Westerleigh Group launches new podcast series to get people talking
Death and funerals remain subjects that people are often reluctant to talk about – but all that could soon change, thanks to a new podcast series being launched by Westerleigh Group.
Before You Go is a series of honest, down-to-earth conversations about death, grief and the ways we remember.
Westerleigh Group, which has its national headquarters just outside Bristol, is one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 42 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, and which is trusted by more families than any other provider to deliver funerals for their loved ones.
All of Westerleigh's locations are set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide peaceful places for people to visit and reflect, while benefitting from exceptional care and support from its teams.
Each episode of the podcast series runs for around 30 minutes and as the series progresses, will cover a wide range of subjects, all aimed at encouraging people to consider their own mortality and, more importantly, to talk about it.
Matthew Brook, Head of Partnerships and Propositions at Westerleigh Group, is the host for the podcasts.
He said: “No one particularly wants to talk about death but ultimately, it is part of life. We will all lose loved ones and, of course, we will all pass away ourselves.
“Talking about funerals early can make things a lot easier when the time comes – from your own wishes for your funeral to what your loved ones would prefer for theirs.
“Funerals themselves have changed a lot, too; more and more people are opting to step away from the more traditional, sombre, services and instead take a ‘celebration of life’ approach.
“Westerleigh Group prides itself on helping the bereaved to make funerals as uniquely personal as possible to reflect the life and interests of the person who has passed away, and some of our podcasts will look at different ways in which services can be personalised, and also ways in which families can memorialise their loved ones.”
The first three podcasts will feature conversations with Duncan Reynolds, Managing Director of wholesale masonry business Odlings in Hull, who talks about traditional memorials; Dr Bill Webster, an experienced grief counsellor; and former BBC radio broadcaster-turned-Celebrant Emma Britton, who was diagnosed with a rare, incurable, form of lung cancer earlier this year.
Matthew said: “We hope these podcasts will help break down barriers and encourage people to start talking more about this subject.
“Hopefully, we will be able to dispel any myths people may have and encourage them to think about what they want for their funeral, as well as provide information about the support available to help those in need manage their grief as well as about the wide range of funeral and memorialisation options available.”
The podcasts have been produced in partnership with Empica, a Bristol-based PR agency which was founded in 1989 and has become a trusted and well-respected name in PR and media relations, supported by excellent content creation capabilities.
The first three episodes of ‘Before You Go’ will be available on Friday, October 3 on all major podcast platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and after that, a new episode will be released fortnightly, on a Friday.
For any topic suggestions, comments or feedback, please email: wgpodcast@westerleighgroup.co.uk
For further information about Westerleigh Group, the locations of its crematoria and cemeteries, and the exceptional care and support it offers, visit: www.westerleighgroup.co.uk
