New digital legacy company Encore Digital Services has launched a platform that allows families to preserve the stories and memories of loved ones, celebrating their lives, while ensuring charities receive 100% of donations made in their name.
The launch comes as more people raise funds online in memory of loved ones, but some tribute and memorial platforms take a percentage of donations or gift aid. According to the Charities Aid Foundation, people in the UK donated £15.4 billion to charity in 2023, with online giving continuing to grow as supporters look for new ways to honour loved ones.
The platform allows people to capture a person’s legacy both during their lifetime and after they have passed away.
For My Encore enables individuals to create a personal digital legacy page where they can record the music, memories and life lessons and even map out their stories, adventures and wishlists, so family and friends can follow in their footsteps.
For Their Encore allows families and friends to create tribute pages, after someone has died, celebrating their life with while also raising funds for a charity connected to them.
The platform offers a range of pricing options including a free three month trial, a five year subscription costing £79 and an annual subscription of £20.
Encore Digital Services has partnered with Make 2nds Count, which is using the Encore platform to help supporters celebrate loved ones while raising funds for the charity.
Despite growing interest in digital legacy planning, many people in the UK still find it difficult to talk openly about death or the memories they want to leave behind. Research from the University of Bath Centre for Death & Society suggests conversations about death remain uncomfortable for many families.
Nicky Harper, Counsellor, MBACP (Accred), said, “I can see that creating an ENCORE for yourself or for a loved one, could be a really therapeutic experience. I really like the careful guided questions which help trigger positive memories and experiences. You would certainly visit a loved ones ENCORE page again and again.”
Nick Annetts, founder of Encore Digital Services, said the idea came from a deeply personal experience after losing his mother.
“When my mum died, I realised how many things I wished I had asked her, the music she loved, the stories from her life and the moments that shaped who she was. That experience made me realise how easily those memories can be lost. I created For My Encore so people can capture their stories and messages while they can.
The timing feels right, as the gen Xers, the first real digital generation are either now contemplating their own mortality or dealing with that of their parents.
“For families who have already lost someone, For Their Encore provides a space to celebrate that person while supporting a charity that mattered to them.”
