Dying to Know?, a joint initiative by Nairn Citizens Advice Bureau and NHS Scotland, was well received in Nairn last week - fantastic given the lure of the sun and the Harbour Fest.
The organisers were delighted with the positive response from visitors with comments such as "Good to see a place where death is talked about openly", "Friends were reluctant to accompany me: they thought it was 'goulish' - rubbish!", "We would certainly attend a follow-up day."
The 20 businesses and organisations who brought displays of their services and gave advice to visitors were also really positive and have offered to do it again! A DVD of the day will be produced to inspire other communities to do something similar.
The event reached 250 people with some travelling from Inverness, the Borders and Huntly. The "different kind of family day out" attracted national publicity from the Scotsman and the Sun indicating the significance of the subject to everyone. The organisers would have liked to see more younger people coming along to get information about putting their affairs in order as, with nearly 20% of people dying in the Highlands being under 65 years old, it is so important for families to be protected from hardship. The children who did come enjoyed the activities on offer and took it all in their stride.
Kate Clark, one of the organisers said " We organised this event to give people the chance to leave their lives as a gift to their families, rather than a burden, and the response has confirmed that it really is possible to feel better about our lives by thinking about our deaths. It is something that does not take a long time, especially with the help available, but has a lasting impact on our well-being."
The Before I Die wall was also a great hit in the community centre, with people of all ages taking part. Noticeable on the comments was that so many of them were achievable so hopefully this short consideration of their death will inspire Nairnites to get out and live their lives to the full. The "wall" has now been cleaned for the last time but Nairn's contribution to the global project will remain forever on beforeidie.cc.
The organisers urge anyone who could not make it along to the day to come along to Nairn Citizens Advice Bureau at any time to obtain free, confidential advice and to discuss their options with an adviser. A follow up meeting - Cake and Questions, about death and dying - will be held in the URC hall on 24th August 2013 at 11am for everyone interested in talking about death, finding out about practicalities and taking some of the fear away from the inevitable consequence of our well-lived lives.
The team who organised this event are happy to share their experiences with others who want to arrange a similar information day or set up a Citizens Advice Bureau service - please feel free to get in touch.
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