Hi, I'm Kate
Calm. Compassionate. Understanding.
Capturing the essence of the life lived and getting the ceremony right.
As a celebrant, I help you to create the ceremony you want, expressing your values and beliefs, sharing life stories and creating the right atmosphere. I am a celebrant who includes everyone, judges no one and has a positive outlook on life and death.
Soon after, I was asked to do a funeral of a partner of a friend which made me realise I was ready to train as a funeral celebrant with Humanists UK.
A funeral or celebration of life is to mark the life they lived, to remember and say goodbye. We come together with friends and families to share stories and our feelings of loss and love. A humanist funeral is an open book – there are many ways to say goodbye to the person who has died. Grandchildren throwing sweets onto the coffin, decorating a room with a lady's killer heels, reading out the thank - yous written by the guests for the woman who was a great listener, shouting "f*ck cancer!" or a moment of silence to listen to birdsong for a nature lover.
What makes a funeral ceremony feel absolutely right, is how you do this, what stories you tell and how you reflect on the life that has been lived.
A few years ago, I went to a humanist celebration of life of a young woman. It was very powerful. I was struck by of how the celebrant talked about her life and her death and held the space, so that the family and friends could express their thoughts in full. There was tremendous sadness and moments of joy. There was a sense that her life, though short, was a complete one and had been full. Her life was completely honoured.
I am a good listener, and can draw out the important things, because I love hearing people's stories. This gets to the essence of the person and gives me the material to write their life story and a tailored ceremony. On the day, I hold the space, I lead the ceremony and I am there for you and your family to celebrate and mourn.
Kate is a lovely celebrant – I cannot recommend her highly enough. We engaged her for my grandmother’s funeral and she was a great help for our family in planning the ceremony at such a difficult time. She helped us to set the right tone, to structure the event, and to know what to say. These things are really hard to do alone, when you are going through such emotions.
— Michaela
From the moment we first spoke on the phone to Kate, she showed interest, kindness and just seemed to get the gist of our Mum. Helpful suggestions for tweaks to readings, guiding us through what she needed and taking all feedback we had. On the day she felt like an old friend. Comforting to have with us and seemed to know exactly what we wanted and needed. So many friends and family commented on how fantastic she was and what a joyous celebration it was. So thankful for our find.
— Natalie
Thank you for leading the service for Chris with such care. I have had a lot of comments about what a lovely celebrant you were. It was a hard day, but also a good day, and your involvement in the service added to the good element.
— Flora
The service was brilliant, a great celebration, thank you so much. The family has had loads of messages saying what a wonderful send off it was.
— Dan
Kate Stoddart
Where I work
I work mainly in Derbyshire shire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire My travel costs are free for ceremonies local to Belper, Derbyshire (within 10 miles radius). I am very happy to travel further afield, too.
Fees from...
Cremation £300
Burial £400
Memorial Service £400
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.
