Lecturers offer advice on burials

Hull University sent researchers to more than 40 funerals to examine the spirituality of mourners at various religious, humanist and civil ceremonies.

Now they are delivering a series of workshops to share their findings with undertakers, churches and the British Humanist Association.

The sessions begin on Friday with directors from the Co-operative Funeralcare from Hull, Bridlington, Beverley, Grimsby and Scunthorpe.

Researcher Sue Adamson said the university hoped it would get undertakers to think about what influences people’s decision-making when planning for funerals.

Prof Margaret Holloway from Hull University’s department of social sciences, who led the research, said: “We’ll be reminding them of how much influence they have in the families’ decision-making process and because they haven’t been exposed to this qualitative research before, we think they will be surprised to see the level of impact they have and the way in which they interpret peoples wishes so differently.”