It is important that you feel a good ‘match’ with your celebrant as their script and delivery will be the anchor of your ceremony. So let me introduce myself to you. I live in Sheffield with the wonders of the Peak District on my doorstep.  I am a member of the Green Party (discount for members) and despairing at the state of the world, choose to put my efforts into making a positive change in my immediate vicinity.

I have been working in Humanist Pastoral Care (aka Chaplaincy) in Health and was accredited by Humanists UK as a Funeral Celebrant in April 2020, in the midst of the Covid19 lockdown. My previous career was in higher education and I feel hugely fortunate to have found this twilight career, combining pastoral care and celebrant work, which allows me to really be present with people at times when a little kindness goes a long way. I have immense curiosity and respect for the different ways that people live their one life, and do my best to live my life with purpose and appreciation. This role is a privilege.

I have pictures of Peak District sunsets on this website as for me, a sunset presents a perfect metaphor for the end of a life. The resonance, transience and beauty of a sunset is intense; it captures our wonder and gratitude. A setting sun is calm and reverberating, leaving a poignant afterglow; this is something I aim for in my Ceremonies. 

I have a Humanist worldview.  I find this far more positive than to describe myself as ‘non-religious’.  As a Humanist, I savour the one life that I have, not by accumulating material possessions, but by my relationships with others, my joys in nature and my awe of science. I am a person who is endlessly intrigued by people and the universe, looking for rational explanations but continually surprised by the uniqueness, creativity, resilience and capacity of human beings.

You can read here testimonials from families who have used my services. Sometimes I am invited to talk on BBC Radio Sheffield and here are a couple of 60-second Sermon that I did on July 4th 2021 talking about Les’ funeral, and on November 6th 2022 about my Dad’s death and legacy.

In 2021, Humanists UK published my book Being There: Responses in Humanist Pastoral Care which offers practice examples of what we say in pastoral care, underpinned by the values and ethics that derive from a Humanist worldview. This book fills a gap in the pastoral and spiritual care literature not only as a resource for non-religious practitioners but also to give an insight for our religious colleagues into our discourse and approach. My practice as a funeral celebrant is directly informed by my work in acute and mental health settings where I listen to people’s experiences without judgement, supporting them to find their own explanations and solutions.

I also podcast (with an Anglican minister) on various topics to do with healthcare ‘chaplaincy’, discussing how non-religious perspectives and worldviews can add value to services that have been traditionally Christian. The Spotify link here is to a discussion about how differently we experience death and our own mortality – also available on other podcast platforms.