Hi, I'm Trevor

Image of Trevor Thwaites

I am an accredited celebrant based in East Hampshire.

In my spare time, I am passionate about music, playing in local bands. I also organise and compère music events, especially where I can support new performers in gaining confidence. I spend a lot of time interacting with a diverse range of people, building rapport and trust.

Having also worked in technology, education and the creative arts, my attention to detail and planning skills are well established.

I love walking, travelling, photography, reading, cooking (often with my allotment grown vegetables), and art, if I can find time!

My style has been described as warm and engaging. I am a confident speaker, able to perform ceremonies ranging from formal to the more unconventional, but always with a human touch.

I have found it very rewarding to learn about the lives of people's loved ones. It is a privilege to be asked to honour someone's life, and engage with families at such a sensitive time.

How does it all work?

My ceremonies are bespoke, honouring and celebrating the life to be remembered.

We have an initial meeting, without obligation. This is also your chance to decide if I am the right celebrant for you. It is important that you feel comfortable with the celebrant you chose for such a sensitive ceremony, on a personal, as well as a professional level.

The next stage is to have a more detailed planning meeting, which can be at a later date if preferred. This is when I learn about the person to be remembered, enabling me to script a ceremony that reflects their life with respect and sincerity. I can help with every aspect from readings, music, and more, that will provide me with the information I need to write the script.

The draft script is sent to you for approval. You are welcome to make, or ask for, revisions if need be.

I will perform the ceremony on the day itself.

I look forward to hearing from you and will be happy to answer any questions you may have. My contact details are on the right-hand side of this page.

We were all delighted with dad’s ceremony. Trevor’s script really captured the essence of dad perfectly & he delivered it all so beautifully. I can’t thank him enough for all his efforts to create such a fantastic script. Back at the pub, virtually every guest commented on his words & said how personalised & heartfelt his delivery was. So many people said it was the best funeral they’d ever attended - even our staunch Catholic relatives! Trevor really is very talented & we feel very lucky to have had him as our celebrant. Cannot recommend highly enough.

— Allyson

Trevor Thwaites proved to be an excellent choice in every way to conduct the Celebration of Life we held for our mother. He showed genuine interest in her life and worked with us closely on many aspects of the preparation for the day giving us the time we needed, sharing his knowledge of such events, and developing, with us, a very strong script for the event. On the day his presentation was both gentle, kindly and warm, as well as humorous where we sought that. At the same time he was clear and concise, speaking with confidence which was highly reassuring for us. In his role as master of ceremonies he brought in the contributors, our chosen music and a video with perfect timing. We would gladly recommend Trevor to anyone else and thank him for helping to make this potentially difficult day one of clear celebration and enabled us and our guests to feel at ease and share our love for our mum.

— Vanessa

Trevor met us, listened to us and made sure he understood the spirit, life, and cultural interests of our departed wife and mother. He then took his insights from that meeting, wrote a beautiful ceremony, checked with us to confirm both the content and tone, then delivered faultlessly on the day.

We cannot thank Trevor enough for capturing our Mam’s spirit and history so poignantly.

— David

I’m so glad we chose a humanist celebrant for my mum’s recent funeral. Trevor took the time to listen to us and managed to capture things beautifully. His words really showed my mums colourful character, and the whole event was indeed a celebration of her life. It was so much more personal and I could not have asked for anyone better.

— Stephanie

Trevor made the whole process simple. He listened to what we thought we wanted, provided a structure and prompted us when we hesitated, without imposing ideas upon us. We had several goes at writing the eulogy and throughout Trevor was supportive, empathetic and patient.

I would thoroughly recommend Trevor if you are looking for guidance and a calming and reassuring presence in what can be a very stressful experience.

Thank you once again – The Russell Family

— Steve

Trevor helped me and the family to prepare a fitting tribute to Irene. He was a very empathetic listener when we were discussing aspects of Irene’s life and gave a memorable service on the day of the funeral.

I’m sure that Trevor will also be able to help anyone prepare for what is a very sad occasion.

Thank you Trevor

— Vincent

Trevor collated a great deal of little bits of information about by father, and produced a wonderful, thoughtful, realistic and humorous account of my father’s life. I enjoyed working with him: he made it feel like a collaboration, but the work was all his! Trevor is patient and very personable and very generous with his time. On the day of the ceremony, he was a quiet but authoritative presence, and we were very grateful to have him there, coordinating and holding everything together. He has produced a lovely document of the ceremony, including our tributes and our personal words, which we can refer to in years to come. Very grateful to you Trevor, thank you.

— Lesley Ann

Image of Trevor Thwaites

Trevor Thwaites

Where I work

I am based in the Portsmouth area and perform ceremonies throughout Hampshire, East & West Sussex, Dorset, Surrey, Berkshire, Wiltshire and the South of England in general.

I enjoy travel, so I am happy to travel to most areas in the UK and abroad by arrangement.

Fees from...

£250 which includes meeting(s), writing the script, performing the ceremony on the day, and a commemorative copy of the script. It may be necessary to add modest travel expenses (at cost) if the distance is greater than about 40 miles.

How to contact me
Email

trevor.thwaites@humanistceremonies.org.uk

Phone

07947 580104

Website

humanist.org.uk/trevorthwaites

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.