Everything Taught, From First Mould to Final Finish
I’m Glenda, an award-winning life caster and PGCE-qualified teacher, casting for over 20 years. In my private studio in Dorset, I train independent life casters, people starting a keepsake business, and hospice, NHS, funeral and bereavement teams, from across the UK and abroad. I teach the whole process, from the first mould to the final finish, and plan your days around your experience, your setting and your goals.
- Trained NHS bereavement teams, children’s hospices and funeral directors
- Always one-to-one, or just your own team
- Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2024 & 2025
- 5.0 from 130 Tripadvisor reviews
- 20+ years’ experience
Starting or growing a keepsake business
Already casting? A memorial day built around your current experience and the families you serve. New to casting? The full three-day route gives you the foundations first.
Hospice, NHS and funeral teams
One or two days, planned around your setting, your procedures and your budget. Colleagues from the same organisation can train together.
You will leave with a stronger technical foundation, practical experience and the confidence to approach memorial life casting professionally, with ongoing guidance whenever you need it.
£650
one memorial day, for experienced casters
From £1,200
two days, with or without airbrushing
£1,750
the full three-day route, or £1,650 paid upfront
Lifetime
WhatsApp and email support, free
“We had been making mistakes and overspending on suppliers before training. Over two days, Glenda adapted every part of the course to our hospice environment, helping us follow strict rules and work within our budget. We now feel confident, supported, and capable of producing professional, meaningful memorial casts for families.”
Hayley & Laura, Hospice in the Weald
Who I Have Trained
I have trained hospice, NHS and funeral teams across the UK. I also train independent casters and people starting out on their own. Each had its own procedures, budget and families to serve.
- NHS bereavement teams from several trusts, including Dorset County Hospital’s Fetal Medicine and Bereavement teams
- Children’s hospices, including Helen & Douglas House in Oxford, Hospice in the Weald and Birmingham Hospice
- Funeral directors, supporting families who rely on calm, confident guidance
- Palliative care teams, working with fragile skin and limited time
- International professionals, who have travelled from Ireland, Norway, Cyprus, India and beyond
Each team needed something different. NHS teams needed workflows that fit hospital protocols; hospices worked within strict rules and charity budgets.
After Chloe and Sian from Helen & Douglas House trained with me, two more of their colleagues have booked.
“In one day, Glenda guided us through the essentials and adapted the training to our hospital workflow and budget constraints. We left feeling confident and fully equipped to create sensitive, lasting keepsakes.”
Team Specialists, Dorset NHS Forget-Me-Not Bereavement Team
“Glenda was absolutely amazing. She was kind and patient but led by what would work best for our setting — a children’s hospice — allowing us to do memorial casts the way we knew would work best for our families. After 2 days we came away feeling much more confident and quite emotional that we were able to create such beautiful pieces for families going through such a difficult time.”
Chloe K, Children’s Hospice
Why Memorial Training Matters to Me
Creating memorial pieces is next level. You only get one chance, and it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Over the years I’ve trained people from professional and non-professional backgrounds who came to me feeling the strain of doing this without really knowing how. The pressure is real, and if you don’t have the knowledge, it’s a horrible position to be in.
I remember when Chloe from Helen & Douglas House came to train with her manager. The moment I spoke to her, I could see the stress in her face. She had been second-guessing herself, and with memorial work you can’t. After her training, she cried with relief.
That’s why I make sure you leave knowing exactly what to do, and why.
Where to Start With Memorial Life Casting Training
There are two ways in to the same training. We agree your days together in a conversation.
New to life casting: typically two hand casting days and a memorial day
Memorial work asks a lot of your hands and your confidence. Where time and budget allow, I suggest two hand casting days first, then a memorial day built around your business or setting. These foundations give you steady hands, technical confidence and calm under pressure. I teach airbrushing on Day 2. If you only have two days, we plan them around what matters most for you. I’ll tell you what a third day would add, and you can add it later if you want it.
Louise, who has worked in a hospice, recently completed all three days with me. The first two built her casting foundations. Then the third focused on memorial work for her setting.
“I travelled a long way from Ireland to train with Glenda, so choosing the right trainer was really important to me. One phone call with Glenda and instantly she stood out. She explained the why behind what we were doing and adapted the training around what I needed. I came home absolutely buzzing and kept looking at the work I’d created thinking, ‘I actually made that!’ What I really appreciated was that Glenda didn’t try to turn me into a copy of her. She helped me become better at being me.”
Louise, Forever Held By Lou, Ireland · read the full review
Already experienced in memorial casting: one memorial day
You may have trained elsewhere, learned on the job or completed online courses. Now you want hands-on training. You don’t need to repeat what you already know. Before we meet, you send photos of your recent work and tell me about your business or setting, and we agree what to refine, what to fix and what to add.
Sam, a children’s therapeutic practitioner from Birmingham Hospice, came to me having already cast for some time. She knew what her families needed and had specific challenges to work through. We built the whole day around refining her technique and fixing the issues she had identified. We also adapted her workflow to her hospice. She left with a polished, confident approach tailored to the families she serves.
“I work at a hospice and have already completed many hand casts with patients and their families but I wanted to work on a more polished and professional finish. I learnt so much to take forward and share at work. Got lots of tips on technique which will mean I can begin to offer a better standard of work. Thank you Glenda — and please give Pickle the cockapoo a hug from me!”
Sam K, Children’s Therapeutic Practitioner, Hospice
Everything You Can Learn in Memorial Life Casting Training
Across the full route, I teach all of this. With fewer days, we focus on what your setting needs.
Casting techniques
- Hand and foot casting for infants, children and adults
- Handclasp and family compositions
- Complex multi-step castings
- Safe mould-making and demoulding
Materials and skin
- Which materials suit which situation, and how to mix and use them
- Specialist materials for fragile skin and clinical settings
- Why the wrong materials can cause irreversible damage
- Skin considerations specific to bereavement work
Finishing
- Refining, repairs, finishing and colour
- Professional airbrushing, taught one-to-one in a dedicated session on Day 2
- Packaging and presentation
Working in your setting
- Hospital, hospice and funeral home protocols
- Staying calm and efficient when time is short and a family is present
- Supporting families through the casting with sensitivity
- Liaising professionally with funeral directors
Running the service
- A workflow that suits your setting
- Pricing and positioning your memorial service
Memorial Life Casting Training Prices
| One memorial day For those already experienced in memorial casting. “I wanted to work on a more polished and professional finish.” Sam K, hospice | £650 |
| Two days, traditional finishing For hospice, NHS and funeral teams, or anyone whose setting doesn’t allow airbrushing. | £1,200 |
| Two days with airbrushing For those who want to offer airbrushed finishes, with a dedicated one-to-one airbrushing session on Day 2. | £1,300 |
| Full route, three days For those new to casting or building a business: two hand casting days, with airbrushing on Day 2, then a memorial day. “I actually made that!” Louise, Ireland | £1,750 (£1,650 paid in full upfront) |
Already experienced and want airbrushing too? Add the half-day Airbrush Masterclass, £350.
£550 days are the foundation hand casting course. £650 days are specialist memorial days.
Memorial work is bespoke, so these are starting points. I’ll confirm your days and price before you book.
Every day is one-to-one, with all materials and models included, and lifetime support at no extra cost. Colleagues from the same organisation can train together, depending on the situation, each paying the normal day price. On the full route you can take the memorial day later, and invoices are available for organisations.
Comparing Memorial Courses? What to Check
Courses vary a lot. These are the questions worth asking any trainer, with my answers.
| What to check | With me |
|---|---|
| Days and price | One day £650 · two days £1,200, or £1,300 with airbrushing · full three-day route £1,750 (£1,650 paid in full upfront) |
| Built around you | Yes. I plan your days around your business or setting, and your budget |
| Models | Real models, arranged by me at no extra cost |
| Who’s in the room | One-to-one, or colleagues from the same organisation together, depending on the situation. Never strangers |
| Dates | Arranged around your work. No fixed course dates |
| Airbrushing | Taught one-to-one on Day 2. Not needed? Choose traditional finishing and save £100. |
| Payment | 50% deposit, balance the week before. Invoices for organisations |
| Support afterwards | Lifetime WhatsApp and email support, free |
| After training | Your skills are yours to use anywhere. No franchise fees and no territory limits |
| Experience | PGCE-qualified teacher, with over 20 years of professional casting, training NHS, hospice and funeral teams |
| Reviews | 5.0 from 130 Tripadvisor reviews · 4.9 from 67 Google reviews · Travellers’ Choice 2024 & 2025 |
Airbrushing and Your Setting
Finishing, colour and repairs are part of every memorial day. Airbrushing gets its own dedicated, one-to-one session on Day 2.
Not every setting allows airbrushing, and many work to tight budgets. If yours doesn’t allow it, choose two days with traditional finishing: you save £100 and only learn what you can use.
Why Choose This Memorial Life Casting Training
Most casting courses teach one method for one situation. Memorial work does not fit that pattern. For example, an infant on a neonatal unit needs different materials from an adult in a hospice. A funeral home arrangement needs something different again. I teach you to adapt to your environment, your procedures and your budget.
My experience comes from training UK hospice, NHS and funeral teams, so I know what those settings need. Before you arrive, you send photos of your recent work and tell me about your business or setting. No time goes on what you already know. This is not a general casting course with a memorial module added on.
Families also expect more than they used to. Many have seen on social media how beautiful a memorial piece can be. In my experience, that has raised expectations. It is also a big reason professionals now come to train in person.
This training helps with:
- Using unsuitable materials for fragile or delicate skin
- Inconsistent results when working outside a studio
- Strict protocols and tight budgets
- Confidence when families are present
- Adapting technique for infants, elderly or medically complex subjects
What Students Say About Memorial Life Casting Training
“Glenda delivered professional and practical lifecasting training. Her approach was calm, organised, and tailored to the sensitive nature of our work. We left confident to offer this service professionally.”
Sophie, Funeral Director
Before, During and After Your Training
Before
We talk through your experience, your setting and what you want to offer families. Teams can tell me about their procedures and budget, and casters can send photos of recent work, so your days fit the way you work.
During
One-to-one, or just your own team, in my Dorset studio from 9:30am to 3:30pm. You work hands-on through the whole process, from the first mould to the final finish, with me beside you at every step.
After: what you take home
- The casts you create during training
- Your Certificate of Completion
- Memorial-specific supplier list, with exclusive supplier discounts
- Step-by-step workflow adapted to your setting
- Comprehensive notes and instructional videos
- Lifetime WhatsApp and email support at no extra cost, so I’m here whenever you need me
The Practical Bits
- Hours: 9:30am to 3:30pm each day
- Location: my private studio in Lytchett Matravers, Dorset. It is about 15 minutes from Poole and 30 minutes from Bournemouth, with free parking.
- Dates: I arrange dates around your work, so tell me the weeks that suit you.
- Format: One-to-one, or colleagues from the same organisation together, each paying the normal day price, tailored to your setting
- Payment: a 50% deposit secures your dates, and the balance is due the week before your first training day. Invoices are available for organisations.
- Travel: I can help with accommodation and transport for UK and international students. You can fly into Bournemouth or Southampton, or into London and take the train to Poole.
Questions About Memorial Life Casting Training
What is memorial life casting training?
It teaches you to create lasting keepsakes for families facing terminal illness, loss or bereavement. I adapt the techniques for infants, children and adults in sensitive, often clinical settings.
Will I learn everything I need from you?
Yes. Across the hand casting days, the memorial day and airbrushing, you can learn the whole process. That includes mould-making, finishing, repairs and airbrushing, all with real models. The days you take depend on what you already know and what your setting needs. I will tell you honestly what your days cover. Afterwards, lifetime WhatsApp and email support covers anything that comes up.
Do I need previous experience for memorial life casting training?
Not at all. If you are new, I recommend starting with hand casting where time allows, then moving to memorial work. If you already cast, we start from your current work.
I trained elsewhere. Will I have to repeat it?
Not necessarily. Send me photos of your recent work and tell me about your business or setting. Then we agree what to refine and what to add.
How many days of memorial life casting training will I need?
That depends on your experience, your setting and your goals. Hospice and NHS teams have trained here in one or two days, built around their setting. If you only have time or budget for two days, that can be a complete, focused route. I’ll tell you what a further day would add, and you can add days later.
Can I split the three days?
Yes. Book all three days together (£1,750, or £1,650 when you pay in full upfront) and take the memorial day later, whenever suits you.
Is airbrushing taught?
Yes. On two days with airbrushing and on the full three-day route, it gets its own dedicated, one-to-one session on Day 2. Already experienced and only booking a memorial day? You can add the half-day Airbrush Masterclass, £350. Finishing, colour and repairs are part of every memorial day. If your setting doesn’t allow airbrushing, choose two days with traditional finishing and save £100.
Can you train my whole team?
Yes, depending on the situation. Colleagues from the same organisation can train together, and I adapt each day to your team’s setting, protocols and budget. Tell me how many people are coming, and we plan the days together.
Why train in person rather than learn online?
Online courses teach the steps. Memorial work also depends on touch, timing and feedback on your own hands. That only comes from working with a trainer beside you. That’s why I work with you on real casts in my studio.
Not Sure What You Need? Start With a Conversation
Tell me about your setting, your experience and what you want to achieve. It does not matter if you trained elsewhere or are unsure where to begin. I’ll tell you honestly what would help, and what you don’t need. There is no obligation and no fixed package.
Invoices are available for organisations, and I arrange training dates around your schedule and your organisation’s needs. If you have dates in mind, mention them when you get in touch.
Other Training
- Hand Casting Course UK: the foundation days for anyone new to casting
- Advanced Life Casting Masterclass: for experienced casters wanting to go further
- Airbrush Masterclass: professional finishing for existing casters
- Memorial Pet Casting Training: for pet cremation and veterinary professionals