Nearly 600 donations were made in 2019 via a free online memorial feature offered by a number of Sussex co-operative funeral homes.
Thanks to the generosity of those who have recently lost a loved one, £25,990 was donated via the feature offered by The Co-operative Funeralcare branches in Sussex which are part of Southern Co-op.
In 2019, the donations averaged around £44 per donation. This is an increase from 2018 when 355 donations were made totalling £13,217 – an average of £37 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 – the regional, independent co-operative.
Sussex based charities to benefit from the contributions included St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Chichester which received £5,680; St Peter and St James Hospice in Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Lewes and Uckfield which received £926; and The Apuldram Centre which received £680 and supports adults with learning disabilities.
Funeral homes in Sussex offering the free online memorial feature include The Co-operative Funeralcare in Uckfield, Bognor Regis, Chichester, Felpham, Rose Green, and Findon Valley.
For more information about online tributes, visit www.funeralcare.co.uk/tributes-and-donations.
