People in the Black Country are being encouraged to break the taboo and talk about death, dying and bereavement ahead of Dying Matters Awareness Week (Monday 5 – 11 May).

Events around the Black Country include:

The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust

The End of Life Journey online workshop - Thursday 8 May 2025

Talking about death, dying and grief with our loved ones and communities is very important. Find out more and sign up at: Marystevenshospice.co.uk/dying-matters-week-2025/

Sandwell 

For full details of events: Dying Matters Awareness Week | Healthysandwell

Tuesday 6 May

Will-writing workshop at Murray Hall

Wednesday 7 May

Will-writing workshop

‘The Culture of Dying Matters’

Thursday 8 May

Sandwell Memory Walk

Open Day with Sandwell Bereavement Services

Network Event with Bereavement Services, pregnancy & baby loss, child death and local charities

Friday 9 May

Compassionate Conversation Workshop

‘Dying Matters’ Schwartz Round

The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust

Everybody experiences grief differently, but many find that talking can help.

If you’ve lost a loved one, or want to support someone who is grieving, then why not pop along and speak to our Palliative Care Team on the following days:

• Tuesday 6 May, 11am-1pm, in Heart and Lung Centre, New Cross Hospital
• Friday 9 May, 11am-1pm, in Heart and Lung Centre, New Cross Hospital

Based at their awareness stand, staff can provide advice and signpost to support available.

Walsall Hospitals Trust

Palliative Care staff at Walsall Manor Hospital will be focusing on bereavement in childhood. At their information stand they will be sharing materials and resources used to support families with opening up conversations about death.

Join the team from 1.30pm-3pm, at Costa Coffee, Walsall Manor Hospital.

Naheed Razzaq, Outreach Support Officer Cancer and Palliative Care, will be available Walsall Palliative Care Centre from 2pm-3pm at a separate information stand.

Talking to a healthcare professional about death and dying

Dr Fran Hakkak, Medical Director from Compton Care and clinical lead for palliative and end of life care in the Black Country, shares her top tips when having conversations with healthcare professionals about death and dying.

We need to talk about dying 

Passing away, passing on, falling asleep, departing this world… we use lots of different words to try to avoid talking about death and dying. It’s something that will happen to us all one day, but we are often reluctant to face the facts, so we use other words and phrases to avoid saying the word ‘dying’. 

Death often isn’t an easy subject to talk about, but we’ve put together a short film which can help us all to start having discussions with the people we love.

End of life care and support

The NHS has produced an online guide for people who are approaching the end of their life. Some parts of it may also be useful for people who are caring for someone who is dying, or people who want to plan for their own end of life care.

It covers what to expect, thinking about your wishes for your future care, and looking after your emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Visit nhs.uk here to view their online guide.

In the Black Country, we’re clear that the care you get in your final days should be of the same quality, no matter where you live. That’s why local health and care providers have developed a new shared strategy on palliative and end-of-life care.

Resources to help you and your family 

Here are some resources to help you and your family talk about death and dying. We’ve split them into sections, to help you find the right help at the right time.

Once someone has died, how can you support people