Category

• Promising Local Practice

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Poverty impact

• Prevention
• Awareness

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Poverty driver

• Provide benefit in-kind (material)
• Provide benefit in-kind (experience)
• Non-driver - improving quality of life

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Keywords

• Funeral Poverty
• Family Support
• Debt Crisis
• Bereaved Families
• Stigma

Aim

The aim of the project is to tackle funeral poverty by working with bereaved families and arranging affordable funerals. Caledonia Funeral Aid also strive to prevent funeral poverty through community events and by providing advice to those coping with a loss, specifically targeting those from disadvantaged communities.

Summary

Caledonia Funeral Aid offer advice for those coping with a loss and campaigns to tackle funeral poverty. The organisation is Scotland’s first and only non-profit funeral directors. Most clients contact the service when realising the high costs of funerals or to help with funeral debt. They work with sub-contractors to deliver a 24/7 funeral arranging and specialist support helpline, providing emotional and practical support. They also provide simple, dignified cremations with all profits and donations being reinvested into disadvantaged Scottish communities. Caledonia Funeral Aid has redesigned its business model three times as it becomes increasingly sustainable.

What difference does it make?

Avoids debt and provides support without stigmatisation of those experiencing poverty.

Key take-aways

• Additional emotional and financial support is required for bereaved families and individuals who are also living in poverty.
• A project that does not specifically brand itself as a tackling poverty initiative often attracts those living in poverty due to the stigma surrounding such services.
• Families and individuals coping with loss often do not know how to deal with bereavement: this can be addressed through emotional support and well-being advice, such as through 24/7 helplines.

 

Organisations

Caledonia Funeral Aid, part of the Community Renewal Trust

Location

Scotland (nationwide, based in Edinburgh)

Contact