Londoners bury tradition to modernise their funeral services

Londoners are abandoning tradition to give their loved ones more unique send-offs as religious funeral services appear to be dying off, according to new research.

Co-op Funeralcare said it is seeing a rise in funerals which feature the deceased’s beloved pets, decorating coffins in bright colours and even hosting funerals at the zoo or on a bus.

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Just 10 % of Londoners would choose a traditional religious service now, according to a Yougov survey of 4,000 adults in the capital, commissioned by Co-op Funeralcare.

Meanwhile people are now more open to unique and personalised aspects in comparison to five years ago, Co-op Funeralcare said, after conducting 500,000 funerals in the last five years. 

As a result, funerals in the UK are becoming increasingly quirky.

Co-op funeral directors said 15 % of them have been asked to arrange superhero-themed funerals and 48 per cent have sourced unique hearses for the occasion, ranging from an Only Fools and Horses-themed hearse to canal boats and even milk floats.

Offbeat requests have become so popular that the firm has added one multi-coloured rainbow hearse and a floral hearse scattered with poppies to their fleet. 

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Samantha Tyrer, funeral director at Croydon’s Co-op Funeralcare, said: “Whilst 16.5m of us still feel uncomfortable talking about death, we’re clear on what we want, and in the majority of cases, it’s no longer a traditional funeral service.

“More so now than ever before, we’re seeing requests for wonderfully personalised ceremonies, whether that be on the 18th hole of a golf club, or having a pet dog present on the day.”

Main image credit: Co-op Funeralcare