Co-op Funeralcare raises£20,000 for The Rowans

Branches of the Co-operative Funeralcare are celebrating after raising over £190,000 in charitable donations through the firm’s memorial webpage, in partnership with online memorial charity MuchLoved.

The Waterlooville-based hospice is just one of the campaign’s many beneficiaries.

More people are asking for donations to be made to charity rather than people buying flowers for funerals.

The online donation service is free of charge to all customers and offers a personal tribute page so that people can share memories along with details of a funeral service.

Steve Pearce, chief operating officer end of life services at Southern Co-op said: ‘We are constantly trying to improve our services and find that this way of remembering a loved one is very effective.

‘Being able to raise money in memory of a friend or family member gives people the opportunity to give something back and say thank you to charities that have helped them.’