Hello, I am Martyn, and I was ordained in the Church of England back in 1988 in Winchester Cathedral. I am now with an Independent Church, based in Southampton, which gives more flexibility to offer to people services they would like. I also have an extensive funeral ministry and work with Funeral Directors in Hampshire and Dorset; and have had a close working relationship with Waters & Sons for several years now.

I will be happy to offer a wide range of choice when arranging a funeral for loved ones; and will always listen to your input and concerns. You can choose as much, or as little, religion, as you like, and indeed no mention of religion at all. I can also offer funerals for lapsed Catholics, as I have also been ordained with Old Catholic Orders. The most important aspect is getting the service right for you and your loved one. 

The music and other content choices are completely yours, too, and I am happy to help with suggestions for music, readings, tributes, putting together the order of service; and will liaise with your Funeral Director for you.

Hi 

My name’s Jim and I’m a freelance Christian minister, which means I’m able to adapt to the needs of each family I work with.

I regularly take funerals for those of all denominations or none.

If your preference is for a completely non-religious service, with no religious elements whatsoever, then you will want to choose a non-celebrant. But if you would like a traditional funeral, which has a Christian basis, but the focus being on your loved one, it would be my privilege to help you. This can include things like the Lord’s Prayer, and a hymn if you would like one. But the focus on the service is always the eulogy.

The services that I conduct are always very personal, warm and friendly – even using humour on occasion, where appropriate.

I will meet you in your home, or at my home if easier for you, and support you in the days leading up to the funeral, to guide you through the process. Having been a Baptist Minister for over 20 years, I am familiar with the whole range of funeral requirements and emotions you may be experiencing. This includes taking funerals in the most tragic of circumstances, including following a suicide, murder and death of a child. These situations are always extremely difficult for everyone concerned, and my role is to walk alongside you as you begin a long journey of grief. 

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss any element of the funeral. 

I look forward to meeting you. It would be a privilege to conduct the funeral of your loved one.

Please request my assistance through the funeral director, or directly on:

revjim@talktalk.net / 07808 165531.

I have lived in Portchester all my life and know the community very well. 

I have over 33 years experience working for the NHS of which 16 years were spent working in Bereavement Services at Queen Alexandra Hospital.  Part of my role included providing the bereaved with good quality information about the practicalities surrounding what to do after a death, where to go, who to speak to, what are the next stages for making funeral arrangements etc.

In 2014 I attended a residential course in Cambridge and studied for the “Institute of Civil Ceremonies” qualification for which I received the “NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Funeral Celebrancy”. 

The course underpinned everything I believe in when it comes to helping the bereaved at an emotional, difficult and sometimes traumatic time in their lives where the funeral service has to be “the story” told about the individual person.

I will provide you with a personal tribute that truly reflects your loved one, in the way you wish.

In the first instance, I will hold an initial meeting with you in either your home or anywhere you feel settled and comfortable enough to be able to tell me about your loved one and share memories with me in a way you wish everyone to know about, at the funeral service. 

That way the Funeral Service is bespoke, personal and totally dedicated to your loved one.

After the meeting I will type a “draft” tribute and email this across to you or meet with you again. This gives you the opportunity to take your time to go through it and change any information you wish to, making this your personal tribute to your loved one that I will deliver at the Funeral Service on your behalf. 

A copy of the final version will be sent to you a few days after the Funeral Service for your safe-keeping.

I truly believe that any funeral service should be special and individual to your loved one and it would be a privilege for me to offer my service to you. 

I was born in Blackpool, Lancashire and I have lived in Winchester, Hampshire for the last 14 years. I love living in Winchester, it is such a beautiful place.

Over the last 20 years I have worked in jobs which have had a large focus on customer service. I have always had a caring and compassionate nature and very much enjoy working with people.

In the first half of 2013, I attended a funeral service for a client who had no family or next of kin. As there was no minister or family involved, the funeral director only said a few words and I was very saddened by this. I did not feel this at all reflected the person’s life or all they had been, something I feel very strongly about.

Several weeks later, one of the clients I was directly involved with also passed away. I wanted this client to have a proper funeral service, so I contacted the funeral director with the intention of saying a few words. I was offered the opportunity to create and conduct his funeral service,  which I accepted as a honour and a privilege.  I then gave this gentleman the personal farewell he deserved with personal touches relevant to his life. Not long after this, I had a second opportunity to write and conduct a personalised funeral service for another client.

From this came the inspiration for me to retrain as a Funeral Celebrant. I am very passionate that every person should have a  farewell service which truly reflects them. I chose the name ‘Beautiful Ceremonies’ to reflect the intrinsic beauty of each ceremony I will create, bringing comfort to you and others through the weaving together of music, poetry, prose and other things dear to your loved one.

I completed my Funeral Celebrant training with the County Celebrants Academy in mid November 2013. I am also a member of the County Celebrants Network.

Dave has been leading funeral services for 20 years now. His other employment has included church and charity work as well as being a producer and presenter on local radio. He is also a qualified Southampton tour guide.

He feels at home conducting both religious and non religious services, and particularly enjoys hearing and sharing people’s stories.

He’s a fluent French speaker with a smattering of German

Now living in Eastleigh, I spent the first 40 years of my life in west London. I married Karen in 1989 and we have 2 now grown-up children together. I was ordained as an Old Baptist Union minister in 1996 whilst in Hammersmith. I moved to my current church in Eastleigh in 2002. Finding myself between churches in 2000 I took a temporary job as a funeral director, which continued for 16 years! I then felt it right to concentrate on my passion for taking funeral services that are as good and unique as I can make them, which I had been doing from time-to-time since the 1990s.

Those services have ranged widely, be they cremations or burials, from traditional to contemporary and from Christian to completely non‐religious. I can also carry out memorial services in any appropriate location, be it a pub, a garden or anywhere else.

I have had the privilege of serving families who have lost loved ones of all ages and in many different circumstances. My heart goes out to all of them, as loss hits people in so many different ways, as you may know.

My aim is always to represent you, the family, using the content and style you feel is most appropriate, which can include any specific requirements. The your loved one will always be at the centre of both our discussions and the service itself, which will be built around what they are like and who they are as a person; from their musical tastes to their sense of humour, as well as their life story of course.

If you think I might be the right celebrant or minister for you, I’d welcome the opportunity to speak to you before you decide, if that would be helpful. In my view it is important that you like the person you chose to take the funeral service.

I am a Funeral Celebrant and Ordained Church of England Minister with the flexibility to conduct non-religious/humanist services through to spiritual and religious services. Previously I had been in Church of England ministry taking weddings and funerals for families for two decades. More recently I served patients and their families as palliative care Chaplain at Countess Mountbatten Hospice. Since then I have conducted many bespoke services for families whether they are looking for something light hearted or formal and traditional.

Growing up in the local area, I consider it an honour and a privilege to be asked by a Funeral Director to liaise with a family and create with them a celebration of life that both captures the true essence of a loved one and serves as tribute to them as individuals.

Everyone is unique in their own special way so no two ceremonies will ever be the same, they should reflect their personality, their values and beliefs but most of all they should feature memories from happier times, evoking emotions of tears and laughter alike. 

As an independent celebrant we will sit together and craft a service which could include music, poems, family tributes, hymns, readings or even a friend singing their favourite song, there are no boundaries to content.

The role of a celebrant requires compassion, good listening skills and the desire to offer support where necessary, all three are equally important to me and make what I do a vocation as opposed to ‘just a job’, it’s no more than what a family deserves during such challenging times.

Trained to a Level 3 certification in Celebrancy, I have been married to Claire for over 35 years, with two grown up sons and now twin Grandson’s, this has enabled me to appreciate and understand the true meaning of family values and the importance of being able to create a heartfelt and appropriate farewell.

* Celebrating Lives, Honoring Legacies

As a funeral celebrant with years of experience, I believe in the power of empathy and compassion during life's most challenging moments. Each story is unique, and it's my honor to help families tell those stories in a heartfelt way.

From the first meeting to the final farewell, I'm here to guide you with understanding and respect. Together, let's create a beautiful tribute that honors the incredible journey of your loved ones.