Pandemic sees Notinghamshire funeral directors record more than a million online obituary views

The company, which has branches in both Hucknall and Bulwel, has recorded more than one million views of the online obituaries it has placed in the 12 months since the start of the pandemic.

AW Lymn has partnered with Funeral Guide to post notices of funerals for several years.

But in the last year – according to company chairman Nigel Lymn Rose – the site has really come into its own and has seen a rapid increase in the amount of visitors it received from March last year onwards.

Nigel reports that in the year 2019-20, AW Lymns’ notices on Funeral Guide totalled around 250,000, but in the year that Covid-19 hit, that number quadrupled to 1,010,927 views which works out at more than 84,000k views per month, or one view every 30 seconds throughout the year.

Nigel said: “The last year has been extremely painful for so many, but none more than those who have lost somebody they love.

"Funerals have felt and looked very different during the pandemic due to the strict rule of 30.

"This has meant that people haven’t always been able to pay their final respects as they normally would have done, so the option to go online and use the obituary functionality has been extremely popular.

“The site allows users to light a candle in memory of the person who has passed, upload photos, write eulogies and share memories in written form as well as the option to donate to a chosen charity – something that would usually take place at the end of the funeral service.

"This has brought great comfort to families separated not only by distance but by the rules of the lockdowns and has meant that people can still respectfully mark the passing of a person, but from afar.

"We know this is in no way the same as the ritual and tradition of a real funeral but it has meant that for many, they can still connect and remember a loved one in a shared space.”

When a funeral is being arranged, AW Lymn always offer the family the option of having an online obituary on Funeral Guide – and most say this is a really helpful way of letting others know of the passing at the same time as opening an online place to pay respects.

Nigel added: “We hope this online function continues to be useful for our customers and we’re always open to ideas and recommendations about how it could be improved.”

Ed Gallois, chief executive of Funeral Guide, commented: “The work that Nigel and his team have done during the pandemic has been essential, helping hundreds of families who have needed an expert hand to guide them through a very painful time.

"We are proud to know that Funeral Guide has been such a positive force, not only for AW Lymn, but also for the bereaved families that have found some comfort through our online obituary service.”