Second death café planned after success of first
Bristol’s second virtual Death Café is being planned for later this month following the sell-out success of the first in May.
Organised by Bristol Memorial Woodlands, a funeral venue near Alveston, the Death Café gives people the chance to discuss their thoughts and feelings around death and dying with the help of expert Mireille Hayden.
Taking place on Thursday 18 June, the event has limited spaces available and will be run on video conferencing service Zoom, as a way to support conversations about grief, dying and end of life, at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has brought mortality to the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Mireille Hayden, of Gentle Dusk, an organisation providing preparation and support for end of life care, has run Death Café's all over the country for many years and has adapted her sessions to be run virtually since lockdown.
Mireille said: “The Death Café will be a group directed discussion about death with no agenda from me.
“We had planned a Death Café Picnic at Memorial Woodlands for this Summer but after lockdown we decided to host a virtual event instead. That event in May was a sell-out success so we wanted to hold another as soon as possible.
“At this time when people are faced with deaths every day because of Covid-19 it is more important than ever that we have proper discussions about all the issues that we have about death and dying.
“It is lovely to see people opening up and really getting strength from joining in with the Death Café, especially when so many are isolated at home. The event is also great for care professionals who have been really tested in recent months.”
Bristol Memorial Woodlands, just north of Bristol, is a regional funeral centre where funerals are held followed by burials and tree planting to create a natural woodland held in trust for future generations. Families can mourn their loved ones in a woodland setting and revisit for years to come, enjoying picnics and walks.
Christopher Baker, who created Bristol Memorial Woodlands, said: “Death is inevitable for all of us and yet there is still a taboo around talking about it. We should all be discussing what we want to happen to our bodies after we die; what sort of funeral we would like to have and our hopes and fears around death.
“We are pleased in these turbulent times to be hosting this event where people can discuss aspects of dying.”
The Virtual Death Café will take place on Thursday 18 June from 10am until 12 noon.
To book a place on the virtual Death Café contact Ella Abbott on 01454 414 999 or ella@memorialwoodlands.com
For more information about Bristol Memorial Woodlands visit www.memorialwoodlands.com
