Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

LIVERPOOL has been chosen to help launch a service for people who have lost a loved one, to find best the support for them.

Arranging a funeral for a loved one can be upsetting and stressful. Now a free advice service, which helps to support those going through a bereavement can be accessed by phone and online.

FuneralExperts.com is backed by Liverpool City Council and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Liverpool is to be the 1st City in the country to trial the service that gives relatives the time and space they need to choose the funeral directors they want to speak with, based on funeral type, location, and cost, before making a final choice.

Alan Sheldon, Liverpool City Council’s Head of Bereavement Services, said:- "It's very common that we meet people grieving for their loved ones who feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of arranging a funeral. It is very important to find the right person to help you organise a funeral, but people may not feel able to talk to lots of different providers, with the result that they end up choosing a service which isn’t right for them. I’m so pleased to be the first city working with Funeral Experts on a solution to support people at their time of need, and hope that it proves to be something that other UK local authorities want to replicate."

FuneralExperts.com chose to launch in Liverpool with its new advice centre being based in the city. The company hopes to offer up to 200 jobs once the business expands across the country.

Jason Ghous, the Chief Executive Officer of FuneralExperts.com, says:- "The service is far more than a price comparison site that directs the bereaved to the cheapest price. There’s so much to understand when organising a funeral. Should it be attended or unattended? A cremation or burial? Direct, simple, or traditional? With this service we can help empower the bereaved with the knowledge they need to make informed choices; and do it with compassion and trust. The website has so much information, but if the bereaved want to understand more, they can call us, and one of our trained bereavement advisors will help them. We're completely independent of the funeral industry, and by partnering with the NHS and local authorities, we can ensure our service is freely available to the bereaved at the earliest possible time."

Fiona Murphy, Corporate Nursing Director at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:- "We are delighted to be able to partner with Liverpool City Council and FuneralExperts.com to help improve the support we can offer to bereaved families. At LUHFT, our SWAN Bereavement Team have included information about the service in our bereavement packs that are given to those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The website provides families with an open and transparent choice on a range of matters that they may have to consider following a bereavement, which I believe will be beneficial and help take some of the stress and worry out of those decisions."

What are your thoughts about this new service that's about to start?