Sad find changed Lyeona’s life​​​​​​​

Lyeona Anderton, who ran her own cleaning business, had become close to Mr Collins, and was asked to speak at his funeral service, and the 48-year-old found she had a “natural ability” retrained as a celebrant, and is now happily meeting the growing demand for personalised ceremonies in the Borders.

The working mum of three was asked some years ago to clean for the notorious Mr Collins – who was a contemporary of fellow “hardman” Jimmy Boyle in Barlinnie’s special unit.

She said: “Hugh had been diagnosed as both a sociopath and a psychopath, and he suffered from many other mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress.

"Despite this, we struck up a good friendship over the years, and for the last nine months of his life, I visited every day to help with his cooking and cleaning, doing his laundry and helping him to bathe.

"It was only when I found him dead at his kitchen table in August 2021 that I realised that our relationship had profoundly changed; he had become more like an elderly relative, than a client.

“Tim Maguire, the celebrant who conducted Hugh’s funeral, suggested I might want to speak, so I did.

“I knew it was going to be tough, but what made it worse was that my 65-year-old mum was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer on the very same day.

"When she died the following January, I asked Tim to lead the funeral, but I wrote and delivered the tribute myself. Afterwards, Tim suggested I train as a celebrant, because he thought I had a natural ability."

So, she contacted Gerrie and Susan Douglas-Scott at Celebrate People, who train a select few candidates each year to give them the expertise and experience to help bereaved families.

Lyeona added: “I trained with Gerrie and Susan and graduated from their programme in January 2023.

"What appeals to me most about Celebrate People funerals is that we see the glass half full rather than half empty.

"It’s an optimistic outlook that helps people cope with bereavement and loss by remembering the people we love and keeping their memories alive. It’s a huge privilege to celebrate the life that has been lived, and I feel immensely lucky to be able to help families in my community at one of the most difficult times of their lives.”

For more information on the service, visit www.celebratepeople.co.uk