Raising awareness about Dying Matters Week

East Lancashire Hospice is calling on the local community to join the conversation around death, dying, and grief, as part of this year’s Dying Matters Awareness Week - a national campaign facilitated by Hospice UK.

Running from 4th - 10th May, this year’s theme, ‘Let’s talk about Death and Dying', aims to break down the stigma and taboo of talking about death and dying; and encourages members of the community to have these conversations with their friends, family, and other individuals in their life. 

Death, dying and bereavement affect us all, but many are afraid to speak about it. Research suggest that 27 per cent of people find it hard to talk about death with their friends and family, and 30 per cent of people bottle their feelings up to avoid having awkward conversations. If we don’t talk about death, dying, and bereavement, it can be harder to cope when we experience it and cause further problems in the future.

“Talking about death and dying is never easy, but it’s vital,” says Hilary Barrett, chief executive, at East Lancashire Hospice. 

“This Dying Matters Awareness Week, we’re focusing on the importance of having conversations with others around death, dying and bereavement, hopefully inspiring others in our community to have open, meaningful discussions.

"We hope that by sharing these experiences, we can create a society where talking about death is less of a taboo and where everyone feels empowered to have these conversations.” she shared.

Open and honest conversations about death can help people get the support they need, ensure their wishes are known, and relieve emotional burden. Yet, for many, it remains one of the most difficult topics to raise.

“It’s not always easy to start these conversations,” adds Hilary.

“Often, we avoid them until the very last moment. But the more we talk, the more we understand each other - and ourselves.”

While each person’s experience of grief is unique, studies show that feelings of loss, sadness, and helplessness are universal. There may be different ways of expressing those emotions, but at our core, we are all connected by them.

East Lancashire Hospice invites the local community to reflect and share their thoughts and feelings surrounding death and dying with others throughout the week, and shine a light on how we talk about death, and how we can do it better.

For more information about Dying Matters Awareness Week and how to get involved, visit: https://www.hospiceuk.org/our-campaigns/dying-matters/dying-matters-awareness-week