TO mark National Grief Awareness Week Co-op Funeralcare has announced the launch of their new 'Memory Bears' offering. 

Co-op Funeralcare, the UK's leading funeral provider, is launching a new service offering bereaved families the opportunity to remember their late loved one by turning their clothing into a Memory Bear.

The launch of the new service comes after Co-op Funeralcare research showed that 22 per cent of those who have experienced bereavement agree they found it difficult to know what to do with the belongings of a late loved one, while a quarter of bereaved families admit they struggle with clearing out their late loved ones' treasured possessions.

Co-op Funeralcare's Memory Bears are available from today. Entirely handmade and completely bespoke, the bears take up to four weeks to be completed, with families having the chance to be involved with the design process, deciding how each item of clothing should be used to create the finished product.

Those wishing to commemorate their late loved one through Co-op's new Memory Bear service can do so by providing between one and five items of clothing for a small bear, or two to six items for a larger bear. 

Gill Stewart, MD of Co-op Funeralcare said: "Our colleagues are dedicated to supporting the bereaved families we work with long after the funeral, as we continually strive to look for new and innovative ways we can help families honour their loved one's not just through the funeral service, but also through uniquely personal memorial items and keepsakes. The Memory Bears service is available to all; including those who may not have arranged a funeral with us, as well as those whose loved one's funeral was conducted a while ago."

"Our new Memory Bears service is designed to bring comfort by keeping the memory of a lost loved one alive. Families and friends feel comforted by having something tangible to hold onto - a way to keep their lost loved one close and present. This is just one of the many ways Co-op Funeralcare is cementing its commitment to helping families work through their grief."

Prices for the Memory Bears service start at £80 for the standard design, with the option for families to choose from a number of add-on features, such as an ash pocket, a sound insert with the loved one's voice recording or a personalised embroidery, to name a few.