Hi, I'm Lesley
Thank you for considering a Humanist funeral. You may have an immediate need to arrange a funeral for a loved one or maybe you are planning ahead for yourself. I am accredited to conduct pre-need meetings for anyone who would like to discuss planning their own ceremony to make life easier for those left to make the arrangements.
If you are looking for a celebrant for a funeral for someone who lived without religion, then a Humanist funeral is a great choice. As a Humanist celebrant I only do Humanist funerals. I too live without religion so both the person and the celebrant share the same values.
After many years supporting and advising people who face major changes in their lives I moved into using this experience to support and advise people dealing with the death of someone close to them. Planning the ceremony for a funeral is not something we tend to do often, or with plenty of time to research and clarify ideas about what we would like. I can help you to focus on what will be right for your ceremony and by finding out about the person who has died, create a personal goodbye.
A Humanist ceremony is unique to the person it is for. I meet the family and anyone else closely involved and help you to plan a ceremony that suits you all. I will find out from you about the person: what mattered to them, the story of their life and how they lived it. We would discuss suitable music and poetry or prose to include in the ceremony.
Using this information I would then write a ceremony, which I send to the next of kin for approval and deliver at the funeral. It can include contributions from family or friends which they can say or I can do it for them should they prefer not to speak. You would have a copy as a reminder of that special day. It will acknowledge the sadness of loss, but celebrate the joy of having lived.
I am originally from Scotland and you can hear that in my voice. I am delighted to include a touch of Robert Burns' poetry where appropriate.
Lesley was truly fantastic, delivering a service that was so beautifully put-together, capturing the essence of my Susie, delivering words i and others had written so elegantly, and generally giving her the send-off she deserved. Thank you Lesley
— Tim
Lesley was an incredible celebrant. Whilst she has been a family friend for over 40 years, she was both professional and supportive at all times. During our first meeting, she spent such a long time hearing about our Dad's life and our stories and memories. We never felt anything was being rushed and Lesley wanted to really capture our dad's life in her words. We also valued the various hints and tips she gave regarding how to arrange the ceremony, how to ask people if they want to speak and how to prepare if you were speaking. Lesley was also very supportive to us as a family, sharing with us a book about how to talk to young children about death which was so kind of her. The ceremony Lesley delivered was perfect and was such a fitting tribute to our dad. Lots of people commented on what a lovely job she did. We really thank her for all her help at this difficult time.
— Matthew and Rebecca
Lesley prepared and delivered a fitting tribute to my late mother. Sensitive, well researched and delivered with a wonderfully appropriate style
— Nigel
Lesley Bottomley
Where I work
I take funerals in roughly a 25 mile radius of Wantage. This includes Oxford, Abingdon, Didcot, Newbury, Faringdon, Swindon and all the villages in between. I will travel further for additional travel costs. I work in crematoria, natural burial grounds and for a memorial ceremony in a variety of settings including halls, hotels and out of doors.
Fees from...
My charges start at £270.00 for ceremonies in the area described. Greater distances will incur an additional cost to cover extra travel and time.
How to contact me
lesley.bottomley@humanistceremonies.org.uk
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.
