Raising awareness about bereavement

The festival-style event takes place between 12pm and 6pm on May 7 and is designed to increase discussion and knowledge around the topics of death, dying and bereavement.

In line with the national Dying Matters campaign from the National Council for Palliative Care, the event will provide the public with a fun and alternative approach to starting the discussion and making end of life plans; from bucket lists to funeral arrangements.

Activities will include face painting, creating memory boxes, writing your bucket list and taking part in a poetry workshop hosted by local poet Winston Plowes.

There will also be musical entertainment from local folk duo The Suitcase Dwellers and the Overgate Hospice Hi-Notes.

Stalls will be hosted by experts such as funeral directors and solicitors, and special guest speakers will include Mary Clear.

Tracey Wilcocks, clinical services manager at Overgate Hospice, said; ‘This is the second annual event and as a partnership we are hopeful that our efforts will go some way to reduce fears, dispel myths and promote end of life planning with a view to having a good death in addition to a good life.

This is a family event and all are welcome to come along and join us.”

The Calderdale Dying Matters Partnership is made up of representatives from the Calderdale Council Libraries, Overgate Hospice, Age UK, Marie Curie, Macmillan, Calderdale Help in Bereavement, Christian Initiative in Calderdale Schools, Armitage Sykes Solicitors, Valley Memorial Services and Pushing Up Daisies.