Testimonials
Below are a range of testimonials from families and funeral professionals that I have worked with. I hope that they provide a picture of my nature, along with demonstrating how a funeral ceremony can help to light a path through a difficult time.
From Families
Nick Winder
Period of Remembrance at Macclesfield Crematorium
August 2024
Patient, Kind & Warm
We wanted to find an independent celebrant with whom we felt comfortable and who would do a lovely job in capturing the essence of Mum. In Lucy we certainly found this, she spent a lot of time going through Mum’s life and background, in fact we felt we spent a lot of time but she was happy for us to take even longer had we needed to.
She was very empathetic and totally understood what we were wishing to capture and convey on the day of the funeral. The funeral itself was lovely, totally seamless and very much did justice to my Mum’s memories and her life.
We would happily recommend Lucy to anyone who needs a celebrant who is patient, kind and warm in her approach.
Samantha Maxwell
Birches Remembrance Park & Crematorium
July 2024
Held, Heard, Loved & Supported
It’s hard to find the words to describe working together with Lucy for our mum's funeral. We felt so held, heard, loved and supported in her wonderful, empathic and intuitive care. We cherish so many beautiful memories from a very special day that was so thoughtfully planned and guided by Lucy, full of warmth and acceptance. In such a short space of time, we developed a beautiful bond that will never be forgotten. Thank you - it was a gift to share this time with you.
Janet Brindle
Celebration of Life at Birches
July 2024
A Warm, Gentle Approach
When searching for a celebrant, it was important to find the “best fit” for our brother Richard. From the first contact with you, we knew we had found the one. Instantly, we picked up on your warmth and empathy. A very professional lady, yet so easy to talk with.
While we offered background information, the memories started to spill out while you sat patiently listening and making notes. Quick to pick up on key points you asked questions to get a fuller picture of the man Richard was. The guidance was invaluable. Then, somehow you put it all together to produce such a lovely story about Richard's life.
So supportive, keeping in touch with us right up until the day of the service, checking we were okay and insisting we could add to or change anything in the script right up to the eleventh hour.
On the day you were there to greet us and chatted with family and friends. The service was perfect, we actually said that Richard would have really enjoyed his day! Family commented on how lovely and professional you were, saying how comfortable and homely it all felt.
It was so nice at a time like this to feel able to let go, knowing you had everything in complete control.
Thank you so much Lucy for your gentleness and genuine compassion.
Stephen Berrisford
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
June 2024
Celebration of Life: Just Right
I would just like to thank you so much for your celebration of our loved one’s life yesterday and pass on the positive feelings of those who attended as we chatted over our afternoon tea at the Leewood.
My daughter and her family in Perth thought that your presentation of his journey through life was just right and they were so pleased that they were able to be a part of it. With mine and the family's best wishes for the future.
Lynn Widdows
Funeral at Macclesfield Crematorium
May 2024
A Sensitive Service
I had not always had an easy relationship with my mother and Lucy was able to guide me through the funeral preparations without making me feel guilty or ungrateful. She helped me create a sensitive but not sentimental service which felt right. Everyone I spoke to on that day said how lovely the service had been. The music she sourced was lovely and the poem `A Bird in the Mist` was especially moving. I cannot thank her enough.
Stephen Longden
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
March 2024
A Lovely Ceremony
Thank you once again for your help in putting together mum's life story. It was a lovely ceremony and a lot of the mourners told me how much mum would have wanted a service like the one you delivered. Thank you so much.
Leisha
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
March 2024
Thank you for the wonderful job that you did on Tuesday
We were so happy that the ceremony went according to plan and that everything ran so smoothly. Your detailed script brought our memories alive and despite the obvious sadness it certainly felt like a celebration of Laura’s life.
Many family members and friends commented on how beautiful the service was and how your calm and confident delivery brought comfort to the occasion, thank you again.
Neil Watkin
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
February 2024
Attentive & Compassionate
When mum passed away, we knew that she would have wanted a celebrant rather than other religious formality. Having been given Lucy’s details we also made our own enquires about her work. The family met with Lucy to arrange mum’s service. We were first struck by her warmth and sensitivity. Lucy’s calm demeanour easily puts you at an ease, even given the circumstances of your meeting. Lucy notices the little things within a person's nature and picks up on things that just made the service that more personal to mum. Her inclusion of younger members of the congregation was particularly well received and made them feel at ease. Her attentive nature and compassion are a credit to her. Her organization and running of the service made you feel you were in safe hands and did not need to worry about how things would go.
Loretta Couper
Celebration of Life at Birches Remembrance Park & Crematorium
February 2024
Lucy talked to us about our loved one but most importantly, she listened
Lucy was the celebrant used for our dear father’s ‘celebration of life’ and we couldn’t have chosen anyone more fitting or professional. From our very first meeting she put us all at ease. Her calming and warm nature was so soothing during what was and remains a truly difficult time. Lucy talked to us about our loved one but most importantly, she listened. She showed great empathy and took time to check and re-check even the smallest of details because she understood the importance. This was borne out in the beautiful service she led on the day. We can’t thank Lucy enough for the support she gave us as a family and we would have no hesitation in recommending her to you.
Genevieve Lowles
Celebration of Life at Carmountside Crematorium & The Old Chapel Etruria
January 2024
Like a Sunbeam: Warm, Steady and Full of Light
When I first met Lucy in June 2023, I found her to be incredibly passionate about her work. She was warm, easy to talk to, and deeply devoted to the individuals and families she supported. We spoke about each other’s families – I mentioned that I was a carer for my beloved Grandma who was living with dementia.
After our call was over, I remember thinking, “When Grandma dies, I want Lucy to be the one to conduct her service.” My Grandma, Joyce, was 92 at the time. Unfortunately for me and my family, that moment came all too soon. In the early hours of the 29th December, Joyce Patricia Lowles died peacefully.
When my family and I started to discuss the kind of service my grandma would have, I told them about Lucy and described her “vibe”; heartfelt, contemplative, compassionate, and something a little out of the ordinary. Something a little special.
Co-op Funeralcare arranged the funeral for us and reached out to Lucy first. Lucy called me on the way home from our meeting with them and it was like picking up the phone to a dear friend. I knew I wouldn’t have to put on a brave face or pretend we were “doing OK”. Lucy expressed her sorrow for our family’s loss. She remembered grandma well.
She travelled over from Macclesfield to Leek to meet with us and spent hours chatting with us about Grandma, learning about her history, her life, and what made her special. My youngest sister had returned to Glasgow, so she was beaming in via Zoom. Lucy took everything in her stride and absorbed more information than I care to imagine!
During this meeting, Lucy also offered invaluable advice on how to arrange the service and how we could make it our own. For example, she suggested that we move to stand around the casket towards the end of the crematorium service, so we could be closer to grandma while we said goodbye. It’s one of those things that you probably wouldn’t think about or even think to ask for, but as soon as Lucy suggested it, I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.
Over the next few weeks, Lucy worked closely with me to collate material from almost a dozen family members. She was so patient and flexible, weaving together historical backgrounds, poems, stories and requests with a level of editorial magic that made me, a professional writer, wonder at how she was doing it. She was more than responsive; she became a very gentle, incredibly compassionate project leader. She understood how important it was for me and my to get everything right, and she worked tirelessly to achieve it.
On the day of the funeral, it was such a relief to know Lucy was going to be there with us. As soon as I saw her in her gorgeous flowery dress (the dress code was “springtime floral”!) with her beautifully monogrammed leather folder, I knew everything was going to be OK. It meant we could focus on the unimaginably difficult task of saying goodbye to Joyce Patricia Lowles. The eulogy that Lucy had written was astonishing in its richness, consideration, and heartfelt sense of joy. It was like she’d known grandma personally, and through Lucy’s words she was brough to life in all our minds.
After the service at the crematorium, Lucy accompanied us to The Old Chapel Etruria – a gorgeous funeral space in Stoke – for the celebration of life. Again, she led the proceedings with poise, compassion and warm good humour. She helped guide people through the moments of sadness, joy, and everything in between like a sunbeam; warm, steady and full of light.
After the celebration of life, Lucy stayed to eat with us and chat with my family and I. There were 30 or so people there, and I think she managed to speak to every single one! Finally, after what must’ve been over 5 hours of supporting me and my family and doing my grandma more justice than I could’ve ever hoped, she hugged me goodbye and prepared to head out. Before she left though, she handed me 2 bound copies of the full service, complete with gorgeous embossing and her own beautiful branding. I had no idea she offered such a thing to families but I realised in that moment how much I’d want a copy of her beautiful words, alongside mine and my family’s.
In the weeks and months after the service, Lucy kept in touch and also sent me a beautiful little card, featuring her Present Ascent artwork on the front, with a gorgeous little heartfelt message inside.
I think one of the many things that make Lucy and her work so special is that she understands loss. The fact she’s willing to share her own personal story with the world makes it easier for people to open their hearts up to her. She never once spoke about her own personal experiences (unless prompted to), as I believe she likes to keep the focus on the people she’s supporting, but the fact she’s open-hearted and realistic about loss reassures you that you’re safe with her.
Lucy has that rare gift of being deeply comfortable with and unafraid of silence. I could chat with her until the cows come home but equally, she’s happy to sit with you while you find your words; or find that the words aren’t there, and the silence is more than enough. She is simply an incredibly calming presence – being with Lucy and being supported by her is, I think, inherently healing.
Thank you, Lucy, for everything.
Pete Woodson
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
January 2024
We will be forever grateful
Lucy was excellent. She was so sensitive to our emotions during a tough time. She organised so much from so many friends and family members who wanted to contribute and did so sensitively and almost immediately! We never had to wait on a response and she proactively kept in touch to ensure we had the support we needed. She put together a wonderful presentation for the service and we will be forever grateful.
Ellen Rhodes
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
December 2023
Lucy embraced us through this really important time
We were introduced to Lucy by Percival, our recommended Funeral Director after the passing of our much loved spouse and Mum, Margaret. The impact of losing a spouse or parent is significant in every respect. For the cremation service, we preferred the support of someone to read the words we wanted to say. It was key that we liked the person and we took to Lucy straight away. She made the time to understand all our circumstances, feelings, realities, calling more than once to check how we were doing and came to the house to talk with us, get to know us and worked with us on the structure and order of our preferred service so that the flow was right, the timing accurate and that at no stage did we feel rushed. We worked together on the hymn and song choices, including the specific versions we wanted to be able to more accurately reflect Mum being Welsh and Lucy was diligent to adapt to our iterations.
Ultimately Lucy wasn't just someone who spoke the words we wanted her to say. She has been integral to our being able to craft a service for Mum, Margaret of which we have all been very proud. It has been the best reflection of an amazing woman and we are thankful that Lucy embraced us through this really important time. We will forever be grateful to have met Lucy and will work with her again without reservation.
Joanne Lee Cornish
Funeral at Birches Remembrance Park & Crematorium
November 2023
Lucy made a sad day quite wonderful
Lucy was recommended to us by Dodgsons (who also get a 5 star). Lucy was kind, organised and thorough. Lucy ran the service and made it look effortless but that is because she covered every detail. She timed and knew each of our presentations (in case she had to step in). Lucy took time to speak personally to those involved, including a zoom call with me in America. She helped us coordinate with Dodgsons in Knutsford and guided us with examples or poems, music, etc. Plus Lucy is just a lovely person. I would highly recommend her. Lucy - thank you, you made a sad day quite wonderful.
Deborah Chande
Celebration of Life at Altrincham Crematorium
November 2023
Calmness & Kindness
Our thanks go to Lucy for being such a wonderful celebrant at my brother’s funeral. We feel very lucky to have had her officiate at Altrincham Crematorium. She is in the perfect job, with a wonderful calmness and kindness about her - qualities which are so needed working with families going through a loss. My Mum (for whom the service was difficult in so many ways) was so impressed by her leadership of proceedings and I think we managed the right balance of content - Lucy’s guidance on that was so helpful.
Cheryl Cockill
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
October 2023
Great care in every detail
I was recommended by R W Percival's to have Lucy to conduct Aunty's Mary's funeral. l cannot praise Lucy enough. Lucy was so compassionate and very caring she was very professional and took great care in every detail of the funeral. l cannot thank Lucy enough she was amazing.
Local Family
Celebration of Life at Vale Royal Crematorium
October 2023
Everything Happened Smoothly
I wanted to write and personally thank you. The day went very well and everything happened smoothly. There was much laughter during the service which is what we wanted, and your delivery and conduct were warm and professional. I couldn’t have asked for anything more, from the way you related to us when we met for the first time, to the service itself.
Karen Blackman
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
October 2023
Warm & Empathetic
Lucy was recommended to us by RW Percival and we are so grateful that they did. Lucy is a charming, warm and empathetic person for whom nothing is too much trouble. From our initial meeting to the subsequent contacts regarding the order of the service and the text that she had prepared, we were guided and reassured along the journey. Lucy took time to check in to make sure that we were OK and even her much welcome hug of reassurance when we arrived at the crematorium, were definitely what we needed at this very sad time. Lucy captured beautifully the spirit of our father and we were soothed by her beautiful delivery. Thank you so much, Lucy.
Kirsty Gillies
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
September 2023
Kind, Warm, Empathetic & Organised
Lucy was the celebrant at a recent family funeral and I highly recommend her and her services. Lucy is kind, warm, empathetic, organised. All the qualities we needed to guide us through creating and delivering a service that we felt did justice to our family member. What you need at difficult times is to speak to people who can help, guide you gently to make the difficult decisions and step you through the process. Lucy did all that and more. Thanks for all your help, Lucy.
Bev Calladine
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
August 2023
Forever Grateful
Thank you, Lucy, for the perfect service for our dad. You were absolutely amazing and described him as the person he truly was. We are forever grateful.
Dave Thompson
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
August 2023
Supportive & Welcoming
Thank you Lucy - I cannot think that anyone could have been more supportive and easy to communicate with. A couple of our friends also said how welcoming you were today. ‘Nobody does it better’. Many thanks.
Veronica Eyre
Celebration of Life at Stockport Crematorium
July 2023
A Personal Service
I would like to say, on such a very difficult day, you made the day a lot easier for me. Everyone who attended to say goodbye to Tony said how personal his service was and that's because of you, Lucy. You made me feel very comfortable and I felt I could share my memories of Tony with you. Thank you again.
Luke Taylor
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
July 2023
I Would Highly Recommend Lucy
Lucy is extremely professional and very caring. She has a true passion for making everyone feel special and comfortable, with what can be a very difficult and emotional time. I would highly recommended Lucy; I recently attended a funeral of a close family member and Lucy's service was very special. She felt like one of the family, paying very kind respect to a fantastic man in the families' lives. Thank you Lucy.
Caroline Hopley
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
June 2023
Peaceful, Joyous & Moving
I can truthfully say I've never experienced such a peaceful, joyous and moving funeral celebration. Lucy's presence was like a loving and calm hug around everyone, and especially the close family. A very, very special day indeed, that was a beautifully guided celebration.
Claire Sykes
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
June 2023
Kind, Calm & Composed
It was unbelievably sad for me and my family to arrange my husband's funeral but with Lucy's help, the service was beautiful - full of love and just how we wanted it. She was kind, calm and composed and created an environment that made it easy for us all to talk about Phil in a way we wanted to. She gave us time to think and talk and we so appreciated that. She was always there to answer questions and nothing was too much trouble. We had so many comments afterwards about how beautifully she led the service. Thank you Lucy.
Holly Clifton
Celebration of Life at Macclesfield Crematorium
June 2023
It was a very special day
From the moment I met Lucy, I felt we were in safe hands. She guided us through the planning of Dad's funeral with great care and compassion, listening closely to our wishes to create a ceremony that was the perfect celebration of Dad's life. Listening to our stories of dad, she quickly understood who he was. On the day, she was a calm presence, ensuring the service was delivered in the way we wanted, down to the last detail. She created an environment in which we felt able to celebrate and mourn Dad in equal measure, family and friends all together. It was a very special day. I couldn't recommend her highly enough.
Susan Stroud
Funeral at Birches
May 2023
Support, Kindness & Attention to Detail
Thank you, Lucy, for your support, kindness and attention to detail in the planning and delivery of Mum’s funeral. It was really such a lovely service and it meant such a lot to us to share memories of our Mum with our wider family - some of whom only knew her in recent years.
Rebecca Creeney
Celebration of Life at Vale Royal Crematorium
April 2023
Dignity, Respect & Love
Lucy was absolutely instrumental to the ‘feel’ of the whole service and I wholeheartedly believe she was the most perfect celebrant for Dom’s Day. The love was palpable in the room. She performed the ceremony with dignity, respect and love. The way she processed all we had shared about Dom was perfect. It flowed beautifully. We really can’t thank her enough.
Catherine Goodchild
Funeral at Macclesfield Crematorium
April 2023
I Felt So Supported and Comforted
We were so blessed to find Lucy! When we saw her waiting for us at the crematorium I felt so supported and comforted. We couldn’t have done this without her. I will always look back on Nanna’s funeral as a perfect celebration for her. Having experienced a very traumatic bereavement when we lost our Mum very suddenly 20 years ago, it was so important to my sister and I to feel ‘present’ this time and be a part of the arrangements and with Lucy’s care and support, we achieved this and I can’t thank her enough. It was incredibly healing to plan such a beautiful ceremony with Lucy as I felt able to say goodbye to our Mum too along with our Nanna. I felt we were able to care for Nanna until the very end which was really important to us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Lucy for your guidance, support and calm presence.
Liz Goodchild
Funeral at Macclesfield Crematorium
April 2023
The Safest, Most Capable of Hands
From the moment I contacted Lucy to be the celebrant at our dear Nanna's funeral, I felt comfortable, knowing we were going to be in the safest, most capable of hands. Lucy not only wrote a thoughtful, personal, poignant and touching eulogy for our Nanna, but helped us with the running order of the funeral service, suggesting music choices, readings and poems as well as drawing our attention to details that we hadn't even considered. At such a sad, difficult time, when there's so much to organise, process and do, organising a funeral can feel like a monumental and incredibly overwhelming task, and yet with Lucy's help, it actually felt enjoyable - we looked forward to our meetings with her—nothing was ever too much trouble—and she listened carefully to our stories and memories of our Nanna with interest and compassion. On the day of the funeral, as we said our final farewell to our Nanna, knowing Lucy would be there to lead and deliver the ceremony felt like a big weight off our shoulders. We felt safe and comfortable knowing Lucy was at the helm, leading the way. We couldn't recommend her more. Thank you, Lucy!
Tim Miles
Funeral at Macclesfield Crematorium
March 2023
A Perfect Celebration
I had asked Lucy to provide her service as a Funeral Celebrant at my father’s funeral. Ultimately she delivered the perfect celebration whilst being extremely supportive along the way. From the outset it was clear she was passionate about her work and wanted to do her very best for us. During the initial meeting she quickly put me at ease and because of this a relationship was built that allowed her to glean all the information she needed. Two way communication continued frequently up until the funeral and during that journey nothing was too much trouble for Lucy. She always replied with thought and much sooner than I would have anticipated. When draft and final scripts were presented I was delighted, whilst they inevitably pulled at the heartstrings, it was the ideal balance of factual information and personal memories. Within the Order of Service Lucy had helped select some readings, because I didn’t have any in mind, and it was clear they were selected given what she had learned about dad because they resonated perfectly. On the day Lucy was a total professional who demonstrated respect for dad and was friendly and empathetic with my family and me. The service was delivered clearly, with great timing and it didn’t feel rushed at all. Thanks to Lucy I was proud of the way in which we were able to share dad’s story, it was extremely fitting and I couldn’t have hoped for a better celebration of dad’s life.
Rachel Kay
Celebration of Life at Shrigley Hall
March 2023
Thank you Lucy
Thanks Lucy for making it such a special ceremony and making everything much easier than I thought. Very much appreciated.
Sophie Trzeciak
Memoriał at Sandbach School
February 2023
Compassionate & Professional
Lucy recently delivered a memorial service for my Dad, who died suddenly and unexpectedly. Lucy was compassionate, professional and guided my family and I brilliantly through the whole process, during what has been a traumatic and stressful time. Lucy truly listened to what we wanted for a service as a family, and guided us expertly through the process. I would not hesitate to highly recommend Lucy if you are looking for someone extra special.
Will Voisey
Funeral at Birches
January 2023
Highly Recommended
I have attended two ceremonies held by Lucy now. I cannot express how highly I would recommend her. Her manner turned a huge loss into a beautiful occasion. Thank you Lucy
Rebecca Mitchell
Funeral at Birches
January 2023
Forever Grateful
Lucy led a funeral celebration for both of my grandparents last year in 2022. We couldn't have wished for a more beautiful service, and will forever be grateful to Lucy for both the guidance leading up to the celebrations and the actual service itself. The time, compassion & kindness from Lucy throughout was incredible. We wanted to have a personal, homely and family feel to both funerals and that is absolutely what Lucy helped us to create. Funerals for me have always felt very sad, and although this was of course sad. At the same time it was a beautiful celebration of 2 beautiful people and it wouldn't have been possible without Lucy. Thank you so much.
Diana Brown
Celebration of Life at Birches
December 2022
Patient, Sensitive & Caring
Lucy conducted a beautiful ceremony for my Mum recently. She was especially patient, sensitive and caring thoughout the process. At the same time her attention to detail and professional approach ensured that everything ran smoothly on the day, leaving us all with the feeling that we had said goodbye to our Mum in the best way we could. Thank you so much Lucy.
Jane Crowther
Funeral at Birches
June 2022
Calm & Serene
Rob & I just wanted to add our thanks for the truly beautiful service you conducted — you were simply amazing! Your calm and serene demeanour helped us all to hold it together, cry when we needed to, but also enjoy it for what it was; a celebration of a life well lived and loved by his family — surrounded by love.
Rebecca Mitchell
Alvanley, Cheshire
June 2022
A Day I Will Remember Forever
It was absolutely perfect. You did the most incredible job and honestly it was more than I think I could have ever wished for. So special and a day I will remember forever. I never thought I’d say that about a funeral. Thank you for making it so perfect for Pop and for us all.
Ruth Voisey
Bath, Somerset
June 2022
Comfort, Warmth & Reassurance
Thank you, Lucy, for the most perfect send off for Pop. I couldn’t have imagined anything so wonderful. Nan asked for love, laughter and family, and it was all that and more. How you managed to curate such perfection, so unique and personlised for Pop and our family, is beyond me. In your service, and in the entire lead up to it, you provided us so much comfort, warmth and reassurance. In moments of sadness now, I can still see your amazing smile, as you took the time to look each of us in the eyes. That said, without the need for words, what I needed to know, was that we would be ok, and that we had each other. I can still hear your voice, so calm, and words so eloquent, helping us to laugh, helping us to cry, helping us to gather our thoughts of our treasured Pop. Everything Pop had built for us in our family felt stronger that day, and I don’t think I can put into words how grateful I am (we all are) to you, for making that possible.
From Funeral Professionals
Sara Fixter
Funeral Director, Full Circle Funerals Partners Altrincham
September 2023
Safe & Supportive Hands
Lucy displays great empathy and compassion. She passionately believes in what she is doing and evidences her level of care and commitment to each family she supports. As a funeral director I’ve been particularly struck by her desire to personalise a service in a way that brings meaning to a particular family. She’s spoken to me about her belief in offering to families choice and flexibility when it comes to a funeral / celebration of life. Lucy is able to sensitively offer these choices to families in a sensitive and non obtrusive way. For example, one of the things I know she asks families is where they would like her to stand, in the middle of guests as opposed to behind a lectern. I have been impressed with her empathetic, caring and personalised service, going above and beyond to support families in a way that feels and looks right for them.
As funeral directors, rather than appoint celebrants to a particular family we provide the name of a celebrant we have used and suggest the family make initial contact to see if the celebrant feels right for them. If a family do appoint Lucy as their celebrant, as funeral directors we are confident they will be listened to and receive a fully personalised service, delivered with compassion, care and warmth. Lucy doesn’t impose her personality on the service, but provides a safe and comforting presence, leading where necessary and letting the family take the lead where they wish to.
I’ve been particularly struck by the beauty of Lucy’s writing both on social media and within the ceremonies she leads. It shows a real craft, and a connection to emotions, feelings and expression. I know that she works extremely hard on the words she crafts for each ceremony, writing them to reflect the person who has died, their family and the stories and memories that have been shared with her and us. We very much see similarities in how we as funeral directors offer our support and the service that Lucy offers - always personalised, recognising that each and every family is unique, never being directive - instead working with a family to create the funeral that they want. Lucy offers her support with a gentleness and composure that is lovely to watch. We know that when we work with Lucy to support a family, they are in safe and supportive hands and Lucy will do all she can to support them in a way that is best for them.
Alison Hanson-Lyons
Funeral Director, Co-op Funeralcare Broken Cross
March 2023
Compassionate, Warm & Caring
Lucy is a new celebrant to ourselves and we have all found her to be compassionate, warm, caring and very understanding towards client’s needs. We have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside her during her first service with us and look forward to the future working together.
Pete Sadler-Eastwood
Assistant Manager, Birches Remembrance Park & Crematorium
June 2022
Perfectly Reflecting the Needs of the Family
Having witnessed a funeral service conducted by Lucy, I was impressed by her calm and comforting demeanour and the way she built a service to perfectly reflect the needs of the family. Her ability to adapt the service to incorporate traditional elements along with personal, meaningful touches really shone through and came together to create a true celebration of life. I would definitely recommend Lucy to someone looking for a bespoke, friendly and caring service.
From a practical point of view, Lucy was a pleasure to work with in terms of arranging the service. Her communication with all those involved and her organisation of the service (including music & tributes; timings of events; seating arrangements & layout of the chapel; and the individual needs of the mourners) really made a difference to those in attendance and made sure that the day ran without a hitch.
From Others
Alison Evans
NMC Design+Print, NeuroMuscular Centre, Winsford
May 2023
A Very Insightful Talk
We are grateful to Lucy for spending time at the NeuroMuscular Centre. She gave us a very insightful talk about how many options are now available when planning a celebration to mark the end of someone's life. She also went out of her way to research wheelchair accessibility at various crematoriums and burial sites across the county, and we really appreciated the time and effort that she put into this. She's an absolute star.
Aileen O’Riordan
Communications Manager, Peaks & Plains Housing Trust, Macclesfield
November 2021
A Great Listener & a Safe Pair of Hands
Lucy is a great listener and a safe pair of hands. I have worked with her a number of times and I've always enjoyed her positivity and creativity. I’ve gone back to her each time because she’s professional and reliable. Lucy is a great communicator, bringing thoughtful creativity to projects and is a joy to work with. She puts her clients first and brings a calm and efficient approach to all she does.
Katrina Steele
Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Midwife, Manchester
December 2021
Turning Darkness Into Light
In both a personal and professional capacity, I know that the pain, grief and journey that Lucy writes and speaks about helps to lovingly heal others. At first it brought up feelings of sadness, that I would associate Lucy and her writing space as a place to turn to when I felt or experienced grief or loss. Then I realised that she is one of the only people I know who can provide that space for me, and it filled me with joy. How incredible it is to know that other people can turn to her, at such a time of need, and receive that gentle, knowing nod that it is okay to grieve, it is okay to speak and to keep speaking. Loss and grief are so individual, but Lucy’s writing is so inclusive. Lucy and Reuben continue to turn darkness into light.
Penelope Boycott
Independent Celebrant and trainer with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy
December 2021
A Wonderful Addition to the Celebrant Industry
It really was my absolute pleasure to meet and to mentor Lucy as she trained to become an Independent Funeral Celebrant with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy. She has been a truly inspirational and dedicated student and has inspired me as a celebrant, as a mother and as a mentor. Lucy researched, demonstrated, and created some sensational module submissions. Guiding her throughout has been a delight and it has been hugely rewarding to mentor her. She has shown up, committed and delivered every step on the way. Lucy is a wonderful addition to the celebrant industry and to us, Team AMC and I wish her so much success in the future. Lucy – thank you for everything.
Jon Hill
Creative Director & Partner, Tortoise Media, London
January 2022
Warm, Caring, Empathetic & Honest
I have known Lucy for over a decade and in that time I have got to know a warm, caring, empathetic and most importantly, honest person. I trust her insights and judgement and have always admired her determination and energy. She is an inspiration and makes a difference to every life she touches.
Sarra Hoy
Ambassador for Bliss, Alderley Edge
January 2022
Comfort in Loss
Lucy is a beautiful and poignant writer who skilfully uses her words to speak to and comfort anyone who has known loss. It can be difficult to put thoughts into words, and even harder to articulate emotions that have no words at all. Lucy does these things when she writes from her own experience and her words soothe, in situations where there are no answers.
Ruth Voisey
Bath, Somerset
June 2022
A Unique Empathy for Others’ Grief
Through the cruellest loss of her son, Lucy has lived through so many different emotions. With that comes a unique empathy for others’ grief. Whilst so heartbreakingly sad, it has brought her to this career, in some way. I believe she will be so fantastic, and will provide so much comfort and hope for others as they navigate the death of loved ones, as she has done for me.
Adding Your Review
If you would like to add a review of a ceremony that I have planned and conducted with you, you are welcome to email it to me at lucy@presentascent.co.uk or alternatively, if you have a Google account, you can login to Google and add your words as a 'review' to my profile, which you'll find here. Thank you for sharing your experience, it will be invaluable to others.
I am a member of the Good Funeral Guild, a collective of like-minded people working to change funerals for the better.