HASTINGS, UK. October 21st, 2026 – More women aged over 50 are exploring celebrancy as an alternative career, according to training organisation Match & Dispatch. Against a backdrop of uncertainty in the jobs market, many are drawing on their professional experience and personal skills to build a new working life in a role that offers creativity, connection and purpose.
Women make up approximately 88% of Match & Dispatch trainees, and the founders estimate that up to 80% are aged over 50.
Their previous careers span a broad range of sectors, including teaching, the NHS, counselling, corporate HR, training, marketing, care and support work, self-employment, business ownership, hospice and end-of-life care, lecturing and music.
Motivations for changing direction include redundancy, burnout, limited opportunities for progression and a desire to pursue work with greater personal meaning.
Research from the Centre for Ageing Better found that 36% of people aged 50 to 69 feel they are at a disadvantage when applying for jobs because of their age.
Founded by Kate Tym and Kate Dyer, Match & Dispatch has been operating since April 2025. Since 2022, the founders have trained around 350 aspiring and practising celebrants, first through their funeral education platform Coffin Club and now through Match & Dispatch.
Both founders entered celebrancy in their late 40s and believe that professional maturity and life experience can be significant advantages in the field.
Kate Dyer, co-founder of Match & Dispatch, said: “We’re seeing significant numbers of people coming to us in their 40s, 50s and 60s who have huge amounts of professional and life experience, but who may feel overlooked or undervalued in the workplace.
“Many have been made redundant, are burnt out or dissatisfied, or simply want the next stage of their working life to feel more meaningful.
“What is so interesting about celebrancy is that the things which can sometimes work against you elsewhere, your age, a long employment history and decades of experience, can become enormous assets.
“People skills, confidence, resilience, judgement, writing and communication skills and life experience all matter enormously. Having a few years under your belt can actually work in your favour.”
Co-founder Kate Tym said: “Celebrancy is a fulfilling and deeply meaningful job. It’s been a joy to me to discover that all those years of life experience were actually my greatest qualification, and I get as much joy helping other women discover the same thing.”
Jacquie Knox, 54, spent 25 years working in IT in the oil and gas sector before redundancy prompted her to consider a different future. After completing a Match & Dispatch training course, she is now working part-time as a celebrant.
Jacquie said: “Celebrant training surprised me in the best way. It brought out my creative side, a part of me that had been quietly sitting in the background while I focused on systems, delivery, and operations. I loved the writing, the storytelling, the human connection, the craft of shaping something meaningful for people.
“Being over 50 isn’t a barrier; it’s an advantage. I bring life experience, emotional intelligence, and a level of calm that only comes from having navigated real challenges. Redundancy didn’t end my career, it redirected it. And the celebrant training with Match & Dispatch has become one of the most joyful, unexpected parts of that new direction.”
Match & Dispatch hosts free online Discovery Meet-ups every week for anyone interested in finding out more about celebrancy. Further information is available at matchanddispatch.com/webinars.
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