£170,000 donated in memory of loved ones

In the last year, more than 4,200 people have donated money to charity in memory of a loved one via Southern Co-op’s free online memorial feature.

Just under 200 charities have benefited from the contributions as loved ones have asked friends and family to make donations to charities rather than flowers at funerals.

The donations have all been made via Southern Co-op’s memorial webpage, run in partnership with MuchLoved, which launched two years ago in September 2016.

As well as an online donation, the online memorial feature allows friends and family to set up a personal tribute page to light virtual candles, share memories, stories, photos and videos of loved ones.

Steve Pearce, Southern Co-op’s Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services, said: “Since we launched our online tribute service, we have been blown away by the generosity of those remembering their loved ones. A lot of the chosen charities have meant a great deal to the person who has passed away – such as a hospice or a support service.

“It is really special to see so many local charities being chosen to receive donations in memory of a loved one. We find the tribute pages a really helpful and long-lasting way to help remember someone special.”

In the last year, the average donation made in memory of a loved one has been as much as £40 per donation.

The three charities which had the most donations received more than £10,000 each. These were Cancer Research UK, Phyllis Tuckwell – which cares for terminally ill people and their families throughout West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire, and Rowans Hospice – which offers specialist palliative care to those with life-limiting illnesses in South East Hampshire.

Click here for more information about online tributes.