PURE CREMATION URGES PEOPLE TO START THE ‘BIG CONVERSATION’ AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE WILLS MONTH TO MAKE FINAL WISHES KNOWN

Pure Cremation is urging people to make the most of Free Wills Month and save themselves hundreds of pounds in solicitor fees whilst making their final wishes known.

The team at the UK’s leading specialist provider of direct cremations is calling on individuals aged 55 and over to take advantage of the popular campaign which runs twice a year - with the next event taking place from October 2nd.

Free Wills Month brings together a group of well-respected charities to offer members of the public the chance to have their 'simple' wills written or updated free of charge by using participating solicitors across the country.

It allows people to provide for friends and family as well as leave a gift to your chosen charity.

Catherine Powell, co-founder and director of Pure Cremations believes the campaign is an opportunity to overcome a major issue faced by grieving families every day – confusion around a loved one’s final wishes.

Catherine said: "It is important to remember that dying without a will could leave your affairs in limbo for many months, adding to the cost and worry for your family.
“In the same way, failing to leave instructions about your funeral wishes could mean your family spend far more than they need to on a style of funeral you wouldn’t have wanted.”

A recent YouGov survey conducted on behalf of Pure Cremation revealed more than two-thirds of us (67 per cent) thought it was important our final wishes were carried out after our deaths, while 70 per cent of us wanted their loved ones’ final wishes carried out upon their deaths.

Sadly, the lack of guidance puts funeral arrangements for loved ones among the top ten causes for family conflict in the event of a death – ahead of custody of dependents and family relocations.

“Making a will protects your family and ensures your wishes are respected in terms of custody arrangements for children as well as the distribution of estates and funds; it only takes a few more minutes to record your funeral wishes in a separate document, ideally via a pre-paid plan, and so ensure that you really have done everything you can to shield your family from difficult decisions. “More people are opting for a direct cremation pre-paid plan, and the reasons are many and varied, as shown by our survey. Cost is certainly a factor – well over half our respondents (57 per cent) said the simple, low-cost pricing structure was an attraction, while 42 per cent said they wanted protection against rising funeral costs.

“But this is not the whole story – almost two-thirds of people (63 per cent) said they had purposefully chosen a direct cremation above a traditional funeral. Our survey figures have shown that more than a quarter (27 per cent) chose a direct cremation because they didn’t want a fuss, 16 per cent said they were of no religious denomination, while 14 per cent admitted to not liking funerals.

“Seventy-six per cent wanted to save their family from having to organise a funeral while more than half – 57 per cent – wanted their family and friends to celebrate their lives rather than mourn their loss. There’s no doubt that putting our affairs in order results in a huge weight off your shoulders right now, as well as caring for our loved ones even after we’ve gone.”

Pure Cremation was established by experienced funeral director Bryan Powell and his wife Catherine and was born out of a growing number of requests from customers for a direct cremation service.

The company predicts it will serve more than 1,200 families this year as it continues to meet the needs of a growing number of people opting for a respectful direct cremation arranged without any fuss and leaving their family free to say farewell how, where and when is right for them.

As the UK’s only dedicated direct cremation provider, the Pure Cremation team is able to deliver a level of personal service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Editor’s Note: For further information contact Celeste Clarke at Century PR on 024 7622 8881 or email celeste@centurypr.co.uk.