Bereavement support
A community-support programme
Bereavement support is one programme of SOOCH. It sits alongside livelihoods and hardship support.
SOOCH Bereavement Support is a community-support programme, not funeral insurance or a prepaid funeral plan.
Paying a joining or annual membership contribution does not guarantee that SOOCH will arrange or pay for a funeral, burial, cremation, repatriation or any other expense.
When a member or their family faces bereavement, SOOCH will try to understand their needs and explore how the organisation and wider community may be able to help.
Assistance may include guidance, practical arrangements, contacts, transport, voluntary contributions, community fundraising and discretionary financial assistance where resources allow.
Members may be invited to contribute money, time, skills or services voluntarily. There is no obligation to contribute to each appeal.
No fixed payment, complete arrangements or guaranteed financial benefit is promised.
A member can keep important information securely, so that if they die, the people supporting their family are not starting from nothing.
What a member can record
- Next of kin
- Emergency contacts
- Preferences
- Faith or belief considerations, where someone chooses to provide them
- Burial or cremation preferences
- Whether arrangements should be in the United Kingdom or involve repatriation
- Useful documentation
- Special instructions
Bereavement-support reserve
This is a target for the future. It is not a statement that the money is already held, and it is not a promise to pay for any particular funeral.
SOOCH aims to build and maintain an initial bereavement-support reserve of £10,000. This target is intended to strengthen our ability to respond to future requests for assistance.
The reserve is a shared community resource. It does not guarantee payment of funeral costs or create an entitlement to assistance.
As our membership and available resources grow, we will review the reserve target.
Where genuinely unrestricted funds exceed the target, SOOCH may consider allocating available surplus to livelihoods, education and other community-support initiatives, after accounting for existing commitments, operating needs and applicable restrictions.
Funds donated for a specific restricted purpose will be managed according to the conditions attached to those contributions.
Report a death
If someone has died, you can tell SOOCH. You will need to sign in. SOOCH will review what you send and contact you if more information is needed. This does not arrange a funeral or confirm that support can be provided.
Report a deathJoin the SOOCH community
Become part of a community that tries to support its members and their families through bereavement and other difficult circumstances.
SOOCH Community Membership is explained on the community membership page. Registering an interest does not create a membership or start a payment.
Join SOOCH Community Membership