CHARITIES across the region, including Autism Berkshire, have benefitted from an online remembrance service.
The Co-operative Funeralcare released new figures last week showing that almost 600 donations were made last year from a free online memorial feature offered by three Surrey and Berkshire funeral homes.
In all, £30,190 was donated in memory of loved ones via the feature, which is offered by The Co-operative Funeralcare branches in Ash Vale, Frimley Green and Bracknell.
The donations averaged around £50 per donation. This is an increase from 2018 when 367 gifts were made totalling £15,410 – an average of £42 per donation.
The memorial page also allows friends and family to set up a personal tribute page to light virtual candles, share memories, stories, photos and videos of loved ones.
Steve Pearce, chief operating officer for funeral care at Southern Co-op, said: “The charities people chose to donate to can be a reflection of something their loved one held dear to them or a charity that supported them at a time of need.
“We know that people donated to 351 different charities last year but what we can’t quantify is how many people that went on to help. The donations would have made a difference to thousands of people’s lives and this is incredibly special.”
A total of £330,000 was donated by families across the south of England in 2019 via the free online service offered by Southern Co-op, a regional, independent co-operative.
Berkshire and Surrey-based charities to benefit from the contributions included Phyllis Tuckwell which received £16,650 and cares for terminally ill people and their families throughout West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire; Frimley Health Charity which received £1,858 and provides life-changing equipment and services for sick and vulnerable people; and Autism Berkshire which received £466 and provides support services for all ages of people with autism, their families, carers and professionals in the county.
For more information about online tributes, visit www.funeralcare.co.uk/tributes-and-donations.
