The Fuze Foundation Announces Partnership with Funeral Link Dundee
The Fuze Foundation is proud to announce a meaningful new partnership with Funeral Link, an amazing Dundee-based charity committed to supporting bereaved families facing financial hardship. This collaboration will see The Fuze Foundation providing a mix of free and low cost celebrant services to families supported by Funeral Link, ensuring dignified and personal funeral ceremonies for those most in need.
Funeral Link Was Born Out Of The Community
Funeral Link, a Scottish charitable incorporated organisation (SCIO), offers vital services such as confidential one-to-one advice regarding affordable funerals, liaison with local funeral directors and support with funeral or bereavement-related benefits, assistance in documenting funeral wishes, and helping to connect clients with other resources. Their mission is to reduce funeral poverty in Dundee by alleviating the burden of funeral planning and costs for families, providing much-needed guidance during difficult times.
For many years there has been concern, both at national and local level that escalating funeral costs exacerbate funeral poverty. This persuaded the Scottish Government to commission “The Cost of Saying Goodbye” report in 2015 and, at a local level in Dundee, the formation of the Dundee Funeral Poverty Action Group, who commissioned research into funeral poverty in the city. Building on the pioneering initiative of this group, Funeral Link was registered as a charity in November 2018 and officially opened in March 2019 to help reduce funeral costs for bereaved families and individuals and help them provide a dignified farewell for their loved ones.
Ewan Gurr, Service Manager at Funeral Link, said: “Imagine not being able to say a dignified final farewell to a loved one because the cost of a funeral is beyond you or your family’s financial means – this is funeral poverty. In Fuze, Funeral Link has found a kindred spirit – an organisation who shares our aversion to funeral poverty and a deep love for the people affected by it. Celebrants are a crucial component to the tapestry of that final farewell and it has been nothing short of a pleasure to work with The Fuze Foundation and their Fuze Ceremonies celebrants to nurture a partnership which we know will invite a sensitivity into the bereavement our clients experience without imposing a significant cost.”
In establishing the not-for-profit Fuze Foundation in 2012, we have continually aimed to tackle the growing epidemic of funeral poverty head on and have provided hundreds of funeral, and other ceremony types, free of charge for those in need and financially stretched. The Fuze Foundation also offers not-for-profit Legal Humanist Marriages in Scotland, through Fuze Ceremonies, and campaigns for equality, diversity, and social justice.
Our team of over 70 qualified celebrants are disclosure checked, fully insured and operate across the length and breadth of Scotland. Couples who choose a Humanist Wedding Ceremony conducted by us are supporting our ongoing give back to good causes, as a donation from their fee is gifted to our Fuze Foundation. These donations help us to provide celebrants at no cost to those experiencing financial hardship or terminal illness. We also never charge for children’s funeral celebrant services.
We aspire to extend our help and support to as many individuals in need as possible, so we are honoured to collaborate and partner with Funeral Link to help achieve this. We provide funeral celebrants to the bereaved families they support, entirely free of charge. In addition their aim is to provide practical and emotional support to recently bereaved people across Scotland, regardless of which funeral director they use. They also aim to provide a place to discuss bereavement and its impact whilst offering practical guidance, around all aspects of planning or arranging a funeral.
Our Broughty Ferry based celebrant Julie Murray recently conducted the first funeral service in our partnership. Click on Julie’s picture below to hear what she has to say about her involvement with supporting a Funeral Link client recently.
Morag Webster, Chairperson of The Fuze Foundation, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Funeral Link to make a tangible difference for bereaved families in Dundee. This partnership reflects our commitment to combat funeral poverty and ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can say farewell to their loved ones with dignity and care. By working alongside Funeral Link, our celebrant team can ensure that no family has to choose between saying goodbye to their loved ones and financial stability.”
Donate to The Fuze Foundation – HERE
Donate to Funeral Link – HERE
