What happens after we die?
It’s a spiritual question for some. For others, it’s about what happens to our money, belongings and reputation – the mark we leave on the world.
At Beyond, it costs just £90 to make a will from the comfort of your own sofa.
Every will is checked by our in-house experts, who are on hand to answer your questions every step of the way.
So, why wait? Click here to make your will today.
At the moment, it’s absolutely crucial that everyone does their best not to spread Covid-19, for their own safety and the safety of their loved ones.
Stopping large gatherings is a big part of that — but it has consequences for funerals, which are normally a chance for family, friends and the whole community to say goodbye.
For now, funerals are still allowed in the UK, unlike some other countries. But there are strict guidelines on who can and can’t go. These are important: they help keep mourners, funeral professionals and their families safe.
Here’s what you need to know.
The government has said that only close family members and people who were living with the person who has died should attend a funeral.
Close family includes:
If a grandparent has died, their grandchildren may come to the funeral. And if the person who died didn’t have much close family, a few close friends may come instead.
But be aware that some crematoria are still limiting numbers to 10 or less mourners. This is so that proper social distancing can still be followed, even in small venues. Your funeral director will tell you before the service if there’s a limit.
We know this is hard. You want everyone to be able to say goodbye, and you’re worried that this won’t feel like a proper send-off. But small ceremonies can still be very special. And when the coronavirus restrictions are lifted, you’ll still be able to have a proper memorial service that everyone can attend.
Even if you’re a close family member, or one of the other people listed above, you should still stay home and avoid the funeral if you are:
If you’re one of the people who has to stay home, don’t feel like you aren’t doing right by the person who has died. They would want you to be safe. We have some ideas to help you say goodbye in your own way here.
If you like, there are ways to help people who can’t go to the funeral pay their respects. Here are some possibilities:
Friends and family could log on and watch the funeral service online as it happens. Your funeral director or staff at the crematoria or cemetery should be able to help you set this up.
If not, video chat services like Zoom or Google Hangouts can help. Just be aware that some free services have a time limit or a set number of people who can join.
Your funeral director may be able to change the funeral procession route so that you drive past the homes of friends and family who live locally. They can stand in their doorways, windows or driveways and clap or wave to show their respect and support.
With this option, it’s important not to forget the rules on social distancing. Make sure everyone knows to stay 2 metres apart from people not from their household.
Even if someone can’t attend, they can still have a moment of silence, light a candle or find their own way to pay tribute to the person who has died at home. It may help you all feel close to each other if you do this at the same time.
It can be very powerful to read out the names of the people who wanted to be there but couldn’t make it. Some families are doing this during an outdoor dove release, which is a beautiful way to make a small ceremony feel special.
You may like to call some people to tell them how the service went, or send emails or make a social media post with pictures. If you’ve made an order of service for the funeral, you could also share this with people who couldn’t attend. It’s okay to wait a few days or ask a friend to pass the information on for you if it’s too much to handle right now.
This is an amazing way for people who can’t attend the funeral to share memories of the person who died, write messages of support, and even upload pictures and videos of them for everyone to enjoy. You can make an online memorial page for free with us here.
Your funeral director will also have some ideas, and will be happy to talk you through them.
Losing someone you love is always overwhelming. But it’s particularly hard right now.
If you need someone to talk to
If you need help with funeral costs
75% of fundraisers think that future developments in tech will benefit them.1 They’re right to be optimistic, too — there’s plenty of advantages. But are you doing enough with the tech available to you right now?
Charities that are digitally active are far more likely to do better than those that aren’t, so you’ll want to stay in the know.2 And we’re happy to point you in the right direction. Here’s 3 ideas for digital fundraising that your charity should consider this year.
Fundraising at the street level is faltering. And it’s all down to contactless payment cards.3 ‘Tap to buy’ terminals have sounded the death knell for pocket change across the nation. But this shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a bad thing for charities.
Some, like Blue Cross, have fought back by installing digital fundraising ‘hotspots’. Their most recent campaign rewarded contactless donations with video footage of pets receiving Christmas dinner. This helped to make donations feel less transactional and more emotionally involved.
Digital ‘hotspots’ like these have made street-level donations easy to do. What’s more, they’re quick. Contactless payment gives people less time to think twice about making a donation.
Beyond’s online will-writing service is breathing new life into legacy fundraising: it’s quick, easy to do and affordable for supporters. With us, you can customise legacy campaigns with your own messaging, helping you to reach supporters who are put off at the thought of making a traditional will.
Importantly, our service also gives you access to accurate and measurable data on your legators. This includes the volume and type of gift left in each will (where applicable). Having complete visibility on your charity’s bequests allows you to budget safely for the future. You’ll be able to see GDPR-compliant information on your ‘hidden’ legators too.
The use of digital tech in everyday life is affecting donor behaviours — 54% of them now prefer to donate online. This means that, without a digital presence, you’re likely missing out on a ton of opportunities to engage your supporters!
New social media platforms are a great place to start raising awareness. Non-profit Youth Music saw enormous success through its collaboration with TikTok, which helped young musicians reach a wider audience through short video content. The use of a simple hashtag, #MusicShapedMe, made it easy for people to like and share.
Twitter and Facebook are great springboards for online engagement. But ask yourself: are they the best platform for your charity? Make sure to stay abreast of new social media that you can use to connect with supporters.
Want to find out how Beyond can help your charity? Send an email to [email protected].
1. Manifesto, The Future Charity, 2019↩
2. Third Force News, ‘Digital is booming and charities are starting to join the revolution’, 2016 [accessed through https://thirdforcenews.org.uk/tfn-news/tech-special-digital-is-booming-and-charities-need-to-take-note] ↩
3. UK Fundraising, 2019 [accessed through https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/10/08/investing-in-contactless-fundraising-can-be-expensive-but-can-you-afford-not-to/#.XaROf0ZKiUk]↩