Dorset business takes ash scattering services to the US

Aerial Ashes, a Christchurch based ash-scattering business have opened a US branch named Aerial Ashes Tri-State.

The company provides nation-wide ash scattering services by using a drone to scatter ashes in a family’s chosen location and manner.

Company Director, Matt Young said: “Aerial Ashes Tri-State are going to be run from New York and start scattering ashes in America. We’re expanding and it’s going really well.”

He added how he’s thrilled o be expanding the company and how it’s exciting as they will be able to “help people in America as well as Britain”.

Amy Wellington will be running the US branch; she flew over to England to complete her training and get familiar with the equipment in March 2024 and will be launching Aerial Ashes Tri-State this March

The company originated in Dorset but also have many other branches that cover the South Coast and go all the way up to Scotland, Matt added how they “cover the height and breadth of the country”.

Aerial Ashes have been running for six years now and have scattered ashes in a variety of locations. Matt said: “It’s a privilege to scatter ashes across the UK for people when their loved one’s pass” adding how their idea is to make the process a celebration of life.

Matt said that some people see a funeral as an extremely sad affair and having this experience rather than a funeral or cremation service can make the experience a ‘celebration of life’, adding that they cater the experience to how, when and where the family want the service to happen.

Aerial Ashes work with various funeral directors across the country, both large chains and local independent shops, as well as crematoriums, Matt said: “It’s a very unique business we’re the only people who do it.”

The business started when a pilot in the Royal Air Force was asked to scatter ashes from the back of his helicopter.

Matt said that the pilot made the experience the perfect one, adding that the air speed, flow rate of the helicopter and air dynamics made it a flawless scatter.

The RAF pilot had to give back his helicopter when he left the force and knew straight away that he had a niche and a new and clever way of scattering ashes.

He decided to buy a professional drone and spent a year perfecting the scatter, the next step was to contact the Civil Aviation Authority to get permission as it’s illegal to scatter anything with a drone.

Scattering ashes is often a process that a family does themselves privately, when Matt was asked why people use the business he said: ”A lot of the time people come to us after trying to scatter ashes themselves and realise that it’s not as easy as they thought.”

He added that the consistency of ashes is a lot like talcum powder which tends to plume, so a lot of the time people get covered in their loved one’s ashes “some people find that experience funny, but for others it can be traumatising and a horrific experience.”

Matt said that people often want to be together in the moment and to support each other to make it a special moment, and how they don’t want someone to have the pressure of scattering the ashes themselves.