Funeral Service Times August 2017 October 2018 | Page 32

32 LIVING ON THROUGH MEMORIAL TREES
suggest that cremation accounted for 77.05
percent of afterlife choices in the UK in 2017.
“Since cremation came in people don’t
have graves but they still have walls and
columbariums and now we have memorial
trees and memorial leaves,” he says. “So
the bereaved get something that is really
cost-effective and I think everybody is
happy with the product and it’s beautiful.”
He also makes note of the fact that with
the increased use of crematoria facilities
once ashes are scattered, there is often
nothing of the loved one left behind and
nowhere specific to go to memorialise
them. “This was Jose's idea so in this
modern time, what is left is a name, a name
to be remembered. It’s a modern take on
traditional memorialisation.”
Dakin believes that not only will the
memorial trees aid with the problem of
burial or memorial land space and its
management over time, but also feels it can
help to alleviate what is and has been a hot
topic in the funeral sector; funeral poverty.
Referencing the Lincoln crematorium which
leases the memorial leaves for 10 years
for £150, Dakin says: “A headstone will
cost £1000 minimum for a basic one, then
you've got to pay for the plot. £150 for a
memorial leaf is a very small cost to give a
beautiful and timeless way for someone to
be remembered.” Each leaf is leased for 10
- 20 years and once that period is up, the
family is asked if they would like to renew
and get a new leaf, if not the leaf is taken off
and can then be returned to the family.
It also appeals to those who want
an eco-friendly after life option as the
long lasting quality of the tree and its
OCTOBER 2018
recyclability means it is relatively kinder to
the environment. “It takes up little space,
there's no bodily remains or formaldehyde
- it’s as eco-friendly as you can get.”
As for the funeral profession, Memorial
Trees could be a potential additional stream
of income. Once the Lincoln crematorium
have leased all 200 of its leaves, the
crematorium will enter into profit on the
initial investment of the tree which Dakin
admits are “not cheap”. Dakin continues: “I
didn't think funeral directors would be one
of our customers and yet the first memorial
tree I sold in Ireland was a full sized tree
to a funeral director. It's a beautiful funeral
home, they installed the tree on the grounds
and the owner will sell memorial leaves as a
combination of recouping their investment
but also donating money to local charities.”
The company also sells memorial trees
to hospitals and hospices and charities
as donor/fundraising business models or
alternatively, just as a work of art.
Going forward, Memorial Trees hopes
to see the use of these memorials being
used more widely, as people opt for
varying afterlife practices. With a war
memorial installation in the UK potentially
in the pipeline, the company hopes that its
trees which have so far been universally
positively received becomes a well
established memorial option.
www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk