Each year, people around the UK use Dying Matters Awareness Week as a moment to encourage all communities to get talking in whatever way, shape, or form works for them.
This year’s theme for Dying Matters Awareness Week (5-11 May 2025) is: The Culture of Dying Matters.
The mission of Dying Matters is to break down the stigma and taboo of talking about death and dying. To this day, that’s still applicable to much of the UK. But do we all have the same attitudes, views and practices on death and dying?
There are of course many differences in the ways that 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.
Honest, timely conversations about death and dying are essential to good end of life care. 1% of our population die each year but as a nation, in the UK, we often struggle to have conversations about death with big questions such as, where we die, who we want with us and what care and support we have in place.
We know that talking about death isn’t easy and it still feels a taboo subject to discuss with others and those close to us. However, it’s important that we all know what it means for individuals and our loved ones to ensure they are in a good place physically, emotionally, spiritually and crucially with the right care and support in place when they die.
This Dying Matters Awareness Week, I would encourage communities across South Yorkshire coming together to talk about having those conversations about how to live your life to the full, and your end of life wishes. We will all be affected by this matter at some time and, I have personally experienced this and found it helpful to be able to plan and support our loved ones wishes.
Early conversations can be recorded and communicated to others using forms such as the ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) tool to ensure professionals who care for us and loved ones understand a person’s wishes.
We would encourage everyone to join in the Dying Matters Awareness campaign this May.
There are several public events happening throughout May and specifically, during the Dying Matters Awareness Week (5-11 May). Take a look at what’s on, here.
You can also find out about events happening across the country during Dying Matters Week through the Hospice UK website, here.