Hi, I'm Alan
I was born and bred in Liverpool but have spent most of my adult life in Southport.
After retiring from full-time work, I went through a spell, lasting several months, when I found myself going to funerals of friends, family and former colleagues almost on a weekly basis. Most of the services were, for want of a better term, ‘par for the course’. They were suitably solemn, often tearful and, very occasionally, touching.
A few months later, I attended the funeral of a friend’s mother. The service was such a contrast to the funerals I’d attended previously. It told her life story in some detail and painted a wonderful picture of her, which prompted a mixture of tears, smiles and laughter from everyone present. Afterwards, I sought out the celebrant to tell him how much I’d enjoyed the service, something I’d never done before. It turned out that he was a humanist celebrant, accredited by Humanists UK.
Something clicked that day and I knew instantly that this might be something I could do. I contacted Humanists UK and went through a rigorous selection and training process with them. Nine years on, I’m an experienced accredited celebrant, conducting funeral services in the Southport area, usually at the Southport and West Lancashire crematoria. It’s proved to be a life-enhancing role for me and I’ve met so many wonderful people along the way,
If you need a non-religious funeral ceremony, I will meet with you – more than once, if needed - to discuss the structure of the ceremony, what it contains by way of music and readings and how best to describe and celebrate the life of the deceased. I find it a real honour to sit down with a family and listen to them talk about their loved one so soon after they have gone. I’ve usually met them knowing nothing about their loved one apart from their name, age and date of death and invariably walk away with a real sense of who they were, how their life had been and how much they meant to their family.
My job is then to transform what they have said into a funeral service that has the structure and content the family wants, usually celebrating the life of the deceased and giving some sense of closure. These are always going to be sad occasions but I’m often struck by how much laughter and good humour I find at humanist funerals. It’s wonderful to hear people say that they’ve never been to a humanist funeral before but they now want one for themselves or their loved ones.
I get enormous satisfaction from conducting funerals and meeting so many lovely people along the way. Here are some anonymised words of appreciation that I have received after conducting funeral services.
“You helped us remember and celebrate his life with love, dignity, respect and a sense of humour. It was so personal and everything we could have wished for…”
“Excellent delivery, very happy with the service provided.”
“The ceremony exceeded my and my family’s expectations. Alan went the extra mile relating to the family’s comments about [ ] and delivered an incredible, meaningful and apt celebration of his life.
“The celebrant Mr Martin was excellent and the ceremony exceeded our expectations. I would highly recommend him.”
“Alan spent approximately 2 hours with the family and was able to produce an incredible celebration of my fathers’ life the very next day.”
“I know I said it yesterday, but I just wanted to reiterate our thanks. We thought it was a truly beautiful service. Even though [ ] had some troubled times you celebrated his life perfectly and for that I will be eternally grateful. I will look back at his funeral not with sadness but with happiness.”
“Have told my family that I would like you to do mine if you are available when I go.”
“I just wanted to personally thank you for how you conducted [ ]’s funeral. I was worried about a stranger talking about him, but the way you talked about him it was like you knew him. I miss him so very much and I always will, but you really have helped start the healing process. I know that is the case for the rest of the family too. It feels like this is so much more than a job for you and it shows. Thank you so very much I will always be grateful for the memories of how nicely it was done. “
“Your commitment in providing the best service possible and in the funeral arrangements for [ ] were exceptional and could not be faulted.”
“Your delivery of the ceremony was brilliant, meaningful and memorable… the funeral exceeded my expectations and those of my family and friends, all commenting on how simple but how meaningful and beautiful it was. Just how [ ] would have wished it to be.”
— Alan Martin
Alan Martin
Where I work
Most of my funerals are conducted in the Southport area and north Merseyside.
Fees from...
I usually charge £216
How to contact me
Phone
Website
HUMANIST CEREMONIES™ is the network of more than 550 celebrants, trained by national charity Humanists UK to a gold standard to provide memorable and meaningful humanist ceremonies to non-religious people. Operating throughout England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, we deliver authentic, tailor-made and heartfelt ceremonies for life’s key moments. They are always inclusive and welcoming, regardless of the beliefs of those attending.
You can trust Humanist Ceremonies celebrants: We are DBS-checked, fully insured, and regularly peer reviewed for quality assurance. We are committed to a code of conduct, and have a transparent and robust complaints process in the rare case of a problem. We all pay a monthly fee to Humanists UK to further support the work of the charity, and are part of a regional network for like-minded celebrants for support and learning.
Humanist funerals
Humanist funerals, memorials and ash ceremonies are a fitting way to honour a unique life with warmth, sensitivity and meaning, but without reference to religion or an afterlife. They put the story of the person who has died at the heart of the ceremony, paying tribute to them and the legacy they leave, and provide an opportunity to bring people together, not just to share sadness but to celebrate a life lived.
