Freeman Brothers was first established as a funeral director in Horsham, West Sussex, in 1855. The company now has three further offices across the county – in Billingshurst, Crawley and Hurstpierpoint – and continues to support those who require funeral services. Having embraced a range of technologies in order to respond to customer needs, one of the latest is online charity donations. 2024 was another record year, and Community Co-Ordinator, Becky, shares more…

Despite the idea increasing in popularity, many people still don’t consider the power that memory giving – charitable donations in memory of a loved one – has. Since Freeman Brothers adopted use of online platform, MuchLoved, in 2018, it has been easier for us to analyse this data.

You may have read previously that we had been able to celebrate landmark years during which our customers and those they know donated over £200,000 within a calendar year. Then, in October 2023, we surpassed £1,000,000 in online donations since starting to accept them in August 2018.

We saw continued momentum throughout 2024, and there are more achievements to celebrate. Donors generously gave an average of £50 each, which makes a wonderful difference to any charity. Smaller and local organisations are also popular among our customers, which can mean that any donation goes even further.

Our annual total in 2024 topped £210,000, which made it one of our highest amounts ever. Our customers also nominated a broad range of causes, with over 100 benefiting from their generosity.

We are often asked for recommendations in terms of charities, and this is something that we choose not to do. Our belief is that our own opinions and preferences shouldn’t have a bearing here, so we ask customers to come to their own decision. What we are happy to do is to help customers research organisations if necessary. For example, they may know the type of cause that matters to them, but not the name of specific organisations working in that sector, so we can signpost towards some options that they may wish to choose from.

There are, of course, patterns when it comes to selecting a charity, as well as perennial favourites. When a person has received support and care via a hospice, their loved ones often feel a strong association, and a desire to give something back in return, so our local hospices always feature heavily. Public funding for these is also incredibly limited, so these memory giving donations are particularly important to them.

With cancer currently impacting one in two people during their lifetimes, these charities are another popular choice. Some elect one of the larger support organisations, whilst others look for a more specific charity – there are many types of cancer, and it is great to see particularly the rarer subtypes receiving attention in this way. Other health-related charities are also often chosen, as are organisations linked to animal welfare, education, environmental issues and local community groups.

Something we’ve seen a particular increase of is support for mental health causes. Sadly, these are another source of great struggle for many people, and it is therefore understandable that people wish to support these charities. Whilst it may be difficult to think of the challenges that people face, it can also be comforting to know that we are choosing to support access to help.

One of the significant benefits of our decision to work with MuchLoved is that tribute pages are kept forever. This means that people can return to them when they choose, adding more information or memories, as well as donating if they wish. Some people like to donate on anniversaries or other special occasions, in recognition of the fact that they would have spent money on a gift for that person.

Another year is now well underway. Bereavement comes with a huge range of emotions, and we make no judgments as to how someone may be feeling at that time. Instead, we are available to provide information and practical support should you require it, as we have done since 1855.