Funeral home in Oldham to host Memorial Service for National Grief Awareness Week

Staff at Oldham Co-Op Funeral Care: Cara Heald (Funeral Arranger), Rebecca Shipley (Funeral Director), Sarah Willacy (Funeral director), Karen Brown (Funeral Director) and Ruby Johnson (Funeral Service Crew)

Colleagues from the Co-op Funeralcare in Oldham have announced plans are underway for a special Memorial Ceremony set to take place at the end of National Grief Awareness Week.

The event is scheduled across two nights, Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th of December, and will honour loved ones lost during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hosted at the Oldham Co-op Funeralcare chapel, the service will be led by local celebrant Lisa Bancks, with support from colleagues at the funeral home.

The service, which seeks to cater to all beliefs, will give members of the local community the opportunity to reflect on the loss of their loved ones. ‘In Loving Memory Of’ cards will also be available for those wishing to write a message to their loved ones, which they can then place onto Oldham’s memorial Christmas tree.

In addition to the service, colleagues at the funeral home will provide refreshments to those in attendance, whilst a local band will be playing Christmas themed music.

Attendance at the service is free of charge, however, donation boxes will be available for those wishing to help colleagues at the Co-op funeral home raise funds for two long-standing charity partners, Cancer Research and mental health organisation Mind.

Those wishing to participate in the Memorial Service are encouraged to get in touch with staff at the Oldham Co-op Funeralcare to book their seats and share the name of the loved one they had lost during the pandemic, in order for their name to be read out during the service.

Funeral Director Rebecca Shipley said: "Each year, we host a memorial service to celebrate the lives of those no longer with us. Like many other communities across the country and around the world, many in our community have lost a loved one during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We wanted to mark the end of National Grief Awareness Week this year with a special memorial service that will honour those we have lost and reflect on their impact on our community." 

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