This year the Dying Matters Awareness Week theme is focusing on the importance of being ‘in a good place to die‘. Where people die is changing. More people than ever are dying at home, and the pandemic has accelerated this trend. In 2020, 28% of people in the UK died at home.
With gaps in support structures for people when they die, and for those that are left behind, people are dying without being in the right place. Often, people don’t feel prepared and they haven’t fulfilled their wishes or communicated them to loved ones.
Dying Matters Leeds want to raise the profile of the care that does exist and the benefit that it gives to dying people and their families. And to raise our voices to highlight what needs to change for people at the end of life.
There are a number of events happening this week around the theme- see below, and there is always lots of advice information and sources of support on the Dying Matter Leeds website: http://dyingmattersleeds.org/
Leeds Bereavement Forum
Leeds Bereavement Forum is holding a virtual Death Café on Tuesday 11 May at 2pm. For more details please visit their website. http://lbforum.org.uk/…/leeds-bereavement-forum-dying…/
Full Circle Funerals
Tuesday 11 May at 11am and Thursday 13 May at 6.30pm
Full Circle Funerals is hosting two Facebook Live events called “Time to Remember and Light a Candle” – people can send in poems to be read, or simply join us at the time and ask for someone to be remembered – https://fb.me/e/6YtLN9omB
For further details, please visit their Facebook page
Friday 14 May at 11am.
“I am a mum of four, but only two walk beside me.”
Guest speaker – Natalie Dimelow – Natalie shares her personal experience of bereavement and how the work she is now doing to support others is part of her girls’ legacy. To join the webinar, please go to https://fullcirclefunerals.co.uk/learning-together/webinars/
Friday 14 May at 1pm
‘ Live instrumental “Golden Oldies” performance for people living with Dementia’ – details here https://www.facebook.com/events/352553276090768/
MESMAC
Thursday 20 May at 5.15pm and Sunday 20 June 11am
MESMAC are hosting a Death Café to encourage an open conversation about death. This is not a bereavement group, this group is to talk about death, anything from your experiences and thoughts on death to practical advice about death. There is no agenda and where the conversation goes is down to the participants. The link on the death café website for the first one is https://deathcafe.com/deathcafe/13293
Swan Song Project
Thursday 13 May at 7.30pm
The Swan Song Project invites you to join them for a Dying Matters special edition of their virtual singing group. The group meets virtually every Thursday evening on Zoom to share the joy of singing. All participants are muted (Due to time lagging issues with Zoom), the songs are taught using a vocal loop pedal meaning you can hear all of the harmonies and simply choose which one you would like to sing along with. As part of Dying Matters week their session on Thursday 13 May will be reflective in nature. Beautiful songs that can help us remember those we have lost and bring us closer to those with us.
The session is free to attend and you can register via eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/the-swan-song-project…
Leeds Museums and Galleries
Friday 14 May at 10am
“All that Remains: Death and Dying in the Museum” will go live on Leeds Museums and Galleries’ YouTube channel on Friday 14 May from 10am – link to be confirmed.
