Bristol crematorium to scatter people’s ashes 100,000 feet above the Earth

A Bristol crematorium is offering families the option of giving their loved ones an ‘out of this world’ send-off by scattering their ashes in space.

The Westerleigh Group has teamed up with Aura Flights to offer the option of placing ashes in a ‘scatter vessel’ which is fitted to a space-capable biodegradable balloon filled with renewable hydrogen gas.

The ashes are released in a gentle cascade around 100,000 feet above the earth and spend the next three-to-six months orbiting the globe until they re-enter the atmosphere, where they seed the formation of clouds and fall back to earth as raindrops and snowflakes all over the world.

The ascent and release are captured on video to create a treasured memorial for families of the event.

The core Memorial Launch service enables a loved one’s ashes to be scattered into space to travel across the world but there is also another option for families who wish to keep their loved one close to them.

The Voyager package involves a ceremonial portion of a loved one’s ashes to travel into space, to the same height as the scattering launch, but then returned to their families on Earth in a premium miniature urn.

Westerleigh Group is one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 37 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance.

Matthew Brook, Head of Partnership and Proposition at Westerleigh Group, said: “We pride ourselves on supporting families in creating uniquely personal, bespoke memorials for their loved ones.

“We are always looking to expand the range of memorial options available to the bereaved in order to give them the widest possible choice.

“Aura Flights offer something that is truly out of this world. And like Westerleigh Group, they take their responsibility for being as kind as possible to the environment as seriously as we do.

“For centuries, man has looked up at the stars and dreamed of going into space; while few of us ever get to do this during our lifetimes, there is now the option to travel into space for your final journey.

“Within days of the ashes being scattered, families will receive a personalised memorial video showing their loved one’s final journey among the stars.”

Samantha Richardson, General Manager of Aura Flights, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Westerleigh Group to bring Aura Flights to an even bigger audience.

“From the moment we started talking about a collaboration, they saw how special a space scattering can be and their focus is always on supporting the bereaved throughout their journey, which I really admire.

“They have a wealth of experience in the industry, but they’re also always looking for how to make things better - just like our team of engineers and explorers.”

To celebrate the launch of the partnership between Westerleigh Group and Aura Flights, there is an introductory offer of a 10% discount for purchases made between July 3 and 31, regardless of where the actual funeral service took place.

To take advantage of this offer, people should visit the website of their nearest Westerleigh Group crematorium and/or contact its memorial advisor.