Planning & Support
Planning and support
Plan ahead, record funeral wishes, and find bereavement support, funeral notices, resources and answers to common questions.
This section is for people who want to plan ahead, record funeral wishes, find bereavement support or look for practical information and remembrance. If someone has just died and you need to know what to do now, go to our immediate guidance instead.
In this section
Planning your own funeral
Record the details that matter to you, from burial or cremation and beliefs to music, clothing and who should be involved, without having to make every choice or buy a product.Plan and record your wishesBereavement support
Find a starting point for emotional, practical and specialist support, including trusted national services and information about the Valentines Bereavement Cafe once its current details are confirmed.Find bereavement supportFuneral notices
Find notices shared with the family’s agreement and understand how notice information, service details and remembrance messages are handled.View funeral noticesResources
Access practical website guidance, approved downloads and trusted external information about arranging a funeral, costs, financial help and bereavement.Browse resourcesFrequently asked questions
Find concise answers to common questions, with links to the fuller guidance whenever the answer depends on the circumstances.Read all FAQs
Frequently asked questions
No. Anyone can record funeral wishes. Some people do it after arranging a funeral for someone else, during wider life planning or simply to make their preferences easier for other people to understand.
No. Recording your wishes is separate from buying a pre-paid funeral plan. The wishes document sets out preferences; it does not by itself pay for or guarantee the funeral.
You can still use the support information in this section. We can signpost to appropriate services, although we are not a clinical or crisis service.
A notice should only be published with the appropriate family agreement. Some families prefer not to publish one, restrict the service details or share information through another channel.
Talk to someone who can help
If someone has died or you need immediate guidance, call either of our branch numbers for 24-hour assistance.
You do not need to know what to ask. We will take you through the next steps.
For non-urgent enquiries, you can request an estimate or contact us online. We will respond during office hours 09:00-16:00.