I am a Humanist Celebrant, trained and accredited by Humanists UK to conduct funerals.
I became a humanist, without realising it, in my early teens, and have been a card-carrying member of Humanists UK for three years or so. I didn’t know there was such an organisation until real life got in the way and I had to learn quickly…

Humanism is a non-religious philosophy that celebrates the one life we have now. We believe that you don’t need an organised religion to do right by your fellow man or woman. We’re not against religion; we just don’t believe in any gods.

Before becoming a Humanist Celebrant, I have had a long and varied career, having worked for a major bank, been a driving instructor and then a bus driving instructor, an NVQ Assessor and IQA, Apprenticeship trainer in Management, Customer Service and Business Admin, running my own maintenance business and latterly as a cycle instructor around Newcastle’s schools. I also managed to squeeze in 5 years at University when I hit 50, and have a BSc in Psychology and Masters degree in Health Psychology. The underlying theme of all of these though, has been  working with and understanding people, listening to their stories, and helping them achieve their goals.

My route to becoming a Humanist Funeral Celebrant comes through personal experience of the world of funerals, both attending, and organising, and a realisation that funerals can be a very personal and sometimes even joyous celebration of an individual’s life, despite the sadness that comes with it.

Thank you for reading my potted history, please feel free to give me a call.