About Us
Why we do what we do
If you find thinking about, talking about, planning for and encountering death pretty scary, you aren’t alone. We are committed to making it easier, kinder, less frightening and crucially not just in the hands of professionals – more in our own hands too.
When death is thought of as dreadful, painful and something to keep at a distance, it becomes socially unacceptable to talk about it (and if you do you might be called morbid). Our experience is to the contrary, we find people very eager to talk and share their experiences. We also know that irrespective of social roles and occupations, with encouragement, information and confidence-building, everyone can have a useful part to play in bringing death out from hiding, being up front and supporting wellbeing at the end of life.
Workshops and Courses
In 2009 Living Well Dying Well (LWDW) began to address these issues, and continues to with LWDW Training. In that time we have run many courses for people facing death (actually that’s all of us!) or the death of someone close, and offered workshops for therapists and health practitioners, so they feel more comfortable around death in their professional life.
Doula Training
There are many wonderful people out there who, even though they may not have a medical or care background, realise that death is a profoundly important and human event, and who feel they have something to contribute – practically, emotionally or spiritually.
End of Life (EOL) Doulas, or companions, who have trained with us love the idea of people-meeting-people, they know how even in the midst of dying and death, compassionate support and friendship networks can be created, helping families in the smallest ways feel better able to cope.
Conversations
At a Death Cafe people drink tea, eat cake and discuss death and dying. The aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their lives. To find out dates and locations of a Death Cafe near you please visit EOL Doula UK or Death Cafe websites. As the Death Cafe website is international please ensure you put "UK" after the town in their search box.