West Sussex County Times

Time to talk, think, laugh and plan

- By Jean Francis

National Dying Matters Awareness week begins on May 10. The event is all about starting conversati­ons around end of life issues. Embarking on such a subject can be pretty tricky! With this in mind, at Last Wishes we have designed a set of cards that empower people and bring awareness to the many choices available when planning a funeral. The cost of dying will continue to rise unless we all become alert to the many different options available; what to say ‘yes’ to and when to say ‘no’. Here are a few facts:

There is no law that requires you to use a funeral director

A funeral does not have to cost a fortune

A funeral service does not have to take place in a crematoriu­m or place of worship

It is possible to be buried on private land or in your garden

You do not have to have a minister or celebrant

You can make your own coffin if you plan to be buried

And most importantl­y, your final choices can have a huge impact on the environmen­t.

Our aim is to help break the taboo around death and dying, and to make it a natural topic to discuss over dinner.

The Duke of Edinburgh had the forethough­t to plan his own funeral, so why not follow his example?

We encourage people to talk about and plan their funeral long before there is a need; when they still feel well and happy. It can be like dumping a burden that many of us carry around for our entire lives. The arrangemen­ts can always be updated as life progresses.

Planning need not be a morbid experience. As one of my Last Wishes workshop attendees reported: ‘I would never have thought it possible to laugh so much while planning my funeral.’

Communicat­ion is key to the subject and ideally something that can take place well before the end of life. Making your wishes clear now will save those close to you a great deal of stress when the time comes. People lead busy lives that need to continue in spite of our passing.

We use the Last Wishes cards in our fortnightl­y online Tea Rooms; join us for free and meet the team. For updates follow us on Facebook: lastwishes.world/ tearoom/

Jean Francis is the founder and inspiratio­n director of Last Wishes, an organisati­on which seeks to encourage people to think about their legacy and have open conversati­ons with their loved ones about their end-of-life wishes.

If you have a question you would like her to help with through this column email it to jean@liveyourle­gacy.co.uk. We appreciate this could cover some sensitive subjects so your name will be kept confidenti­al.

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Image by AlkeMade from Pixabay

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