‘Nobody wants to organise a funeral’

Through her events business, Ali Gillum creates spaces to help others mourn and celebrate in a personalised way 

Tavola is the Italian word for table. It is around this – with all that it represents – that Ali Gillum has built her business, Tavola Events. Through it she ‘sets a table’ for clients who want to celebrate the joyous moments and milestones of life, and now increasingly for those going through the heartache of death. 

A Christian from a young age, Ali grew up in London where family life tended to revolve around a big wooden table that her dad, a vicar, had made. It was the heart of their home in every way – a gathering place for her parents and siblings to talk, laugh, play games, cook and eat together. Over the years her mum and dad have been distinctive in how they have welcomed people into their home and to this table: “My parents have been great role models for me…they host all different types of people. And they always remain themselves – they host from who they are.”