The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) is using the internet to help people as they come to terms with their grief. In conjunction with online memorial firm Friendsandrelations.com it has developed the NAFD Book of Remembrance, which enables bereaved families to seek solace following their loss and to celebrate the life of their loved one.

“These days, as families are spread far and wide across the UK and sometimes overseas, it is not always possible for people to visit the cemetery or crematorium, but through the new NAFD Book of Remembrance they can express their feelings and help keep their loved one’s memory alive,” says the NAFD’s chief executive officer Alan Slater.

Simply by visiting the NAFD website and clicking on the Book of Remembrance families can reflect on the happy times. Alongside the name of the deceased, relatives and friends are invited to create a dedicated Celebration Page, where they can share their memories and contribute photographs. NAFD members can also enter names into the NAFD Book of Remembrance, providing an added value service to their clients.

It is free to enter a name into the NAFD Book of Remembrance. Similarly, there is no charge for setting up a Celebration Page. However, to enable unlimited access to the pages, so that family and friends from all over the world can add their comments and photographs, there is a one-off charge of £25.00 (including VAT), which the family pays online and will secure the Celebration Page for generations to come.

Once the Celebration Page is live, Friendsandrelations.com will make a contribution of £5.00 to the family’s chosen charity. Visitors can also make a donation when they look through the Celebration Pages and leave their own tribute. Every penny, donated voluntarily by visitors, goes to the charity of the family’s choice and in the vast majority of cases will be boosted by 20% through the online Gift Aid facility. Friendsandrelations.com believes that this facility to donate online to a chosen charity will, over time, alleviate the need for funeral directors to be involved in the collection and forwarding of donations.

“We are very excited about working with the National Association of Funeral Directors on this new initiative. The NAFD Book of Remembrance is an electronic ‘sanctuary’, a special place where precious lives can be celebrated, in heartfelt words and pictures, warm tributes and comforting recollections, all dedicated specifically to the memory of a loved one,” says Jonathan Haward, founder of Friendsandrelations.com.

“Over the years, we’ve found the many tributes and observations left on Celebration Pages work on two levels – as a cathartic experience for the author and a source of comfort for all who need to remember.”

If you require more information, have any queries or would like to be one of the first to use this new service, please contact Jonathan or Julie on 01872 226800 or send an email to notify@friendsandrelations.com