As our world becomes increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of our choices, funerals are no exception. Traditional burial practices often rely on materials and processes that can leave a heavy environmental footprint. However, eco-friendly alternatives for burials, such as those offered at GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks, are transforming how we honour our loved ones while protecting the planet for future generations. At the forefront of this movement is the innovative Loop Living Cocoon™, a groundbreaking eco-coffin that exemplifies the future of sustainable burials.

The Growing Importance of Green Burials

Eco-friendly burials are designed to minimise the environmental impact of traditional funeral practices. By prioritising biodegradable materials, reducing emissions, and avoiding harmful chemicals, green burials offer a more harmonious way of returning to the earth. GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks have embraced this philosophy by providing tranquil woodland and parkland where families can say goodbye in a way that honours both their loved ones and the natural world.

Key elements of eco-friendly burials include:

GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks are uniquely designed to support these principles, offering not only a serene resting place but also a commitment to environmental stewardship.

Introducing the Loop Living Cocoon™

The Loop Living Cocoon™ represents a revolutionary step in green funerals. Made from mycelium – the underground root network of mushrooms – and upcycled hemp fibres, this eco-coffin is 100% natural and fully biodegradable. Remarkably, it biodegrades within just 45 days, enriching the soil and increasing biodiversity. And a tree was not cut down to create this type of coffin.

Why Mycelium? Mycelium is nature’s ultimate recycler. It transforms organic matter into nutrients, shares resources with the forest floor, and enhances soil quality. By utilising mycelium, the Loop Living Cocoon™ not only minimises environmental harm but actively contributes to a healthier planet.

Features of the Loop Living Cocoon™

Its hydrophobic properties make it suitable for all weather conditions, and it can be stored indefinitely when kept in a dry, ventilated space.

Redefining Legacies

Choosing the Loop Living Cocoon™ is more than an eco-friendly decision; it’s a statement about the legacy you wish to leave. By choosing a coffin that enriches the soil and promotes biodiversity, you create a living memorial that continues to give back to the earth. This aligns perfectly with GreenAcres’ mission to sustain and enhance our natural landscapes for generations to come.

Loop will have a distribution centre in the UK, meaning UK Funeral Directors will be able to purchase the Loop Living Cocoon™ on request.

A greener future

At GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks, we believe that everyone should have the information and options to make meaningful and environmentally conscious funeral choices. As we move toward achieving net-zero emissions across our business, innovations like the Loop Living Cocoon™ play a vital role in shaping the future of funerals.

Loop Biotech have also created an urn called Loop EarthRise™, just like the coffin – this feeds the earth and improves biodiversity, meaning that your loved one’s ashes can be a source for nature to flourish within the woodland, meadow, orchard, garden or lawn area of any GreenAcres Living Memorial Park. The Loop EarthRise™ urns are available to purchase directly from GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks.

If you’re planning for yourself or a loved one, consider the environmental impact of each decision. From biodegradable coffins to woodland and wildflower meadow burials, every choice can make a difference. Together, we can honour our loved ones while preserving the beauty of our planet.

To learn more about our eco-friendly burial options visit GreenAcres Living Memorial Parks. To find out more on Loop Biotech and the Loop Living Cocoon™ and Loop EarthRise™, visit Loop Living Cocoon™ – World’s first living coffin. Let’s create a legacy that honours life and nurtures the earth.

For many, Mother’s Day represents a day of celebrations. But if you’ve lost your mum or mother-figure, or you are a mother who has lost a child, it can be a day filled with grief and sadness. Even the simplest things can remind us of the loved ones we’ve lost, which is why it’s important to take care of yourself as Mother’s Day approaches. We’ve collected together some advice to help you cope with this difficult time while you’re grieving for a lost loved one.   

Don’t feel pressured 

Families often make plans to celebrate Mother’s Day. However, you don’t need to feel pressured to join in with them. Family and friends may invite you along to stop you from feeling left out, but they will understand if you don’t feel up to it. It’s OK to say no and it’s OK not to be OK.  Instead, do things that you feel are right for you – like being close to nature and having a walk, watching a film, making your favourite food or listening to music that brings you happy memories or distracting yourself with your favourite hobbies.  

Write down how you’re feeling 

If you struggle to articulate how you feel, you could write your feelings down in a letter or card. Grief isn’t always an easy thing to make sense of, but giving yourself a chance to think about how you feel can help you cope with your grief – particularly when it’s more heightened around Mother’s Day.  

Share your loved ones memory 

Sharing memories of your loved one with family and friends is a wonderful way to honour them on Mother’s Day. You could get together over a cup of tea or start an online chat if you don’t feel up to seeing people. If you’ve turned your mum’s social media accounts into an online memorial, you can share tributes on there, too. There are also many online communities that bring comfort by sharing supportive messages on grief and loss, like Grief Speaks Out. 

Hold a memorial service 

You may take solace from holding a memorial service for your loved one on Mother’s Day. The service doesn’t have to be anything big. Simply lighting a candle or planting a beautiful plant are great ways to remember that special person.  

Get support at our monthly GreenAcres Bereavement Cafés 

When you lose someone you love meeting others who can relate to how you feel can help. We offer a kind, supportive space with understanding from others who are also living life after loss.  

Often it is difficult to walk through the door to somewhere new especially when you are grieving. We promise you a warm welcome from our experienced and compassionate team along with tea, coffee and cake. For more information, click here.

Join us for our Mother’s Day Remembrance event 

We invite you to our Mother’s Day event on Sunday 30th March at your local GreenAcres Park – a time to honour cherished memories, reflect, and remember those who are no longer with us. You will also have the opportunity to light a candle and tie a memorial heart on our Remembrance Tree

Find out more about our Mother’s Day event here.  

While it’s not something we generally talk about out loud, many of us hope to leave behind more than just memories after death. We want to be remembered – not just for what we did, but for who we were and how we made others feel. Whether through the life lessons we’ve shared or the heirlooms we’ve passed down to new generations, the idea of leaving a legacy means our story will live on in the hearts and minds of our loved ones.

You might be wondering how you can create a legacy that lives on long after you’ve gone. From choosing your final resting place to contributing to your community, this blog explores the steps you can take to create a lasting legacy that continues long after death.

Document your life’s story

Whether through a memoir, diary or even video recordings, documenting your life’s journey can inspire your loved ones and future generations – including even family members you won’t meet. By sharing your triumphs, challenges and the lessons you learned along the way, you not only keep your memory alive once you’ve gone, but you can also help others understand their place in your family’s history. Your story becomes a bridge between the past and the future, offering both comfort to those you leave behind and a connection between you and those who come long after you.  

Pass heirlooms down to your loved ones

Passing down heirlooms is a lovely way to preserve your legacy and keep your memory alive – especially if your loved ones had a particular fondness for some of your cherished belongings. Whether it’s a piece of jewellery, a treasured ornament collection, photographs, videos, recipes or a handwritten letter, the sentimental value of your heirlooms means these items become reminders of who you were and the things you loved when you were alive. They can also be passed on through the generations, connecting you to your family long after you’re gone.

Contribute to your community

Having a positive impact within your community can create a legacy that lasts for years after your death. No matter how big or small, things like volunteering, mentoring people who need guidance or supporting local causes ensure your name is associated with positive progress within your local area. Don’t forget to talk to your loved ones about all the good things you’ve done so they’re aware of your impact within the community. After all, they’re bound to want to shout about your achievements to anyone who’ll listen.

Pre-plan your funeral

Part of creating a legacy that lives on after you’ve gone is choosing how – and where – you’d like to be remembered. End-of-life planning helps ease the financial burden on your family and also allows you to get the funeral you want. It might feel strange to think about pre-planning your own send-off, but there are several benefits if you’d like to have control over the final part of your life. Read our guide to pre-planning a funeral to find out more. 

Choose your final resting place

Considering how you’d like to be remembered helps create a long-lasting legacy. Choosing your final resting place ahead of time comes with many benefits – for example, you can find a resting place that reflects who you are and serves as a meaningful tribute to your life, values and the memories you’ve shared with loved ones.

By choosing a GreenAcres Living Memorial Park, you’ll have comfort in knowing that your final resting place will be in the beauty of nature where your loved ones will want to visit time after time. You have the choice of peaceful woodlands, stunning wildflower meadows and relaxing, well-cared-for parkland. We’ve created different Park Experiences to give you more choice when looking for a memorial that serves as a special legacy for years to come.

Find out more about our five distinctive Park Experiences.

Final Resting Place

Even though we don’t often think about our death and what happens afterwards, more and more people are planning how and where they’d like to be remembered. If you’re thinking about planning your own funeral or want to find out more about the benefits of doing so, we’ve pulled together this handy blog on why pre-planning your funeral is a good thing to do.

1. You’ll be able to save yourself and your family money

Funerals – whether unexpected or not – are often a considerable expense to families. By pre-planning, you can relieve your loved ones from the burden of footing the bill during an already-difficult time. Plus, by thinking about things before the time comes, you can pay off your funeral over a longer period, allowing you to spread the cost into more manageable chunks. You also won’t need to worry about inflation making your funeral more expensive.

Some Funeral Directors offer payment plans that you can benefit from, so it’s well worth having a chat with yours (if you decide to use one) before you put down a deposit. You can find out more about funerals plans here.

2. You can have your funeral exactly as you want it

Your loved ones will no doubt honour you as best as they can, but unless you’ve spoken to them about your wishes beforehand, they might have some ideas of their own. By pre-planning your service, you can have it exactly as you want it. Whether you have a particular theme in mind or want your guests to wear a certain colour, you can set out what you want before the funeral, giving yourself the send-off you deserve.

3. You’ll have time to make important decisions

Pre-planning your funeral means you can slow down and take some time to think about what you actually want. When loved ones are left to plan a funeral, the finer details are often overlooked due to it being a highly emotional time. Some people also struggle to know what to do under pressure.

Instead of hasty decision-making, you’ll have the opportunity to shop around, find companies that meet your values and plan your funeral at a pace that suits you.

4. You’ll save your loved ones from unnecessary stress

Planning a funeral isn’t easy – especially during the early stages of grief. By getting your affairs in order before you die, you can ease your family’s stress by taking away the burden of funeral planning. You may also take some comfort in knowing everything is taken care of before the time comes.

5. You can relieve your loved ones of making complex decisions

If you’re religious, have spiritual beliefs or want a particular kind of service, pre-planning means you can take care of the trickier elements of funeral planning. It’s not uncommon for friends and family members to make mistakes when they’re grieving. Choosing what you want and how you want it removes the risk of oversights, giving you peace of mind that your wishes are taken care of.

To find out more about pre-planning your funeral, such as what to think about, take a look at our step-by-step pre-planning guide. If you’d like to plan ahead, pre-purchased plots can now be acquired with a GreenAcres instalment plan. Simply secure the space you want at today’s prices and pay it back over 10 months with no added interest. For more information, please speak to a member of the team at your local Park.

 

 

Where to go for support and guidance

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the special bond between a mother and her children. It’s also a day to recognise and honour the motherly figures in our lives. But for those who have lost a child, it’s a day of great sadness and grief – one that will undoubtedly trigger painful memories.

Even though losing a baby or child is one of the most difficult and emotional experiences anyone will ever have to go through, we don’t tend to talk about how this special day affects bereaved mothers. This is why Mother’s Day can make the loss of a child feel even more unbearable than any other day of the year.

We understand how overwhelming the pain of Mother’s Day can be. This blog will guide you through these emotions and offer guidance on where to seek support.

Surround yourself with loved ones

Mother’s Day is bound to be tougher than any other day of the year. But surrounding yourself with friends and family and reflecting on precious memories can help turn your thoughts of grief and sadness into comfort.

Going for a walk together can really help turn your feelings of grief into hope. Connecting with nature is proven to help people with grief – after all, nature’s a healer. Find a beautiful spot to explore and try to turn your attention to all the natural wonders you see. If you need to walk in silence for a while, that’s okay. Your loved ones will understand.

 

Connecting with nature is proven to help people with grief.

You might also find comfort in telling stories of your child, taking some time to remember the good times you shared. Having permission to show your emotions and speak about your loss is healthy, so don’t feel shy in asking your friends and family if you can talk about how you’re feeling.

Keep busy

If you’re someone who likes to keep themselves busy, make specific plans for Mother’s Day and stick to them. Whether you choose to honour your child or spend the day being as ‘normal’ as possible, planning ahead keeps you in control, allowing you to spend Mother’s Day in the way that’s right for you and your family.

Look after yourself

You might prefer to be by yourself this Mother’s Day – and that’s okay. Just remember to be as kind to yourself as possible. Pour yourself a hot bath, watch your favourite TV programme, or go for a run to clear your head. Do whatever makes you happy – and don’t feel guilty for putting yourself first.

Visit your child’s grave or memorial

You may take comfort from visiting your child’s grave or memorial on Mother’s Day. This is a deeply personal choice, but many grieving mothers find that visiting their loved one’s resting place provides the peace and quiet they need to reflect on precious memories.

Seek support

If you feel like you’re struggling in the run-up to Mother’s Day, there’s no shame in asking for help. There are many organisations in the UK who can help. We have listed a few below:

The Compassionate Friends

Child Bereavement UK

The Child Death Helpline

The Good Grief Trust

You might find comfort from the many video stories and articles available online from other families who have lost a child, as well as initiatives from professionals who support them. Remember, you’re not alone in your grief.

Join us at our monthly Bereavement Cafés

Our monthly Bereavement Cafés are welcoming spaces held within our Parks, where the topic of death is not a taboo, but an open and honest conversation. Here, you can say your loved one’s name, share your memories, and talk about your grief with others who truly understand.

For those not ready to share, Bereavement Cafés offer the opportunity to simply listen, to be in the presence of others navigating loss, and to find comfort in knowing you’re not alone.

These gatherings are not about fixing grief or rushing healing – they’re about creating a safe, compassionate community where every experience of loss is respected, and every story matters. Whether you come to talk, listen, or just be, you are warmly welcomed.

Free tea, coffee and cake. See here for your GreenAcres local Park monthly Bereavement Café

Join us for our Mother’s Day event

We invite you to our special Mother’s Day Remembrance event – a time to honour cherished memories, reflect, and remember those who are no longer with us. You will also have the opportunity to light a candle and tie a memorial heart on our Remembrance Tree.

Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome! Click here for more information.

This blog offers a step-by-step guide to organising a cremation and cremation service.

There are many reasons why people are opting for cremation – the higher cost of burial is probably one of these. However, respect for, and the honouring of, the religious belief of their loved one is another important consideration. Members of some faith groups choose burial because that aligns with their faith (Jews and followers of Islam are examples). Others look to cremation – particularly Hindus and Sikhs, as well as those Buddhists who choose to follow the example of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama).

Another factor is that cremation offers families many more options to memorialise their loved one, so what follows can become a deeply personal experience. For some people, the act of scattering ashes, for example, gives them a sense that their loved one is all around them or looking down and continuing to admire the place chosen for them. Or they might choose to place the ashes in a beautiful urn at home.

Not all crematoria and cemeteries allow ash scattering. However, scattering is possible in designated areas at any GreenAcres Park. Generally though, there is nothing in UK law to stop you scattering ashes in a place that was special to your loved one, or over water (including rivers), but you do need the landowner’s permission. And if you’re planning to scatter ashes on ‘controlled waters’ you should consult the Environment Agency’s recommendations. But, before any cremation, there are some legal steps to follow:

The four legal steps


Step 1 is only likely to involve you, a family member or a friend/neighbour if your loved one has died at home. In a hospital or care home, Step 1 will be carried out by staff so you won’t need to get involved.


Step 1 – Verification of death


Verification of death is the process of identifying that a person has died. It has nothing to do with providing a death certificate or identifying the cause of death.
English Law allows any competent adult, either independently or with remote support from a doctor, to verify that someone has died. It doesn’t need to be done by a doctor.

The British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) have produced a collaborative process (protocol) that can be followed by anyone present to verify death if they feel able to do so.

If you find yourself having to verify a death, either call your GP who will support you over the phone, or follow the guidelines in the protocol above.


Step 2 – Certification of death

After a death has been verified, a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) must be completed and submitted to the local registrar of births, marriages and deaths by a (GMC registered and licensed) doctor. You don’t need to be involved in this step, and there’s nothing to pay.

If the doctor cannot offer a likely cause of death, the case must be submitted to the coroner to establish a cause of death.

Now, because of Covid-19 and the Coronavirus Act 2020, for a doctor to complete an MCCD without referral to the coroner, they must have seen (including via video link) the patient in the 28 days before death, or in person after death. If these conditions are met, the MCCD will be completed by the doctor and sent (by email) to the registrar who will record the death and complete the paperwork to allow burial or cremation.


Step 3 – Registration of death


The person registering the death is formally known as ‘the informant’. Only relatives or specific individuals are qualified by law to register a death. Other people include:

The informant must register the death within five days in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and within eight days in Scotland.

However, if there’s a Coroner’s inquest (Procurator Fiscal in Scotland), registration is delayed until the inquest has been completed.
Depending on which country the deceased person lived in, the informant must register the death:

Step 4 – Cremation certificate

The Coronavirus Act 2020 changed the requirements of the cremation process. During the COVID-19 emergency, Form Cremation 4 is now the only form that needs to be completed. This form must be completed by a registered doctor and sent to the relevant crematorium. (The standard requirement for sending form Cremation 5 as well has been suspended.) Cremation 4 will then be checked by the crematorium medical referee to ensure it complies with guidance. Referees have the right (and a duty) to raise questions to ensure the safety of the system. When you have completed the formalities, and the death has been registered, you can then think about the cremation and cremation service.

You may also find the Tell Us Once service available through GOV.UK particularly useful. It lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. In Northern Ireland, you’ll need to visit Who to tell about a death.

If you would prefer to use a Funeral Director, then the Good Funeral Guide is an excellent place to start your search. We also have a list of Funeral Directors we work with on a regular basis here.

Options for a cremation service

After the cremation, you might be thinking about how you’ll mark the place where your loved one’s ashes have been scattered or buried. At GreenAcres, our Parks are open to anyone of any faith or none looking for the perfect place to remember and reflect on the life of a loved one. To speak to a member of our friendly team please call 0203 745 8325 or send an email to [email protected] or contact us here.