By Ali Haines
At MuchLoved, we work hard to provide the best possible service to our partners, but at the heart of what our charity does are the bereaved families that need support.
Our tribute pages are much more than a tool for managing online donations or funeral collections. They can offer your supporters long-term bereavement care by giving them a beautiful, dedicated place to remember that special person.
Many MuchLoved tribute pages are created by funeral directors as part of their service to the family and are integral to the funeral organisation. The Funeral Notice feature on the tribute helps bereaved families to share funeral details with their wider family and friends. It also provides a place to share a live streaming link, for those not able to attend in person, and to post the Order of Service, which is often a carefully and lovingly crafted tribute in itself.
Once the funeral is over, the funeral details can be archived (we do this automatically for our funeral partners) so they are no longer the focus of the tribute page but can still be found in the tribute page Galleries.
In the weeks, months and even years after the funeral, tribute pages give families a dedicated place to remember that special person. They offer a beautiful, unique space to share stories and thoughts about their loved ones, or to post photos and videos as a way of sharing precious memories. Many bereaved people find comfort in lighting candles, and return to the page every year on their loved one’s birthday, for instance, to light a new candle. Wherever they are in the world, friends and families can connect and celebrate, and commemorate the life of the person they’ve lost.
Families can now organise events through their tribute page, for example, a memorial walk or a special meal, serving their loved one’s favourite dishes, to commemorate them. Many also continue to donate to their chosen charities for a long time afterwards, and may even organise fundraising events through their page. We’ve seen family skydiving days, walking challenges, fun runs, and gala dinners, to name but a few - all fundraising for amazing causes and allowing the family to do something positive in the face of their loss.
Online tribute pages continue to grow in popularity. Last year, over 62,000 MuchLoved tribute pages were created, meaning an average of more than 5,100 families each month set up a special place to remember their loved one, often with the help of their funeral director or a charity close to their hearts. Tribute pages can remain open for as long as the family wishes, free of charge.
Tribute pages also play a key role in driving in-memory donations and fundraising. Since MuchLoved was founded we have donated over £130 million to good causes, raising £25 million in 2022 alone, thanks to the generosity of families and our partnerships with charities and funeral directors. To date over 6,000 charities, community organisations and other good causes have benefited from these in-memory donations.
If you'd like to find out more about working with MuchLoved, and how you can offer this valuable service to your supporters, please contact us at 01494 722818 or email us at support@muchloved.com.
