Creating a unique, truly personal, final farewell 

My name is Helen Greenwell and I live in Hartlepool. I became a Civil Celebrant because of my interest in people and our society.             I studied Sociology at degree level and this has provided me with a strong foundation for my work, I like to hear about people’s lives and I enjoy creating a story and this role  allows me to demonstrate my creative flair.  I am a kind and empathetic person and feel it is very important to get to know the family I will be working with to ensure my service suits their choices and beliefs whether it be religious or non religious

 

I am fully committed to promoting the idea of ‘celebrating life’ so I like to incorporate appropriate life affirming readings. I spend a lot of time preparing my ceremonies and each one is individually written and. I search for suitable and relevant poems and verses and have written many of my own which families have chosen to include and I am happy to include a religious element such as prayers and/ or hymns if that is required.

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I provide a full copy of the script for you to assess prior to the ceremony and I work in partnership with other organisations involved in your ceremony to ensure a smooth worry free service.    To date I have conducted over three hundred ceremonies  since I started my business in August 2015..

 

I have an interest in life, death and bereavement in a wider scope and I like to keep up to date with research and new ways of dealing with this challenging subject. I am a supporter of the Natural Death Centre and a member of their society.

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I was trained by Civil Ceremonies Ltd, who started Celebrant-led funerals in the UK over ten years ago. The course contained very rigorous assessment of my skills and suitability for this work.