Charities and NHS partners across Salisbury, Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire are pooling resources to get people of different cultures talking about death, dying and grief.
Running from 5-11 May, 2025, Dying Matters Awareness Week, this year’s theme – the Culture of Dying Matters – is a chance to explore how different communities and cultures in the UK feel, talk about, and deal with death and dying – and what brings them all together.
Gill May, Chief Nursing Officer, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said:
“It’s not always easy to talk openly about death, especially to friends and loved ones, but doing so helps to remove the stigma that is all too often attached to this inevitable and unavoidable part of life.
“Having open conversations, in which individuals express their wishes for how they would like to die, should be a normal part of our everyday lives, and we are pleased that so many resources are now available locally which can provide support to help facilitate these vital discussions.”
Why does the culture of dying matter?
Because of our ageing population, the number of deaths in the UK is projected to increase by 25% by 2048. According to the latest research, nearly 90% of respondents agreed that planning for end of life was essential, but just 14% of people had formally done so.
The local Dying Matters partners aim to reduce stress and anxiety for people living in BaNES, Salisbury, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW); not just for patients, but for friends and family members who may one day be caring for a loved at the end of their life, or faced with funeral planning when the individual has left no clear wishes.
Local Dying Matters partners kick-start important conversations
Dorothy House Hospice Care, Prospect Hospice and Salisbury Hospice are working with the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Together Integrated Care System (BSW Together ICS), which includes partners from across all sectors of health, social care and voluntary organisations, to share vital resources to support people in having difficult conversations and planning ahead for the end of life.
The partners will also be providing a suite of resources that celebrate the different cultural approaches to dying, to ensure health professionals feel comfortable having these vital conversations with their patients, focusing on ‘what matters to you?’ rather than ‘what IS the matter with you?’
What free events and resources are available?
From interviews and blogs, Death Cafés, Bereavement Help Points, events, free will writing, podcasts and free funeral planning tools, the Dying Matters partners will be combining forces to provide the Salisbury and BSW community with helpful resources and though provoking events.