This includes Independent Professional Funeral Celebrants, and their advertising rates are very reasonable.
If you would like to know more about this new project, read the article prepared by Wrapping Up below and/ or to advertise your services with them, please go to http://wrappingup.com/
The ACCN would like to thank Della and Kelly for providing this article for our National e_Magazine, their professionalism in wanting to find the very best resources for their directories and wish them all the very best for their project.
Rona Goold
ACCN Director
Giving life to death - wrapping up
Death is a phenomenon that has fascinated humankind for thousands of years. The earliest known form of human ritual was the Neanderthal funeral according to an excavation uncovering flower fragments at burial sites in northern Iraq. Movies have often depicted death as walking into mist, seeing the light at the end of a tunnel or rising to an afterlife populated with loved ones who have passed away.
Filmmakers Kelly Chapman and Della Churchill have a different take on death. Their new online project, WrappingUp.com, is a much more practical look at death and its consequences. Chapman read Wrapping It Up—The Ultimate Guide by Diana Todd-Banks, and was enamoured with the sensible advice the author shared about closing the affairs of a loved one. The author received more than 40,000 responses to a survey she promoted on local radio which suggested the project had an audience too. "Della and I had always wanted to find something to work on together and this project gave us the perfect opportunity” she says.
Wrapping Up.com is a website that contains a wealth of information on what to consider when addressing end of life affairs, including how to plan a funeral, legal pointers on wills and estates, and an overview on counselling. It also contains community forums for members to discuss and share their experiences.
"We recognised there was an enormous desire among many people in the community for information and support during this trying time," explain the founders. "By using the internet, video and social networking technology we’ve created a centralised, accessible resource where people can get help and provide knowledge and assistance to others."
Guided by well regarded actress Heather Mitchell, visitors are also invited to view a number of short films that depict some of the scenarios the recently bereaved may encounter after a loved one passes; or to consider when planning their own estate.. There are also interviews with experts on counselling and mediation.
Key to the site is access to a number of related directories where members can find celebrants, counsellors, lawyers and mediators Australia-wide, with a forthcoming service for funeral directors.
"Integrity is really important to us so when we chose which people to feature in the directories, we decided to reach out to peak national bodies," says Chapman. "We only have counsellors who are accredited by the Australian Counselling Association, we only have celebrants who are registered members of celebrant organisations [such as ACCN], we have lawyers from Slater & Gordon who are a national firm and have a very good reputation."
Educating visitors about their choices when it comes to end of life affairs is one of the obvious benefits of WrappingUp.com. Churchill says this supports people to personalise a funeral so that it celebrates a loved one meaningfully and can help to ease the grieving process.
"There’s an interesting UK statistic where a survey of 2,000 British adults revealed that more than half of the population (54%) would prefer their send-off to be a celebration of life than a simple church service with hymns, and almost half of the population (48%) are keen for their funeral to reflect their favourite, hobby, colour, football team or music” she relays. “Still, the survey found only 31% of funerals are planned with the mourners personally involved.”" People in grief often just let the funeral director do the 'tick and flick' form for them. They get the standard funeral and can come away feeling they haven't quite done enough. If they'd been encouraged to spend a little more time thinking about it, the funeral experience may have resonated more for them.”
"One thing about our funeral section is that it also provides information about other options you might not realise are possible," adds Chapman. "It is possible to do green burials, you can apply for a permit to do a home burial in certain circumstances. These are things that people just don't know are possibilities."
Churchill believes bringing together all the information and contacts into WrappingUp.com will deliver a cherished experience. "It's about informed choices and promoting the idea that you can have options and create a very personal service."
The website will use social media channels and the power of the online community's willingness to share experiences to gain momentum. This will be supported through a media campaign and articles in demographically relevant publications such as National Seniors Australia magazine and newsletter offers through their legal partner Slater & Gordon,.
"What we're trying to do is get it out to as many niche places where older people are," says Churchill. We'll certainly be doing radio, TV and print interviews across the next few months. Our national press launch is in early March."
Go to http://wrappingup.com if you would like to know more about this new project, and/ or to advertise your services with them.
