Legacy of Lives, a new free service to streamline the way families and individuals plan funerals, and provide support for people experiencing the loss of a loved one, has launched today.
The new online service offers people access to supportive information and trusted funeral directors in an all-in-one platform. With free tools for consumers to find helpful advice, compare prices and store their wishes online, the service is designed to make funeral planning simple, transparent and highly personal. The price comparison service will help people to find the best value service for them, at a time where the average cost of a funeral in the UK is over £4,000.
Why is it needed?
According to a 2022 research report from financial services provider SunLife, 83% of families only source one quote for the funeral they are planning and 20% are surprised by the cost and options. Legacy of Lives will allow for quick and easy price comparison for people to find the best value funerals without having to repeatedly explain their requirements for the service, which can be traumatizing for families.
It will also provide a space for – and encourage – individuals to record their wishes for the future, essential given that just 1% of families knew all of their loved ones wishes when planning a funeral. As many as 48% don’t know the basic preferences of their loved one, such as their wishes for a cremation or burial.
Death and dying is one of the least discussed topics by individuals and their families. This leads to problems when a loved one dies; a lack of clarity around the deceased’s wishes often leads to increased costs and tension for the family. Families without clear instructions may be encouraged to spend more than they can really afford. With the rising cost of living, Legacy of Lives wants to help people avoid funeral poverty, whereby a family cannot afford the cost of a loved ones’ funeral, and the risk that they’ll get into debt in order to pay for it.
Giving back.
Each plan carried out through the platform will include a £30 donation to one of Legacy of Lives’ charity partners, benefiting Hospices, Children’s Hospices, and Terminal illness care.
Working with funeral directors and industry experts in its development, Legacy of Lives uses smart technology to enable people in the UK to build a funeral that truly meets their needs in every detail, either by individuals in advance, or by family members at short notice.
Designed for all people.
After tech entrepreneur and founder Rebecca Peach was left to plan a funeral for her Aunty Kathy at short notice, she realised she was not prepared. Like many of those left behind when someone dies, she didn’t have Kathy’s wishes captured, and the grieving family ended up debating critical topics such as cremation or burial, choice of photos, music & readings. A ring-round of funeral directors for quotes also found that prices varied by up to 30%, and some providers trying to upsell unwanted or unnecessary features.
Legacy of Lives is built upon more than a year of collaborating with funeral directors to bring an end to this type of experience. They listened to their needs too and invited them to add their services onto the platform in a transparent and empowering way for planners.
Legacy of Lives has designed this service to ensure that no one is left feeling helpless, unsupported, or ripped off in the process of planning a funeral.
Rebecca Peach, Founder and CEO of Legacy of Lives said:
“Planning a funeral for a loved one is an incredibly difficult process for many people, but it doesn’t need to be this way. Our mission is to provide an online resource that removes as much stress as possible from the process. We want to support people with valuable information and make fair, transparent pricing the industry norm, so that people can focus on the more personal aspects of saying goodbye.
“Many of us have heard stories of, or seen first-hand, funerals which in no way reflected the wishes or interests of the deceased. We think funerals should be as much about a celebration of the deceased’s life as a goodbye. By creating a supportive tool to record those wishes, we aim to make this a reality for all.”