Hi, I'm Alison
I’m a Humanist Celebrant, taking non-religious funerals in the East Midlands. I find it a huge privilege to work with families to make sure they achieve a funeral which is as good as possible.
When you find you have to take responsibility for organising a funeral, your Funeral Director may recommend me, or you can contact me directly. I’ll meet with you, at our mutual convenience, to plan a funeral which will be just right. Sometimes people live far away from where the funeral will be held, and we can be in contact by phone or email or zoom. We’ll discuss what you would like – or I can make suggestions. There are no rules! You may have people who would like to speak, or read a poem, or you may wish to leave all the speaking to me. Usually people will choose some music – something to begin the ceremony, while everyone is coming in, something to listen to while you have time for your own memories, and something to end with while everyone leaves. Sometimes people choose to have photos on display during the middle piece of music – the crematoria can organise this. They can also offer to webcast the ceremony, so it can be viewed by people who can’t get to the event, and there is usually an option to have this available for a few weeks after the ceremony.
Afterwards, I make sure you have a copy of the complete ceremony in a folder (and electronically too if you wish – often useful for people with family or friends too far away to attend in person).
Usually funerals take place in crematoria chapels, but I have also taken funerals in Natural Burial Grounds and in Council Cemeteries. Sometimes you may want to hold a memorial service, or have a small ceremony with a loved-one’s ashes; equally I can work with you for that. Occasionally people wish to discuss their funeral arrangements before they die, and they are very welcome to contact me to talk about that.
Alison was everything needed at such a difficult time – sympathetic and professional. My mother’s funeral was expertly handled and I would highly recommend Alison.
Thank you for a most up-lifting service – it will stay with us for all the best reasons. We returned home feeling calm and happy.
I wanted to say a huge personal thank you for helping us make an immensely sad occasion such a memorable one that everyone present universally agreed was a ‘lovely day’. I like to think that Dad would have considered it a ‘job well done’ and he would have appreciated your calm and soothing, yet uplifting, approach in guiding us as to how to create that day blending the awful sadness of saying ‘goodbye’ with a host of happier memories. I found your words also very comforting and the day was enriching for me in a way I hadn’t quite expected. Keep on with your amazing work.
As a family we were very pleased and comforted by your celebration of our mother’s life. We have received many, many favourable comments from the family and friends, saying how appropriate it was for a non-religious person, and how nice it was that it was about the person rather than the service.
Thank you for the deftly crafted service you delivered at my father’s funeral last week. I recall the brief but intense time we spent at the crematorium, not with the pain I’d envisaged, but with grace and good sentiment. With your calm conduct and well-chosen words, my recollection is of celebration and peace. I have also had the opportunity to re-read the words you wrote about Dad, and am moved by the attention you paid to the all-important meeting we had a few days ago. Your empathy and intuition were great gifts to us. Many thanks for a job meaningfully done.
Thank you for your absolutely excellent handling of my sister’s funeral. Your sensitivity in dealing with the family and meticulous preparation of my sister’s biography were exemplary. The ‘tone’ you set for the service was perfect too.
I cannot thank you enough for your overwhelming contribution yesterday. I feel comforted by you and your calming personality – it made all the difference. You have made our pain soften with your patience, kindness, consideration and empathy.
I have always felt anxious at the crematorium, but stepping out of my son’s car yesterday, I was so relieved seeing you standing in the doorway, and I felt it would be okay. That feeling stayed with me throughout, and my family and friends all expressed their positive feelings too
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Thank you for a most up-lifting service – it will stay with us for all the best reasons. We returned home feeling calm and happy.
—
I wanted to say a huge personal thank you for helping us make an immensely sad occasion such a memorable one that everyone present universally agreed was a ‘lovely day’. I like to think that Dad would have considered it a ‘job well done’ and he would have appreciated your calm and soothing, yet uplifting, approach in guiding us as to how to create that day blending the awful sadness of saying ‘goodbye’ with a host of happier memories. I found your words also very comforting and the day was enriching for me in a way I hadn’t quite expected. Keep on with your amazing work.
—
As a family we were very pleased and comforted by your celebration of our mother’s life. We have received many, many favourable comments from the family and friends, saying how appropriate it was for a non-religious person, and how nice it was that it was about the person rather than the service.
—
Thank you for the deftly crafted service you delivered at my father’s funeral last week. I recall the brief but intense time we spent at the crematorium, not with the pain I’d envisaged, but with grace and good sentiment. With your calm conduct and well-chosen words, my recollection is of celebration and peace. I have also had the opportunity to re-read the words you wrote about Dad, and am moved by the attention you paid to the all-important meeting we had a few days ago. Your empathy and intuition were great gifts to us. Many thanks for a job meaningfully done.
—
Thank you for your absolutely excellent handling of my sister’s funeral. Your sensitivity in dealing with the family and meticulous preparation of my sister’s biography were exemplary. The ‘tone’ you set for the service was perfect too.
—
I cannot thank you enough for your overwhelming contribution yesterday. I feel comforted by you and your calming personality – it made all the difference. You have made our pain soften with your patience, kindness, consideration and empathy.
—
I have always felt anxious at the crematorium, but stepping out of my son’s car yesterday, I was so relieved seeing you standing in the doorway, and I felt it would be okay. That feeling stayed with me throughout, and my family and friends all expressed their positive feelings too
—
Alison Riggall
Where I work
I live between Leicester and Loughborough, so provide funerals across Leicestershire. I am happy to travel in approximately a 50 mile radius - so South Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are also fine.
Fees from...
£200
Fluent in
French
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.
