An idea that started out as a way of celebrating the lives of people who have died, is marking its tenth anniversary as a business that has clients across the world.
Long-time friends and work colleagues, Jonathan Haward and Hugh Hastings, had both lost brothers early in their lives.
Keen to share their memories and photos, the two men developed Friends and Relations – an internet-based service that allows people to upload their recollections and donate money to a relevant charity.
Like all good ideas, the original concept has blossomed over the years and has now evolved into The Online Book Company, producing online books for a variety of clients including charities, hospices, organisations, education providers and funeral directors – both in the UK and abroad.
Haward said: “Sharing all sorts of different memories is an important part of being human and the internet is a great way of doing that on a much wider scale than was possible in the past.”
