Oak Celebrant Services

Oak Celebrant Services Funeral Celebrant My name is Simon Oak, and I am a funeral celebrant based on the outskirts of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. I also love to travel.

Born and bred in the city, I genuinely cannot think of an area of the country I would rather live. The city, the surrounding towns and villages, the countryside, the sporting and arts scene. I live in a great place, and the people that live here are some of the warmest, kindest, most genuine and straight talking people that I have met anywhere in the world. I have a wonderful wife, and have been blessed with twin daughters, both of whom I am immensely proud of. In my spare time I’m a keen runner, competing at masters level, and I love to watch football and motor racing. I regularly attend live music and comedy, and I like to walk and enjoy the nature that we are blessed with in our area. After 30 years as a manager in the construction industry, a sector I love, but found increasingly difficult to enjoy, I took the decision to retrain in celebrancy. Throughout my life I had been asked to write eulogies and read at weddings and funerals for family and friends, so it seemed like a natural path to follow. I chose UKSOC to train me, as they’re a leading light in celebrancy, and my membership offers you some unique guarantees that other organisations do not give. So what does my new role entail? We all know that we cannot live forever. Some are blessed with a long and fruitful life, whilst others are taken far too soon. Having lost my dad and my brother at an early age, I know this all too well. Regardless of when we go and how we go, I know that we all have a story to tell, and my role is to tell that story. You might like to think of me as a biographer. Losing someone is never easy, but I will work closely with you to give your loved one a unique ceremony which places them at the centre. Whatever you think is fitting, I will strive to deliver. I will play as big or as small a part on the day as you wish, but I will take charge of the preparations for the ceremony, and will see to it that the deceased receives a send of that they would love. If you know exactly what you want, I can make that a reality. If you have no idea where to start, I can guide you through the process of creating a ceremony, and suggest music, poems, readings or prayers that you may wish to include. I am happy to lead funerals from completely humanist celebrations of life through to full on Christian faith-based ceremonies. What is most important to me is that I create a unique ceremony to suit the desires of the one we are saying goodbye to and their loved ones. I will lead cremations, burials, resomations and memorial services at a location that you think suits the occasion the best. My role is to serve and support you however I can, in what can be a very distressing time. I regularly work in South Yorkshire, North East Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire, but if you want me to travel further afield, then I’m happy to discuss that as well. Feel free to contact me if my services are of interest, or if you simply have more questions that you would like to ask. There’s no charge for a chat, and it might just take a weight off your mind. Thanks for taking time to look at my page.

Last weekend I was sat talking with friends and we got onto the topic of funerals (as often happens to me). They began t...
13/11/2025

Last weekend I was sat talking with friends and we got onto the topic of funerals (as often happens to me). They began talking about the different types of funeral, and we got onto resomation, also called water cremation, which is a service offered by some branches of Co-op Funeralcare and some independent funeral directors. The discussion made me think that maybe it's time to reshare the blog I wrote about different types of funeral, back in 2022. I hope you find it interesting.

Introduction Choosing which type of funeral is right for you or your loved one can be tricky. There are some options that we are...

For some reason society seems to have lost the art of patience. This is something that has been raised by a Beverley Fun...
06/11/2025

For some reason society seems to have lost the art of patience. This is something that has been raised by a Beverley Funeral Director recently. He's not the only person to experience this. Several of the Funeral Directors that I work with have had people cut them up, beep them or make hand gestures. Life is fast paced these days, but imagine if this happened at one of your loved one's funerals. If you find yourself in a rage, please count to ten, gather your thoughts, and proceed with patience. It really makes no difference if you're five minutes late. Thanks everyone ❤

Beverley-based Lewis Northen says drivers are pushing into funeral processions.

Cemetery space is always at a premium, and City Road Cemetery, the largest cemetery in my hometown of Sheffield, isn't e...
30/10/2025

Cemetery space is always at a premium, and City Road Cemetery, the largest cemetery in my hometown of Sheffield, isn't excluded from this issue, so it was good to hear, recently, that some additional space is being created, and that, long-term, the Council plans to secure 12 to 24 hectares of new land for four to six new cemeteries over the next 50 to 100 years. These plans include dedicated spaces for natural and faith-specific burials. Sadly, bereavement services always seem to be low down on the list of expenditure, so this is great news, as is the upgrade works planned for Mansfield Crematorium, which I visit several times a year.

As you know, I love a novel floral tribute at a funeral, and this one really caught my eye. It caused a bit of a buzz......
23/10/2025

As you know, I love a novel floral tribute at a funeral, and this one really caught my eye. It caused a bit of a buzz...
..Sorry, I'll get my coat

In the summer of 2022 I led my first funeral, after deciding that I desperately needed a career change and training to b...
16/10/2025

In the summer of 2022 I led my first funeral, after deciding that I desperately needed a career change and training to be a funeral celebrant. I will always be grateful for being given the opportunity by a local funeral director. After all, they didn't know who I was, I had no references and they were putting their reputation on the line. There is no second chance in this job. It has to be right, first time and every time. So I find it incredible that yesterday I led my 500th funeral for a gentleman who lived in the same care home as my mum for the last two years of his life. It was with Peace Funerals, who were one of the brave few who gave me an early opportunity (my sixth funeral was with them). I'll always be grateful to those who took the risk on me in the early days. But this isn't a numbers game. It has been an honour to lead the funerals of over 500 people (there have been a couple of doubles in there), and I look forward to the next 500 and more. Mine is a fantastic job, that I love doing, and it is wonderful that I can help families in their time of need.

Today marks the start of Baby Loss Awareness Week. Sadly, I've led a number of funerals for babies who never made it. In...
09/10/2025

Today marks the start of Baby Loss Awareness Week. Sadly, I've led a number of funerals for babies who never made it. In all cases, whilst the family never got to meet their baby, they all felt a special bond and a huge amount of love for their little one. Such funerals are always heartbreaking to be a part of, but they are hugely important and I would never turn one down (I know some celebrants won't do them). are a charity who understand the impact that pregnancy and baby loss can have on all aspects of people's lives, including their mental health. They offer specialist counselling that is designed for that purpose and is provided free of charge. If you need them, Petals are there for you.

I had a week off last week, but before that I led the funeral of a wonderful man for a lovely family at Sherwood Forest ...
02/10/2025

I had a week off last week, but before that I led the funeral of a wonderful man for a lovely family at Sherwood Forest Crematorium, which was looking glorious in the September sun. However, the best news came on Tuesday, when I found out that Jason, who I posted about last week, has been found after a fraught week. He's now back safely with his loved ones, which was a relief for everyone who knew him.

***deprevention

All of the crematoriums that I work in have an organ. Sadly, they are rarely used, but when they are they can create a w...
18/09/2025

All of the crematoriums that I work in have an organ. Sadly, they are rarely used, but when they are they can create a wonderful atmosphere. I remember one funeral that I led, in Chesterfield, where a family friend was a professional music director. He absolutely blew the windows out of the chapel with a rousing rendition of All Things Bright & Beautiful. Most of the organs are relatively modern, and not much to look at, but the organ at Sheffield's City Road Old Chapel doesn't fall into that category. It's a thing of beauty and I hope that one day I hear it played with passion.

The rain might not have been welcome for many who had summer plans this week, but it has definitely been welcomed by nat...
11/09/2025

The rain might not have been welcome for many who had summer plans this week, but it has definitely been welcomed by nature, and the flowers at Chesterfield Crematorium looked resplendent the other day after a good soaking over the weekend.

September 10th is World Su***de Prevention Day. Tragically, every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland dies by su***...
04/09/2025

September 10th is World Su***de Prevention Day. Tragically, every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland dies by su***de and 1 in 4 of us has had suicidal thoughts. Samaritans surveyed people with lived experience of su***de and the majority told them that their suicidal thoughts have been interrupted. 60% said their suicidal thoughts had been interrupted by someone close to them, like a friend or family member, whilst 14% said their suicidal thoughts had been interrupted by a stranger or someone they didn’t know. The construction industry, which I started working in in 1991, loses 2 men a day to su***de. We have to do all that we can to bring these figures down. Each one is a life and each loss leaves grieving family and friends who wish they could have done more. If I never lead another funeral for a victim of su***de, it won't be a moment too soon. have launched their 2025 campaign to help people know how to interrupt people's suicidal thoughts. Details can be found on their website and the campaign has been co-created with people who have lived experience of suicidal thoughts. Let’s prevent su***de today. Because tomorrow’s too late.

It's that time of year again folks, and the Co-op have released their funeral music charts for the past 12 months. What ...
28/08/2025

It's that time of year again folks, and the Co-op have released their funeral music charts for the past 12 months. What would you choose? Do you go with the classics like My Way, or do you opt for something more individual? The top 10 favourites for this year are, in reverse order...

10. You Raise Me Up by Westlife
9. We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynne
8. Abide With Me (hymn)
7. Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
6. Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran
5. The Best by Tina Turner
4. You'll Never Walk Alone by Gerry & The Pacemakers
3. Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Eva Cassidy
2. My Way by Frank Sinatra
1. Time To Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman

This year, Sheffield funeral directors, Peace Funerals, celebrate their 30th anniversary, and last Friday night I was lu...
24/07/2025

This year, Sheffield funeral directors, Peace Funerals, celebrate their 30th anniversary, and last Friday night I was lucky enough to be invited on their anniversary celebration on a disco barge on the Tinsley Canal. It was a great night and I'm thankful for the invitation. Here's to the next 30 years 🍻

Address

West Bank Drive
Sheffield
S255

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