) and MacMillan Cancer Support (£368,290).
Other charities to have benefited include Mind, the Stroke Association, Guide Dogs, The Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes and Young Epilepsy, as well as a raft of smaller charities local to Funeral Partners businesses across the UK.
Richard Baker, Funeral Partnerships Manager at MuchLoved, said: “We were amazed in 2021 when donations reached the £5m mark but to have reached £10m just two years later is incredible.
“It is an outstanding achievement that is testament to the generosity of Funeral Partners’ clients, as well as the hard work that is put in day after day by the teams within its branches.”
Richard continued: “The amount raised is particularly amazing given the ongoing cost of living crisis, which has significantly reduced people’s capacity to support charitable endeavours.
“Despite this, it is clear that the ability to donate to causes close to their hearts gives families something positive to focus on during the most testing of times.”
Steph Dunst, Regional Engagement Operations Executive at Alzheimer’s Society, which has benefited from the initiative, said: “In-memory fundraising not only raises money that is vital for the continued operation of our services, it also provides a secure and sympathetic place for our supporters to share cherished memories of their loved ones.”
Commenting on behalf of Funeral Partners, Marketing Director, Kelly Hailou, said: “We really value our partnership with MuchLoved because the comfort and sense of unity the online service brings families is undeniable.
“It enables them to share memories about their loved ones and can become a living tribute that can be revisited on anniversaries and other important dates, or just when someone feels the need to be closer to the person they have lost.
“Of course, another huge benefit is the money they raise for charities, which enables them to continue to provide a range of community support services and fund vital research.”
