By Jenni Moulson
Community organisations and businesses across West Leeds have joined forces to create a week-long series of events as part of a national campaign to encourage people to talk more openly about death.
Dying Matters Awareness Week will take place from Monday, May 8 to Sunday, May 14 and Bramley-based Full Circle Funerals has organised a schedule of free events in partnership with other community groups who together have formed the West Leeds Dying Matters Week collective.
On Tuesday May 9 and Wednesday May 10, Armley Helping Hands will be hosting a Memory Box event at their HQ on Strawberry Lane in Armley encouraging older people to paint and design a memory box.
It will run from 1pm to 2pm on both days. the 9th and the 10th of May. Full Circle Funerals and Morrish Solicitors will be sharing information on planning for later life including probate, power of attorney, last will and testimony and funeral plans and wishes.
A Memories and Flowers event will be held at Pudsey Wellbeing Centre on Robin Lane on Wednesday May 10 from 2.30 to 3.30pm in partnership with Donna Nicholson of Flowers by Donna.
Donna will lead the session, which is aimed at those who enjoy being creative with flowers and would like to use this medium to explore the subject of bereavement, grief and loss in a gentle and artistic way.
There will be informal information stalls from Full Circle Funerals and Jordans Solicitors for anyone that would like to find out a little more about some of the more practical questions connected to bereavement. All welcome.
On Thursday, May 11 from 1.30pm to 3.30pm at Bramley Baths, Full Circle Funerals and Resin8 Keepsakes have teamed up to run a resin workshop to create a keepsake for an animal you have loved and lost.
This workshop will support up to eight individuals who would like to make a memorial keyring using an item which is important and connects you to this animal (eg, animal hair, ashes, laminated pictures, fabric, etc).
Helen Rimer of Resin8 will be leading the session and local charity Barca will also be there to support anyone who may like to have a private one on one chat. For more information and to book a place, contact david@fullcirclefunerals.co.uk.
On Thursday May 11 at 2pm there will be a variety of activities for prayer and reflection at St Peter’s Church, Bramley, focusing on the subject of Death, Grief and Hope. All are welcome to attend.
On the same date, between 3 and 6pm, Headingley Methodist Church will host an interactive retreat space in partnership with Leeds Sanctuary, where you can explore the process of grief.
Dealing With Death Through Writing is a special event being held at Farsley Parish Church, New Street, on Friday May 12 from 1 – 2pm. Through writing prompts and guided exercises, this creative writing class based around bereavement, run by Mark Gregory, will help participants gain ideas and inspiration for creating their own written works on the theme of death. To find out more and book a place contact david@fullcirclefunerals.co.uk.
David Billington of Full Circle Funerals, said: “Death and bereavement can be difficult topics for many people but we know that talking about death and grief can make it much easier to deal with difficult emotions around loss.
“We hope that by arranging a series of different types of events there will be something for everyone and we can facilitate conversations and creative processes that might not otherwise happen.”
For further details about Dying Matters Week and the local events taking place contact david@fullcirclefunerals.co.uk.
