Why Me?

I think the best way to answer this question is to share the deeply personal reasons behind I became a celebrant and explain why I believe that helping people, families and funeral professionals is so much more than just a job.

Let’s start at the beginning. I was born in 1969, so I’m no spring chicken. I started work straight from school at the age of sixteen and have explored a number of different career paths between then and now.

My career has seen me work in big corporate organisations, small tech start-ups, the arts and creative industries, the charity sector, and even justice and education. Along that journey, I’ve been lucky enough to figure out what does and what doesn’t suit me.

Indeed, life has taught me that I’m at my most effective when I'm 100% authentic - doing something that makes a profound difference for me and for the people around me. I've also worked out that authenticity means working with my passions and strengths.

I’ve always had a passion and talent for words. I've had jobs as a music journalist, advertising copywriter and even an author (more about this soon). As a Life-Celebration Celebrant, I'm able to write and craft wonderful end-of-life celebrations. It's a genuine pleasure and a real privilege to do this - in fact, it feels like this is what I'm meant to do!

There's another skill I have that's essential as a Life Celebration Celebrant, although I didn't discover this particular talent until I'd turned forty.

Until then, I’d spent many, many years gazing enviously at those people who were able to speak well in public. I never thought it would be something I would ever have the confidence or ability to do.

Fortunately, fate had other ideas, because in 2010 I was lucky enough to become a published children’s author. What I didn’t realise was that a big part of that role was visiting schools, libraries and festivals to give ‘talks’.

To earn a living as a writer, I had to step up and do the one thing I'd feared the most - professional public speaking.

Soon, I was giving talks in front of entire school assemblies, crowded literary festivals and even theatres filled with families. Luckily for me, I loved it and - at least according to those audiences - it turns out I'm quite good at it too.

My career as an author didn’t quite go to plan but for the majority of the past decade I've used my public speaking skills to work as a coach and trainer - building and delivering educational courses for thousands of people around the world.

Then, in 2023, something pretty big happened. My father became ill and passed away quite suddenly.

We’re not from a religious family, so the funeral director suggested that we engaged a civil celebrant to help create and deliver the service.

Things went well. The funeral director was excellent. They supported us at every step (I can't recommend them enough) and dad’s funeral was a fitting send off.

The celebrant did a good job too. Sure, dad didn't get the kind of service that people recall weeks, months or years later. But it was still okay.

And that’s when it struck me - the realisation that none of us wants the last message to family and loved ones to be just ‘okay’.

We want it to be special.

We want it to be heart-felt.

We want it to be true.

We want it to be ever bit as unique, meaningful and memorable as the life it celebrates.

It was at that point, on the day of my dad's funeral, that I understood I was the person who should provide that kind of service. I had found my calling!

So now, I get to combine all the skills and passions that I’ve acquired during my varied jobs and careers - writing, supporting people & public speaking - to help families and their loved-ones share the most incredible, memorable and profound end-of-life celebrations and stories.

Being an end-of-life celebrant really is the most meaningful and authentic role I could ever have hoped for - one that helps me touch the lives of those I work with in ways that feel special and incredibly significant.

So there’s my story behind how and why I became a Life-Celebration Celebrant. It’s also the best and most honest answer I can give to the question, 'Why me?'