May 2025
Dying Matters Awareness Week 5-11 May 2025
‘The Culture of Dying Matters’
For more information – Dying Matters website: Dying Matters | Hospice UK
Dying Matters Awareness Week is the 5th -11th May 2025. The mission of Dying Matters is to break down the stigma and taboo of talking about death and dying across the UK.
The theme this year is ‘The Culture of Dying Matters’, exploring how communities experience and express the impact of dying, death and bereavement. There are many ways that different cultures and faiths approach and mark death and dying. But at their core, feelings about dying, and our experiences of grief, are universal emotions that we all share, no matter who we are or where we live.
Ruby Wroe, from Hospice UK said: “Honest, timely discussions about death and dying are so important. They can transform the end of someone’s life and help family and friends know what to expect. This Dying Matters Awareness Week, we’re starting conversations about how we talk about death and dying, and why it matters”.
“Whether it’s with healthcare professionals, family, friends, or colleagues, we’re encouraging everyone, from all communities, to have these important conversations. We hope that speaking honestly about death means that people get the information and support they need, when they need it.”
Northern Health & Social Care Trust
During this week, the Northern Trust is encouraging local communities to start talking about death, dying and grief in ways that relates to their community.
The main event of the week is the popular play ‘Love, Truth and Promise’ written by playwright and comedian Nuala McKeever. This will showcase at the Old Courthouse Theatre, Antrim on Thursday, 8th May at 7pm.
In this powerful, poignant and hilarious one-woman show, Nuala plays three women who meet at a Creative Writing class in Belfast. Over the weeks, Brenda, Maureen and Joanna get to know each other through their stories. But it’s the things they’re leaving out that really tell the tale.
The play deals sensitively with themes of loss, grief and how we deal with life when it doesn’t turn out the way we expect. The play will be followed by a short conversation with Nuala and guests from the Northern Trust and Cruse Bereavement Support. The ticket price of only £10 has been subsidised by the Northern Trust. Tickets can be booked via the Old Courthouse Theatre website www.theoldcourthousetheatre.com or telephone 0300 123 7788.
Compassionate Communities NI
Committed to connecting communities through compassionate action and changing attitude and behaviour towards life, age, death and bereavement. ‘Helping us all to live as well as possible’
The Art of Planning Ahead
Across the island of Ireland, Plan Ahead Day is the 7 May 2025, a day that acknowledges the importance of planning ahead for future health and social care needs.
Launched by the Department of Health in October 2022, The Advance Care Planning Policy for adults in Northern Ireland highlights the benefits of planning ahead for adults aged 18 years and over who have the mental capacity to make decisions regarding their future care needs.
Sharon Williams of Compassionate Communities NI said, ‘By planning in advance, people can ensure that their wishes, beliefs, and feelings shape their future care decisions. It also brings peace of mind, easing uncertainty for those closest to them.
We understand the importance of accessible information and as a result work in partnership with Libraries NI on a Death Positive Libraries initiative across the region where there are 12 locations. In these locations people can access books on topics such as caregiving, advanced illness, grief, and planning ahead, easy read formats and books for children are also available. “
Think Ahead in the Republic of Ireland was launched in 2011 and the Irish Hospice Foundation leads on implementation, Dominic Campbell, Arts and Cultural Engagement Lead, Irish Hospice Foundation had this to say, ‘the Irish Hospice Foundation is delighted to be part of this unique All-Island collaboration working with artists, encouraging communities to reflect on the universal inevitability of death and dying. Planning increases the opportunity for a good death in the future and helps us to live better today.’
Both policies detail the four components of advance care planning – personal, legal, clinical and financial.
Acknowledging that planning ahead can be challenging Cavan County Council with funding from Creative Ireland: Shared Island Health and Wellbeing partnered with the Irish Hospice Foundation, Compassionate Communities, Cavan Age Friendly, South West Age Partnership, Healthy Ireland, Libraries NI and Cavan County Council’s Library Service in its Art of Life project
The Art of Life is a cross border project which aims to normalise conversations around death and dying using creative approaches and get people talking and planning for end of life. Planning for Christmas, holidays and births are common yet many people do not plan for end of life or start these conversations with loved ones. But plans help carers and healthcare professionals provide the care a person wants and in their preferred location. Plans help to prevent additional strain on families because decisions have been made and things put in place.
As part of the Art of Life project four creative workshops which gently open the conversation around advance care planning will be held in Death Positive Libraries across Counties Cavan, Fermanagh and Tyrone, in Virginia, Belturbet, Lisnaskea and Omagh Libraries. Please see posters below for information.
Sharon Howe, Creative Communities Engagement Officer, Cavan County Council had this to say, ‘Creativity can have a real impact, helping people to process and express emotion, maintain human connection and to make sense of their experiences’.
Further workshops will be held in a range of venues across the three counties with more information at https://www.cavanlibrary.ie/creativecavan or by contacting Sharon Howe at showe@cavancoco.ie
