Humanist Ceremonies & Celebrants

There are many people who call themselves celebrants, but Humanist Celebrants are uniquely trained and accredited by the British Humanist Association. In particular, they should not be confused with the Secular Celebrants you may find yourself offered in the first instance.

If you consider that your values are Humanist ones, insist on a BHA Accredited Humanist Celebrant, such as those listed below, and accept nothing less!

ACCREDITED HUMANIST CELEBRANTS IN THE BEDFORDSHIRE AREA

Celebrant: David Brittain

Services: Funerals only

Age: 62

Location: Sandy/Biggleswade

Working area: Anywhere within a 25 mile radius of Bedford

Telephone: 01767 260181   email: davidbrittain13@hotmail.com

Although David has been a Humanist for as long as he can remember, he only joined the British Humanist Association in November 2005. He finished his celebrant training in early 2007, however, and won his BHA accreditation in April of that year. He has some experience of the Armed Forces, and is currently chaplain for the United Kingdom Armed Forces Humanist Association (UKAFHA).

Celebrant:Mary Barton

Services: Funerals only

Age: 56

Location: Welwyn

Working area: Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, South Cambs.
and East Essex

Telephone: 01438 716733   email: marybarton@marybarton.co.uk

Supporting families through the funeral process is a privilege and a huge responsibility. A good funeral is essential for the healing of those left behind. My aim is to create a truly personal, celebratory and memorable ceremony to meet the needs of those who are bereaved. I try also to support the family through a time that can be confusing and distressing, and to enable them to be involved in the process of celebrating the life of their loved ones.

Celebrant: Vanessa Dennis

Services: Funerals Only

Age:45

Location: Earith, Huntingdon

Working Area: Cambridgeshire

Telephone: 01487 843845  email: vanessa.dennis@btinternet.com

Vanessa lives near Huntingdon and has a young family. She has been conducting ceremonies as a BHA Accredited Celebrant for over 10 years and is happy to help out in the Bedford area when other more local colleagues are unavailable.

Celebrant: Ollie Killingback

Services: Funerals and Namings

Age: 65

Location: Wellingborough, Northamptonshire

Working area: East Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire

Telephone: 01933 389070   email: ollie.killingback@gmail.com

Ollie Killingback, (65 but you might never know) lives in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and is the most outlying member of the Bedfordshire Humanists.

Ollie abandoned religion quite a few years ago and embraced Humanism, with its emphasis on ethics, about 2005. He normally works as a celebrant in East Northamptonshire, but frequently ventures into Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Milton Keynes. Bedford is his second home.

Celebrant: Ros Curtis

Services: Namings, Weddings, Funerals, Memorials etc.

Age: 60

Location: High Wycombe

Working area: Bucks, Beds, Herts and Oxen

Telephone: 01494 562984   email: ros.curtis@virgin.net

Mobile: 07982 3450825       Website: www.roscurtis.co.uk

Most of Ros’s working life was spent in education until she left teaching in 2004 to care for her elderly parents.  She has been a humanist for as long as she can remember so in 2006 she joined the BHA and trained as a celebrant in all three of the main ceremony areas, though she can and does write ceremonies of many different types. 
She is an elected member of the Ceremonies Management Committee at the BHA and is active in promoting humanism and humanist ceremonies.

Celebrant: Ingrid Tapp

Services: Weddings and funerals

Age: 51

Location: Brampton, Huntingdon

Working area: Anywhere within a 25 mile radius of Bedford

Telephone: 01480 435757   email: ingrid@matttapp.com

Like many others, Ingrid only discovered through a chance discovery of the BHA website that there was a name for the way she saw the world and that numerous other people shared her views and beliefs. She subsequently joined the BHA and, having left teaching in 2006 and trained to be a celebrant- initially for weddings and then, the following year, for funerals. She lives near Huntingdon, and does most of her work in Peterborough and Cambridge, but also regularly travels to neighbouring counties to conduct ceremonies.