Tackling the big taboo

The past year has been a challenging one for us all, and it’s likely that many people’s attitudes to death and grieving will have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a nation we have traditionally found it very difficult to discuss death openly. In 2019, research by Co-op Funeralcare revealed that 16.5 million of us feel uncomfortable talking about death and bereavement.

Add to this the fact that, since March last year, we have also been experiencing a grief pandemic, and that’s a worrying combination.

Figures released by Co-op Funeralcare in December found that 51 per cent* of UK adults who had experienced a bereavement within the last year said the death of their loved one was unexpected. That’s 8.8 million bereaved people coping with a sudden death of someone close.

In these circumstances it’s now more important than ever to be able to talk about your funeral wishes. This can help bring some comfort for when the time does come, knowing that you have had that conversation.

Once people start to talk about death more and more, the less taboo it will become. This way, we can make sure we all get the send-off we want. Co-op Funeralcare has some helpful tips and advice about how to start the conversation at coop.co.uk/ starttheconversation.