News

Good Death Week grants

Good Death Week is taking place across Scotland from 13 - 19 May 2019. It's an opportunity to get conversations started and take practical action to help with people's experiences of death, dying and bereavement. There are many ways for community groups, workplaces and other organisations to get involved and we have a limited number of small grants to help you to do so.

The grants (of up to £50) can be used for any event that furthers our aims to:

• Raise public awareness of ways of dealing with death, dying and bereavement
• Promote community involvement in death, dying and bereavement

For instance, you might want to host a cafe-style event using one of our conversation menus and need the grant to get some refreshments. Or maybe you could arrange a local solicitor or funeral director to run an information session on planning for the end of life and need the grant to hire a room. We're open to all ideas! Looking through events from previous years might give you some inspiration.

If you'd like to apply for a small grant, please download and complete this form and e-mail robert.peacock@palliativecarescotland.org.uk by 31 March 2019.

New community development project to support "compassionate communities" in Scotland

Good Life Good Death Good Grief is embarking on a new project, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support. Taking a community development approach, the project aims to support communities who are interested in taking local action to improve people’s experiences of death, dying, loss and care. Like the rest of GLGDGG's work, the project is being hosted by the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC).

Later in 2019, GLGDGG will issue an invitation to community groups and organisations to express an interest in being part of the project. A number of communities will be short-listed, and supported to work up more detailed applications identifying local priorities and activities to improve death, dying, loss and care in their community.

Following the application process, up to four communities will be selected to be part of the project, and to receive dedicated support for their local project, for a period of two years.

The project will build on learning from the international Compassionate Communities movement, and its design has been particularly influenced by work by the Groundswell Project in Australia, where a National Compassionate Communities Practice Forum (NCCF) has been established, following a community development model.

The project also aims to support Scottish communities to learn from more local knowledge and experience, for example from the award-winning Compassionate Inverclyde programme where the community has taken action to become more "compassionate, helpful and neighbourly".

The SPPC is currently recruiting an experienced Community Development practitioner to help establish, shape and manage the project. More information about the job vacancy is available here. The closing date is Monday 4th February 2019.

Scottish Compassionate Communities Launch Event

The new Scottish Compassionate Communities Network is being launched on Mon 8 Oct at the Charteris Centre, Edinburgh.

The network is for people and organisations who want to get involved in practical work to build compassion in their own community, with a particular focus on improving people's experiences of deteriorating health, death, dying and bereavement.

The event will give network members a chance to meet each other, discuss the potential creation of a Scottish Compassionate Communities toolkit, and learn about community development approaches.

This event is only open to people who have signed up to be part of the Compassionate Communities Network. However, it is free to join the network and you can sign up here. Once you've signed up, you can book a place at the event here.

Ayr Town Hall hosts successful GLGDGG Day

The Rotary Clubs of South Ayrshire hosted a very successful Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief day at Ayr Town Hall on Friday 13 July.

A packed house heard presentations from Dr Kirsty Muirhead, formerly a palliative care consultant at the Ayrshire Hospice, who helped people consider what "Good Life", "Good Death" and "Good Grief" meant; Tara Cameron, an undertaker with Funeral Partners, Ayr, who helped break down some of the stereotypes and taboos about the funeral industry; and Nigel Martin, local family lawyer, who gave advice about end-of-life planning, wills and power of attorney.

Information stalls run by local groups and by Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief, allowed people to mingle and pick up information before and after the formal presentations. Tea and coffee was kindly provided by the local Salvation Army, and Royal Conservatoire organist gave a recital.

Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the event was very convivial, with lots of ideas exchanged and knowledge gained. Barely any information leaflets were left at the end.

If you'd like to organise something similar in your area, please get in touch with our Development Manager, Robert Peacock, for support and assistance, or sign up to the new Scottish Compassionate Communities Network to link up with others in your area who'd like to be involved in something similar.