Can a burial company support the bereaved with umbrellas?

Woodland Burial Company are supporting peoples’ wellbeing through umbrellas. Woodland Burial Company was set up by the green initiative Faunus Group to provide lasting, personal and private resting places, within beautiful woodland surroundings.

This year, Woodland Burial Company have joined Umbrella Day for the Good Grief Trust. They are proud to be a pilot site offering umbrellas to their visitors and families.

A period of unprecedented grief

After Life star, Dame Penelope Wilton, is supporting a new scheme launched on Wednesday 10th February 2021, National Umbrella Day – to provide shelter for the bereaved.

The Good Grief Trust is the UK’s leading bereavement support umbrella charity, which signposts to hundreds of bereavement support services. The Good Grief Trust signposts to hundreds of bereavement support services, and is providing cemeteries and gardens of rest, hospices and funeral directors with free umbrellas for their visitors to borrow when they need them. Woodland Burial Company, based in Nottingham UK, is one of the pilot sites offering the supportive gesture.

The initiative aims to raise awareness of the 800-plus bespoke bereavement support services available via The Good Grief Trust’s website during what the charity describes as “this period of unprecedented grief”.

“While we may feel lonely in our grief, we are not alone”

Claire Lyons is the General Manager of Woodland Burial Company, said: “We have no buildings in our established woodland, Granville’s Wood, so this is a perfect addition to our community shed. We are open 24hrs a day, so people can visit their loved ones in the early hours and listen to the dawn chorus if they wish. With the unpredictable British weather, it’s lovely to know that our families can grab an umbrella and continue their visit. These messages of hope remind us all that while we may feel lonely in our grief, we are not alone.”

Claire, a mental health and sustainable living expert, Claire started working with Woodland Burial Company after the tragic death of her 10 year old son. He is buried at Granville’s Wood and the family visit often. “We wanted the most environmentally positive option possible, and although it is a 45 minute drive away, Granville’s Wood is the only place we found that understood the true environmental impact of burial and cremation.”

CEO of The Good Grief Trust, Linda Magistris, explains: “As the death toll continues to rise and the pandemic continues to put increased pressure on front line staff, it is vital everybody who is struggling with grief knows there is a breadth of immediate support available under our umbrella.”

This story shows how The Woodland Burial Company supports Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, specifically target 3.4: “Reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health. By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being”.

About Woodland Burial Company

Individuals wishing to show their support for the bereaved can buy their own umbrellas or a Good Grief Trust umbrella pin badge here. You can also follow the campaign on social media with the hashtag: #GoodGriefUmbrellaDay

Learn more about Woodland Burial Company.