Respondents, which totaled 306, were asked to think about their own funeral service or memorial event, and where they would most like this to be held. Unsurprisingly, cremation funerals featured much more frequently than traditional burials, accounting for 30% of responses compared to 2% respectively.
Perhaps more unexpected was the number of people who say they would choose to have their funeral service take place in a religious setting, such as a church or chapel. The results of this survey show that a quarter of over 50s would still choose to have a religious element to their funeral.
It was encouraging to see just how many people said they would like their funeral to take place in nature (16%) – woodland burials, burials at sea and even funerals on the beach were all cited by survey respondents. Other notable mentions include at home or in the pub.
However, 6% of over 50s either hadn’t yet thought about their own funeral arrangements or said they ‘didn’t mind’ leaving their loved ones to decide. One respondent said they would most like their funeral to take place “wherever [it] is most convenient for the person organising it – it won’t worry me!”
This response was almost certainly given with the best intentions, so as not to put pressure or expectations on those left behind. However, when arranging a funeral on behalf of someone else, not knowing their funeral wishes can actually add to the stress. This proved to be the case for 39% of survey respondents who had previously arranged a funeral on behalf of someone else (390).
Emma Simpson, Marketing Manager for Ecclesiastical Planning Services, commented: “We deal with funeral plans every day and know the positive impact they can have, as they allow people get on and enjoy life. Even if it’s not possible to put practical arrangements in place, we would encourage everyone to discuss their funeral wishes with their loved ones, to make things easier when the time comes.
Source: OnePoll research of 1,000 UK residents aged 50 and above, on behalf of Ecclesiastical Planning Services, October 2023.