AOIC Celebrancy School - Celebrant Training

The AOIC is delighted that you would like to become a Celebrant.  It is a very rewarding career but does take a special kind of person to be able to deal with certain aspects of the work.  Please see below for the necessary skills needed to become an Accredited Celebrant with the AOIC:-       

Essential Qualities, Skills and Equipment:

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills - These are needed to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and situations.  A large   proportion of the Celebrants work is dealing with grief, sometimes in very traumatic situations.  You must therefore use the necessary skills to appear empathetic, sensitive, and instill confidence in your clients. 

Good literacy - You will need to design and produce unique, meaningful and legible scripts for each Ceremony conducted.  Your grammar, spelling and puncuation should be very accurate as you may be required to produce a copy of the Ceremony to the family involved.

Non-Judgemental - You must ensure that the spiritual and emotional needs of the family are met at all times, without casting any judgement.  At no time, should you try to force your own beliefs on others.     

Research - You must strive to give your best at all times.  You should constantly draw upon different resources, poetry and literature to seek ways of making your Ceremonies more memorable and inspirational.  

Computer skills - Mostly, Celebrants design their scripts on Computer and so a working knowledge of Word or similar is essential.

Good presentation skills - You must be able to stand up in front of large numbers of people, using coping mechanisms in the event of nerves.  You must also be able to deal with the unexpected, ie bad weather, hostility, emotions, etc.  The AOIC training will of course, give you advice on presentations and how to deal with unexpected events. 

Smart appearance - You need to be appropriately dressed for each Ceremony to create a professional, but approachable appearance.

Confidence - You must be able to confidently take charge of the occasion, deal calmly in the face of opposition or strong emotion and yet still deliver the Ceremony effectively.

Punctuality - You must manage your time effectively and work calmly under pressure, always arriving in plenty of time for a family visit or Ceremony.

Understanding - You must clearly understand what the Ceremony means to the person/s involved.  For example at a funeral, you must seek to change peoples thinking to a more positive one, taking into consideration their beliefs and thoughts on afterlife, and demonstrate how that person will live on in those left behind.

Individuality - Each Ceremony must be made to feel unique to those involved and not of a 'production-line' nature.

Multi-Disciplinary Skills - Although Independent, you must be able and willing to work closely with Funeral Directors, Crematorium and Cemetery Staff, other Celebrants and of course, the AOIC.  

Equipment Required:-

Computer - For designing scripts, producing the necessary paperwork, forms, etc.

Transport - You will need reliable transport to visit your families and to travel to and from the places where you will conduct the Ceremony.  

Mobile Phone - You must be available at all times in case of an emergency or any last minute changes.

Requirements to become a member of the AOIC:  Post-Training: 

You must consistently adhere to the AOIC's Aims & Objectives and Code of Conduct.

You must try to attend any AOIC meetings, audits or activities given.

You must understand that the AOIC cannot be held liable for any mistake that you make, ie poor service, arriving at wrong time/destination, etc.

You must ensure that your membership fees are paid on time.

You must be aware that you may be assessed at any time during your membership, to ensure that the AOIC standards remain high 

Please note:  The AOIC will advise you on how to obtain work and promote your services, but cannot guarantee a regular income.

In return, the AOIC will give you:-  

Help, advice and support from the AOIC and its fellow members.  Whether you choose to work full or part time, the AOIC is sure you will find it a truly rewarding career. 

Please see the 'membership' page for other rewards and benefits of belonging to the AOIC.

If you think you meet the above requirements, then please contact the AOIC.  It is the AOIC's recommendation that you start with the Funerals Course (as it is usually the most frequent Ceremony conducted and gives a good foundation for other Ceremonies.  The pending courses can be found below:-

Date:  Early Summer '08    Course:  Funeral Ceremonies    Duration: 3 days       Location:  Horncastle, Lincolnshire     Fee: TBA

Course Content:  This course is designed to help you understand the role of the Celebrants, the process of the Funeral Service and how to help people during a very difficult time.  It focuses on the importance of designing a unique, meaningful and persoanlised Ceremony that reflects the needs and wishes of the family involved. 

This 3 day course will cover the following aspects of Funeral Celebrancy:  

*  The use of Ritual, Tradition and Ceremony in people's lives.

*  The importance of delivering a Ceremony that reflects your family's wishes and beliefs.

*  Meeting with the deceased's family, helping with their grief and working with them to design a Ceremony to their satisfaction.

*  The Planning of the Ceremony.

*  How to use music, poetry and other resources to add feeling and personalisation to the Ceremony.

*  How to write a memorable Eulogy that encaptures that persons life, achievements, personality traits, etc

*  Presentation Skills - How to conduct yourself and the Ceremony on the day

*  What to do on the day of the Ceremony

*  How to market yourself to Funeral Directors and the public (includes talk from a Funeral Director)

*  Practical Advice, such as Self Employment/Account Keeping, Communication Skills, etc.

This course operates a pass or fail system, although should you not achieve a satisfactory pass in a particular area, you will be given opportunity to work on this further, possibly at a later date.  Each candidate will be given private feedback on the final day of the course.      

The cost of this course is £600 to include refreshments and a buffet lunch.  It does not include accommodation but the course leader can provide a list of local venues.

Post-Training - Successful Candidates will attain the following:

*  Accreditation and Membership of the AOIC (inc's one years membership free).

*  A Certificate of Achievement and ID/Verification Badge.

*  Opportunity to 'shadow' a practising Celebrant in your are (availability depending).

*  Life-long aupport along your journey as a Celebrant (while membership exists).

Please see 'Membership' Page for further information

***Please note that one-to-one training can also be given which covers the above content but also offers the advantage of more practical experience***    

Please call Course Leader:  Kayleigh Ward on 01507 526362 for further information.    

Date:  Early Summer '08     Course: Conversion Course          Duration:  1 day      Location:  Horncastle, Linconshire        Fee: TBC

Course Content:       This course is for Registrars, Clergy or similar experienced persons wishing to become Independent Celebrants.

Please call Kayleigh Ward on 01507 526362 for further information.

Other Training  

The AOIC's Vice President, Terri Shanks also offers Funeral Celebrant Training in Sussex.   

Terri's Course follows the same curriculum as the AOIC's in Lincoln (see above for content) after successful completion, entitles candidates to receive 1 free years membership of the AOIC.

For more details, please contact Terri direct, on:- 01903 602795 or see  www.sussexcelebrant.co.uk for further information.