good life, good death, good grief

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New Demystifying Death Week Guide

Demystifying Death Week: Designing your event is a new guide to help you design an impactful event for Demystifying Death Week. It gives examples of potential event formats and issues for consideration.

This is the latest in a series of Demystifying Death Week guides, which have been updated this year:

  • Designing your event
  • Facilitation skills
  • Event Ideas: templates and activities
  • Hosting an online event: hints and tips

All of these guides can be accessed free of charge on our website: Demystifying Death Week Guides for Event Organisers

We welcome new activities and events as part of Demystifying Death Week. If you're interested in getting involved, please check out our website for more information on how to hold an event. Below are some resources that might help...

Guides for event organisers: We have put together a series of guides to support people to design and hold Demystifying Death Week events: Designing your event; Facilitation skills; Event Ideas: templates and activities; Hosting an online event: hints and tips. These are all available here: DD Week Guides for Event Organisers

Information leaflets: We have eleven different leaflets that provide information relating to death, dying and bereavement. Hard copies can be ordered, or you can download the leaflets directly from our website. A full list and further information is available here: Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief Information leaflets.

It Takes A Village exhibition: It Takes a Village is a powerful series of portraits and personal stories exploring the idea that as people’s health deteriorates, care and support comes in many guises. We have a limited number of copies of the exhibition available to lend out. If you would like to provide a venue to host the exhibition, please get in touch.

Films: short films on the subjects of illness, death and bereavement can be useful as discussion prompts and educational tools: Films relating to death, dying, loss and care

Origami game: this is a mini-future care planning prompt.... in the form of a small origami game. More information about the game and how to download it is available here: Origami game

Conversation menu: The Dining with Death conversation menu is designed to act as an ice-breaker to give people inspiration and permission to talk about death-related matters. It can be used flexibly, across different types of events and different audiences.

Books: Information about holding a book club, alongside a list of books on the theme of death, dying and loss is available here: book club.

All of these resources are available on our website here: Information and resources for event organisers

Small grants available

A small grants fund has been set up to support organisations to put on events as part of Demystifying Death Week.

Demystifying Death Week (6-12 May 2024) is about giving people knowledge, skills and opportunities to plan and support each other through death, dying, loss and care.

We’re seeking applications for events that take place in DD Week that meet one or more of the following aims:

  • Help people to find ways of dealing with their own experiences of death, dying and bereavement;
  • Help individuals and communities to support those who are experiencing difficult times associated with death, dying and bereavement;
  • Support NHS and social care staff and volunteers to work compassionately and constructively with those who are dying or have been recently bereaved;
  • Help people to make practical preparations for their death, for example Will, Power of Attorney and Future Care Planning;
  • Promote openness/discussion of death, dying and bereavement.

In previous years, events have included lunchtime get-togethers, information stands, film screenings, workshops, discussion groups, planning sessions, crematorium tours, craft sessions, lectures, art exhibitions, and death cafes.

Ideas

Some ideas and resources for people considering holding an event are available here: Hold a DD Week Event

For more ideas, look over past years' activities here.

We recognise that approaches to this are likely to be varied, and encourage creative and innovative ideas that are appropriate to local groups and communities.

Who can apply for the grants?

Any organisation with a bank account can apply for a grant, as long as they are or become members of the Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief alliance. It is free to join and you can do so here. We encourage applications from charities, community groups, care homes, NHS organisations, small businesses, prisons, arts organisations, schools, education institutions and more.

Details

Grants are available for up to £250.

The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 12pm on Friday 22 March 2024. (We will aim to inform applicants of whether or not they have been successful by 29 March, but please let us know if you need a decision earlier.)

A short grant application form and guidance notes for applicants are provided below.

APPLICATION FORM

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS

Any information received as part of a grant application will be covered by SPPC's Privacy Policy, which you can read in detail here.

Come along to an information session to find out more

Come along to an informal Lunchtime Chat session to hear more about the funding process and get some inspiration about events that you could host. Whether you work in a care home, the third sector, public sector, community organisations, or are looking to do something with friends and neighbours, everyone is welcome!

The session will take place on Monday 4th March at 1pm. If you'd like to come, please email samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk

Photo credit: Micheile Henderson via Unsplash

Moving from talk to action on bereavement

Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief and the Scottish Bereavment Charter Group are organising a series of events to encourage action around the 10 recommendations from the Scottish Bereavement Summit Report.

 

 

Improving Signposting to Bereavement Support and Information

The first in the series of events took place on 23rd January 2024, and explored how to improve signposting to bereavement information and support.  140 people attended, discussing questions such as what are we hoping to achieve by improving signposting? What would improved signposting look like? What steps are needed to get there? 

A recording of the presentations given at the session is available to view here: Recording: Improving Signposting to Bereavement Support and Information

The unedited notes compiled by participants at the meeting are available here: Unedited padlet notes 

A summary of the key points is available here: Bereavement Signposing: a draft vision for Scotland

Improving Signposting to Bereavement Support and Information Part II

Tuesday 19th March, 10am-12pm, on Zoom

At this event we will look at the report from the January event and look at how those of us working in the sector can build on this to take action that will achieve meaningful change.  The hope is that the meeting will be action-oriented and that delegates will come prepared to contribute ideas and to commit to taking practical action on behalf of their organisation.  More information and booking is available here: Eventbrite

Employer seminar: Supporting employees through bereavement

Tuesday 30th April, 9.30am - 12.30pm, St Paul and St George's Church, Edinburgh

The third in the 'Moving from Talk to Action' series will focus on Recommendation 6 of the Scottish Bereavement Summit - "Encourage and support workplaces to be better at supporting bereaved staff". The event is aimed at employers, senior management and HR professionals from all sectors, including business, commercial and retail.

The event will be an opportunity for delegates to explore practical ways that they can take action to make their workplaces more supportive of people who have been bereaved. 

View the  programme here: Programme

Book a place here: Employer Seminar: Supporting Employees Through Bereavement 

Photo credit: K Mitch Hodge

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Bereavement Charter for Scotland
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