Jenny Briscoe-Hough on the uncomfortable truths which saw her set up Australia's first ever not-for-profit funeral home (R). After her mother died, Jenny Briscoe-Hough had an epiphany about the business of funerals. Although her family brought in their own flowers and had a simple service, the bill came to $11,000. A short time later, Jenny began thinking about setting up a not-for-profit funeral service in her local area. With the help of a documentary and a crowdfunding campaign, she and the community of Port Kembla raised more than $120,000 to buy an old fire station in town. This is now where Tender Funerals operates, helping families prepare their dead for burial or cremation. On the day of the funeral, family and friends can wash and dress the body themselves, bring flowers from their own gardens, and run the service the way they want it. Learn more about the Natural Death Care Movement. Watch the trailer for Lynette Wallworth's documentary which helped begin the funding campaign. Watch the Australian Story episode about Tender Funerals. This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. The executive producer was Pam O'Brien. It explores death industry, funerals, grief, grieving, how to grieve, Western attitudes towards death, funerals, ritual, charity, crowd funding, power of community, dying, how to die well, mothers, daughters, filmmaking, Lynette Wallworth, after life. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.
