I’ve just been in London speaking at Living Well Dying Well’s conference. What a great event. 

It’s inspiring to get together with like-minded folk and share what’s happening. There’s a swell, a movement afoot that might help us get back some of the skills in our communities that we used to have so that we’ll be better able to live and die well.

I was in good company. We heard from Peter Murphy, a celebrant with our friends, the award-winning Arka Funerals, about the death of his daughter Freya and how her ‘heart family’ engaged with that. She had an inspiring death and departure… a fine funeral. See ideas for making a funeral meaningful.

Professor Allan Kellehear, author of Creating Compassionate Communities was very entertaining. I’ll be coming back to him in future blogs. It was interesting to hear he thinks my homeland, Scotland, is one of the countries ‘getting it right’ and funny to hear that the competitive spirit that exists between Scotland and England might actually serve for the good in this one area!

Anna Ledgard – an associate artist connected with Final Fling – talked about the important role the arts can have in helping children who are dying find their voice and express themselves. See more about her award-winning work collaborating on The Barometer of my Heart.

Louise and Raphae Anderson talked movingly about the loss of husband/father David this year. David was a strong supporter of Living Well Dying Well and his death and the support of the family and a death doula was inspiring.

And we had Sue and Mary from Pushing Up Daisies, talking wittily about how a group can make things happen and pull efforts together to create opportunities for the public to engage around death and dying.

 

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