Community memorial service to be held in Bridgnorth
After a year of mourning loved ones without a normal funeral, a Bridgnorth funeral directors has arranged a memorial service for the whole community to look back on the impact of coronavirus.
For more than a year, restrictions have been in place surrounding how people say goodbye to their loved ones, and families have had to adjust their plans.
Perry and Phillips Funeral Directors in Bridgnorth is hosting a community memorial service for all those struggling with the effects of the pandemic and those who may not have been able to say goodbye to loved ones how they hoped.
The family-run business on Underhill Street has seen first hand how people have been affected the coronavirus pandemic, and how restrictions have made it difficult for some families mourning.
The directors at Perry and Phillips have decided to hold the service of celebration and thanksgiving at St Leonard's Church in St Leonard's Close on Saturday, September 18.
Chris Adams, his son John Adams and daughter Katie Adams, have been working on the plans after a tough year for their industry.
"We have really seen how bad it has been," John said. "This is a genuine opportunity for people to come and be together again."
Chris explained: "People celebrate the lives of lost ones for many reasons, it could be to thank their god, or be able to mourn them and move on. In normal circumstances, people who attend a funeral can be anyone from family, friends, neighbours or colleagues.
"Funerals allow people to come together and do that – but all of a sudden it was stopped. Nobody knew what we were allowed to do, the numbers for how many were allowed at an outdoor service kept changing. Restrictions seemed to be different everywhere.
"Funerals are there to find a sense of closure, not only for their family's bereavement, but also for everyone in the community. Again, the idea is to bring people together."
Adapt
At the service, there will be a range of leaders, religious and secular, including a Roman Catholic priest, and an Anglican minister. The family said they wanted the service to appeal to everyone, from all walks of life.
There will be two local singers on the day, Daniel Morris and Jessica Fox, and they are hoping to have a dove release on the day as well.
More than 70 people have so far registered to attend the event in September. John said it is free of charge to attend, but they need to register people so they know numbers.
Chris said they have had to adapt quickly over the past year to be able to help families who lost loved ones, but some parts just haven't been the same.
"Since day one its been very uncertain," he said. "Funerals have always been such an important feature of society, but I think they have taken on new meaning. In some ways it has made the service more intimate.
"But the main difference is the post-funeral reception – its such a big part of the day where people can unwind, have a conversation and a laugh. Without it, it's shown just how important it is.
"It's interesting how the industry and customers have adapted. Live feeds have become the norm. Hopefully some of the administrative changes that have happened will continue."
The event is aimed at bringing some positivity into society again, Chris and John said, as the lasting effects of the pandemic will be long seen.
"From the very beginning when going to funerals, people have not been able to even put their chairs together," Chris added. "A widower mourning her husband, who she would have been married for decades, and no one can put an arm round her or comfort here. That's hard.
"So the idea has come from within really based on what's happened over the last year. It will bring some positivity into society again."
Visit www.perryandphillipsfunerals.com/ to register.
