Demystifying Death Week

People usually want to do the right thing when someone they know is affected by serious illness, death or grief. But often they can feel awkward offering help, or worry about making things worse.

People can have questions about serious illness or dying. But often they don’t know who to ask.

Making plans when you’re healthy means there is less to think about when you’re ill. But people can put off making plans until it is too late.

Demystifying Death Week is about giving people knowledge, skills and opportunities to plan and support each other through death, dying, loss and care.

Photo credit: Simone Secci on Unsplash

Demystifying Death Week sees the launch of a new short film - Do you know someone with a serious illness that won’t get better?  

The new film aims to explain to members of the public what palliative care is, and why it might be useful. The new film will be available to view from Monday 4th May here: New film launched for Demystifying Death Week | Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief

We are also keen to find out what people think of the film, so we can improve it, and perhaps create more films in the future. You can fill in a quick 5 minute feedback survey here - Feedback on new short film “Do you know someone with an illness that won’t get better?’. 

Organisations, community groups, and individuals all across Scotland organise events for Demystifying Death Week. These can be anything from film screenings, death cafes, and information sessions to live performances, shared meals, and crafting workshops.

Find out what’s happening near you or online by checking this year’s event listings: Demystifying Death Week 2026

Image credit: Humanist Society Scotland and Typewronger Books DD Week 2025 activity

Demystifying Death week is a collaborative effort.

Each year all kinds of organisations and individuals put on events and activities.  

Could you organise an event for Demystifying Death Week? 

We have event templates you can download, exhibitions you can borrow, and resources you can use.  Or if you already have a plan, let us know so that we can help spread the word.

Image credit: Battlefield Community Project and Finn’s Place DD Week 2024 activity

We have put together a series of guides to support people to design and hold Demystifying Death Week events, with tips on how to design, facilitate and host events. 

We also have lots of resources freely available that can be used for DD Week events, including an escape room, exhibitions, films, event plans and information leaflets

Find out more here: Information and resources for event organisers

Powers, Puzzles and Prescience is an Escape Room that helps people to learn about future care planning.

Undertaken by teams of 3-5 people, participants are challenged to unravel a super-hero themed mystery by finding clues and solving puzzles.

Along the way teams will encounter family dynamics, future care planning, caring responsibilities and aging in the 21^st century.

If you’re in Scotland, we can send you everything you need to run Powers, Puzzles and Prescience, free of charge. Find out more here:

Escape Room

Communications Pack

Your support promoting Demystifying Death week through your networks and media channels can make a big difference.

This Communications Pack provides some key messages, social media ideas, shareable images and a template press release.

Access the full Communications Pack and downloadable resources here: Communications Pack

If you’d like to stay informed about Demystifying Death Week, you can sign up to join our mailing list here: Join and receive the GLGDGG newsletter

Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care

Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief and Demystifying Death Week are initiatives of the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care. The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC) brings together health and social care professionals from hospitals, social care services, primary care, hospices and other charities, to find ways of improving people’s experiences of declining health, death, dying and bereavement. It also works to enable communities and individuals to support each other through the hard times which can come with death, dying and bereavement.

If you live in England or Wales...

check out Dying Matters Week, run by Hospice UK.  It takes place at the same time as Demystifying Death Week in Scotland: Dying Matters Week.