We believe it’s time for a more open conversation about death, dying and funerals.
In this blog, we give practical advice and ideas to help you if you are arranging a funeral or experiencing bereavement; answer your frequently asked questions/FAQs; and share stories, interviews and opinions.
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Aama Sade Shepnekhi is an all-round brilliant celebrant who officiates at Shamanic and Rastafarian funerals. She shares her thoughts on Rastafarianism, from the deep-rooted politics of language to why some within Rastafari choose not to hold funerals at all.
Poppy’s funeral director Amy Szott and her mum Joy sat down with a group of close friends and lots of prosecco to talk about funerals. They explain why they wanted to plan Joy’s funeral far in advance and share their advice on how to throw your own funeral planning party.
Katrina Spade is on a mission to transform how we think about death care. She’s the founder of Recompose, a Seattle-based company that uses an environmentally-friendly process to convert human remains into soil. With its first facility planned to open in 2020, Katrina tells us about building death-friendly cities, connecting with nature and how recomposition actually works.
Aindriú Peers used to work as a practical lead here at Poppy’s, driving hearses, helping at burials and collecting people who have died from homes and hospitals. He’s also an author, teaches Shamanic Druidry and is a former Trappist monk. Aindriú explains his path from punk to monk to working in death care.
Aaron Thackray and Neil Wilford run our beautiful mortuary here at Poppy’s. Mortuary work can be shrouded in secrecy, but we believe that openness should be normal. In this interview, Aaron and Neil share their thoughts on gentle death care.
Kate Ward is a palliative care nurse specialist and works as part of a team at Royal Trinity Hospice. She talks to us about palliative care, visiting Poppy’s with her colleagues and why deciding what your death should look like is too important to leave to other people.