The phrase ‘Farewell innovators’ was, I think, first used by Louise Harris of Sentiment a few days ago.

Having kindly praised My Last Song, she went on to discuss the organisations that had moved into a niche market – that of helping people to deal with death, dying and bereavement.

Talk of  ’gaps in the market’ worries me as I recall an economist commenting on the demise of a specialist car maker whose founder said the company was filling a gap. The economist told journalists, “just because there’s a gap in the market doesn’t mean there’s a market in the gap.”

But a number of factors encourage me to believe that the ‘farewell’ market is there to be serviced. The first is the demographics of the UK.  The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show there are over 10 million people in the UK aged 65 or over.

The second is the type of people these are…the more independent, free thinking baby boomers who are wanting their end of life experience to match their lifestyles and who are, slowly, reducing the taboo around death. They want a personal and honest farewell and are more likely to take charge of the process to get what they want.

It’s how they’ve led their lives, for better or worse, and they’re unlikely to stop just because they have reached old age. I get the impression that many are practicing when organising the funerals of their parents – they don’t want their mothers and fathers dispatched in a traditional and often rather anonymous ritual.

Third is the Government supported Dying Matters Coalition, of which My Last Song is a member.  It is encouraging doctors, palliative care providers and the general public to make ‘living and dying well’ the norm.

So, given the figures, there’s quite a gap in the market for those of us wanting to help people have the endings they want, to be remembered the right way and to be more in control of end of life decisions.

It’s being filled by companies I will name run by remarkably nice and slightly eccentric individuals that I won’t.

Civil Ceremonies, Sentiment, The Good Funeral Guide, Remember Me When I’m Gone, Much Loved, One Life Ceremonies, Heavens Above Fireworks, Lovingly Managed and the Natural Death Centre. Add to this the growing number of innovative funeral directors, humanist celebrants and interfaith ministers who spend a lot of time and trouble ensuring families and friends say a very personal goodbye to a parted loved one, and you can see a movement growing.

I would also add to this group the long established and excellent Dignity in Dying, which as well as campaigning for a change in the law on assisted dying, also encourage people to take out Advance Decisions to refuse treatment and be in control of their end of life medical treatment.

If we are to have a collective title, then I like ‘Farewell Innovators’.

Time is on our side, fellow innovators…it might be a struggle at the moment, but keep going because more and more people will be want what we offer.

Tags: Dying Matters, Farewell Innovators, funeral directors, funeral planning, funerals, green funerals, humanist funerals, interfaith funerals

This entry was posted on Friday, October 15th, 2010 at 10:20 am and is filed under Funeral, Planning for the end. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.