Two new virtual events have been planned by bereavement experts to help members of the public and healthcare professionals better understand and deal with issues around death and dying.

The first event will take place on Thursday 1 October from 11am-2pm and is a Virtual Bereavement Workshop. The second will take place on Saturday 31 October from 12.45-1.45pm and is a Virtual Death and Bereavement Café, in conjunction with the Good Grief Bristol Festival.

Organised by Alveston funeral venue Bristol Memorial Woodlands, the events will be run by health psychologist Mireille Hayden.

The Bereavement Workshop is aimed at helping people understand the impact of grief, look at the current theoretical approaches to loss and gain insight into the diversity of experiences in relation to bereavement as well as look at the impact of Covid-19.

The Death and Bereavement Café will also take place virtually. Death Cafés are informal gatherings giving people the opportunity to share openly their thoughts, feelings and experiences around death, dying and bereavement. They are friendly, non-judgemental group directed discussions where people get together to discuss any issues around end of life.

Mireille Hayden said: “We have just been through a period in time where the feelings of loss of many kinds have been felt by all the nation. Many have lost loved ones and not been able to be present at their end of life.

“People have been through grief at a time where isolation and lack of social support, have made the experience more difficult.  We all need the skills to support ourselves and others through bereavement. Creating more understanding about grief is an important part of helping the healing process.

“These sessions could be particularly beneficial for healthcare professionals who have seen such a great amount of bereavement over the past few months and will no doubt be helping families through more in the months to come.”

The Death and Bereavement Café takes place during Good Grief Bristol a festival running from 30 October – 1 November. A collaboration between the University of Bristol and national charities and bereavement services, the festival includes a diverse programme of free events including talks, workshops, cultural events, wellbeing and more.

The events had been planned to be live at Bristol Memorial Woodlands, as part of a series of seminars and workshops organised by the venue.

Chris Baker, founder of 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 these events where people can discuss aspects of dying.” 

Bristol Memorial Woodlands, just north of Bristol, is a regional funeral centre where families can mourn their loved ones in a beautiful woodland setting. Funerals are held followed by burials and tree planting to create a natural woodland held in trust for future generations. Burials at Bristol Memorial Woodlands cost less than the average cost of a cremation and also have the benefit of being environmentally friendlier.

The events will be facilitated by Mireille Hayden, a health psychologist with 20 years’ experience in the health service. Mireille dedicates her time to empowering professionals and communities around death, dying and bereavement. Mireille often contributes and provides expert input in areas relating to death, dying and bereavement on TV, print and scientific journals.

Places are free but limited.

For more information visit www.memorialwoodlands.com