Herald - Issue 396

8th October 2020 • The HERALD • Page 47 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v ASK A PROFESSIONAL Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH Your Local Legal Specialists TMT Legal Services are based in Hythe and Southampton and o er a full range of Property services for individuals as well as o ering services for people looking to protect their family and their wealth. e team are proud to have a modern and personable approach to how they deliver their services utilising technology to ensure they can be as e cient and safe as possible. Give the team a call on 023 8024 7600 or email enquiry@ tmtlegalservices.co.uk (L-R) Claire Terrill, Tracey Matthews and Laura Thurman outside the TMT Legal office in Hythe An online innovative funeral service was launched enabling people to plan every detail of their funeral well before they pass away. e service, aimed at adults is designed to relieve grieving family members of the burden of organising the funeral at a time of great distress. e idea is the brainchild of Eugene Matthias, founder, of Create my Legacy. Experienced businessman and funeral celebrant, Matthias rst came up with the idea during a family funeral visit. “It was sad, really,”  he explains,  “I was sitting with the family, all of whom were understandably upset at the loss of their loved one, and there were large gaps in their knowledge of his life. No-one seemed to know anything about his life as a child or young adult. Because, he had been married before, many years previously, there was little that anyone could contribute regarding his early adulthood or life before he got married. “Driving home from the meeting, it suddenly dawned on me that here was a really valuable service that just wasn’t currently available. How wonderful would it be, if people, maybe many years, or perhaps just a few weeks before dying, could organise their own funeral? They could tell their story in their own way, as well as choose the music, readings and poems – even details such as the type of flowers that should accompany the coffin.” Even in its infancy, the idea is gaining traction with positive feedback. “The problem with funerals,” Matthias continues, “is that people need space and time to grieve properly. The loss of a loved one can be enormously distressing. It can be difficult for close family members to marshal their thoughts and to get their heads round the detailed organising of a funeral. With Create My Legacy, we work with the individual and go through every detail of their funeral from the structure of the service to taking their instructions, helping them to write their own eulogy, finally, we produce a personalised bespoke funeral service for their approval. In fact, we organise as much or as little as they want.” e service doesn’t just stop at organising funerals. For people whose life is nearing its end, Create My Legacy will also help to arrange a ‘Celebration of Life’ – a farewell party that gives family and friends the chance to celebrate with the individual while they are still alive. For more information visit www.createmylegacy.co.uk Unique ‘Plan your Own Funeral’ Service Launched