Your Celebrant is  - Janette Blakemore

Address
3 Belgrave Terrace, Gateshead, NE10 9EE, UK

Telephone
+44 191 422 3088

Email
janette@sacredlife.co.uk

Websites
www.sacredlife.co.uk
www.interfaithfoundation.org

I provide the following ceremonies

Funerals and Memorials
Interment of Ashes
Wedding Blessings
Civil Partnerships (Gay weddings)
Commitment Ceremonies
Wedding Vow Renewals
Baby Namings
Adoption Ceremonies
Pet Funerals & Memorials
Any other significant rites of passage ceremonies

Preferred Locations
Mainly North East England and I am willing to work elsewhere (UK and abroad) with expenses paid.

My Attitude to Ceremony
I believe ceremonies are wonderful opportunities for you and your family to express what matters most to you in a way that feels supportive, creative and safe.  My job is to help you express your love at times that really matter and those moments you will remember forever. The style and content of the ceremony will, of course, vary according to the situation but what’s most important is that you get what you want. So I would use your words, your ideas and reflect your values and beliefs throughout the ceremony. 

I support your own creativity through providing extensive resources and ideas for rituals, readings, music and dance, if appropriate.  Your ceremony can be both an inspiring community experience and an intimate and deeply personal moment. You can trust that I will conduct your ceremony so that both these aspects will be honoured.

As your celebrant, I will walk alongside you and your family at every stage of the process. You always have full editorial control over what is said and done so that you can relax and be there fully with and for those you love on the day.

About Me
I have been passionate about understanding what makes people tick for as long as I can remember.  I also love having conversations with people about things that really matter.  The fact that my work as a celebrant, brings these two passions together makes it such a joy and a privilege to serve in this way. With my previous professional background in personnel management, organisational development, counselling and groupwork, as a celebrant, I bring the skills of working intimately and in-depth with individuals along with my ability to engage and inspire a large group.

I believe passionately that all human beings have their own form of spirituality which is often channelled through the deep values and beliefs that shape our lives and which we often seek to express at life’s most important moments.  My personal connection with the Divine has always gone beyond the labels and boxes of a traditional religious approach and I deeply respect and am interested in all genuine faith systems.  My personal vow, taken at my ordination, is to awaken and to serve our Deepest Truth.

For me, being a celebrant is deeply spiritual work.  It’s about supporting you to express your deepest truth in body, mind and heart. I see myself as a creative partner in supporting you to express what matters most at life’s most significant moments.

Experience
As a leadership coach and organisational consultant, I supported the development of individuals and groups for over 20 years.  Since my ordination in 2007, I have had the privilege of conducting funerals, weddings, baby naming and other sacred ceremonies for people of all faiths and none. I am now a full-time independent freelance minister and spiritual counsellor.

Qualifications
I am an ordained Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Counsellor.  I also hold professional qualifications in group facilitation, leadership coaching and various personality profiles. I am a former bereavement counsellor and an authorised workshop teacher with The Enneagram Institute of New York.  I hold a Diploma in Organisational Consulting (Gestalt), am a Graduate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and hold a BA (Hons) in Drama & Religious Studies from the University of London.

Celebrancy Training    
During our two years’ training at the Interfaith Seminary, we studied many different aspects of ceremony and ritual.  We also had the opportunity to write and perform several ceremonies including funerals, weddings and baby namings, receiving extensive feedback from colleagues and tutors.     
I am currently studying for a Diploma in Celebrancy with the International College of Celebrancy.     

Professional Associations
Registered Member of The Association of Interfaith Ministers (AIMS)
Member of the Association of Independent Celebrants  (AOIC)
Member of Women into Lifelong Learning  (WILL)
Member of Women into the Network  (WIN) 

Fees & Value
The fact I bring extensive experience from many other related fields as well as professional celebrancy training means I offer you excellent value for money. My fee for funerals is £150 and fees for other ceremonies are available on request.  Please email me via my website www.sacredlife.co.uk and I would be delighted to discuss your needs in depth.

Professionalism
Being professional is a fundamental value in all my work.  Whatever field I’ve worked in, I’ve always aimed to be the best and to give my best for the sake of my clients and also the profession as a whole.  I am a life long learner by nature and I love to read about and network with those in similar professions so that I can constantly improve my standards and develop my skills and approach so that you and your family get the ceremony you deserve.