OUR NEXT EVENT
Dear KMDC Member,
We are delighted to share the biographies of our guest speakers and performers for the Kent and Medway Death Cafe Conference 2026.
This year’s programme brings together a rich and diverse group of voices from across our community. Each presenter will offer their unique skills, experience, and perspective to make the day insightful, reflective, and connecting, and to highlight the rich array of talents they will bring.
If you have not done so already, please do book your place for the Conference. It promises to be a richly diverse and fantastic day.
For ease, we have again included ‘what you need to know’ about booking for the Conference, along with the speaker and performer bio information, as enclosed.
The programme of the day is as follows:
If you would like the Programme in larger text, let us know, or (click here) to download a Word document version.
BOOKING LINK
To book for the Conference, please complete the booking link here:
Booking link: https://forms.gle/dKmpk2Zu5V2JdmuM7
Confirmation of booking will be made via e-mail and will be on a first come first served basis.
If you are unable to complete the form, let us know and we can discuss an alternative method of capturing your booking information.
OTHER THINGS TO BE AWARE OF FOR THE DAY:
PARKING
For those coming by car to the event, there is free parking available at the main school yard opposite the School Hall on The Precinct. The car park can accommodate 25 cars, so it will be a case of first come first served on the day, with the suggestion that people car share to maximise the opportunity of the free parking.
There are also alternative long and short stay car parks with pay and display, available within Rochester, including the multi-storey car park at the back of Rochester train station. Please click here for parking options.
Buses also come regularly into Rochester. To plan your journey, we have provided a helpful link: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/
There is also the option of using the train to get to the venue, which is only a 5-7 minute walk from Rochester train station.
CATERING AND REFRESHMENTS
The Bloom Room, in Rochester, have kindly agreed to provide a varied buffet lunch at £14 per head, for those who would like it, which will also include unlimited refreshments and snacks throughout the day.
You are most welcome of course to bring a packed lunch, if you prefer, rather than have the buffet meal.
For those who would like a buffet meal and have any special dietary requirements or allergies, please inform the KMDC Office at: Kentmedwaydeathcafe@gmail.com, by 2 October 2026.
The Catering Team will do our best to accommodate this.
We are happy to have a chat with those who would like to attend but are not able to make the full level of payment towards the buffet meal. Alternatively, if you feel inspired to support us through ‘pay it forward’ or make a higher donation then you most welcome to do so. Any funds are gratefully received.
Please note that any donations made are non-refundable.
The online details to make payment to our KMDC Business bank account are:
Sort code: 30-99-50
A/C number: 14893563
Reference when making payment: KMDCCONF26
STALL HOLDERS
There is also an opportunity to have a stall for your organisation at the event at £12.50. If you are interested in having a stand, please complete the stall holder booking link, below:
Stall holder link: https://forms.gle/1YahAf5c7DBTfHB4A
LIVE STREAMING OF EVENT
For all our Facebook members and those outside Kent, there is the opportunity to watch the Conference online, where it will be live-streamed. Please join the KMDC Facebook Page before the event to ensure you can watch the event live on the day.
Our website to read more about the work of KMDC is: kentmedwaydeathcafe.co.uk)
If you are interested in joining our what’s app group, then the link to join us is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/L0lS1PfNxoL5XTj7YQUKjY?mode=gi_t
Shila Jassal, Host for Kent and Medway Death Cafe Conference 2026
Shila Jassal is the Founder and CEO of the Kent and Medway Death Café (KMDC) and CEO of Let’s Get Chatty. A multi-award-winning community leader, she has launched and led numerous initiatives that promote emotional well-being and meaningful social connection.
Shila is a quali ed therapist specialising in bereavement support, as well as a death doula, life coach, hypnotherapist, spiritual healer, and complementary therapist. With extensive experience in personal growth and development, she has supported thousands of clients in enhancing their emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. She also serves as a second responder during major incidents, providing compassionate support to the bereaved.
Beyond her therapeutic work, Shila is a recognised consultant in equality, diversity, and inclusion across the statutory and private sectors. She currently leads on well-being within her organisation and has pioneered the development of well-being podcasts within the Civil Service.
Shila is proud to be hosting the third KMDC Conference, continuing her commitment to bringing professionals and the public together to foster compassionate conversations around death, loss, grief and dying.
Holly Lyon-Hawk, Speaker, Holistic Funeral Director and End of Life Practitioner
Hello, I am a multi-award winning holistic funeral director as well as an end of life practitioner for both people and pets and author of A Gentle Goodbye with Cinnamon the Rabbit, a book for all to help through the difficult time of losing a pet.
I co-founded Gentle Endings Ltd, a company that offers many alternative and eco-friendly ways to say goodbye, which includes; www.gentleendings.co.uk and Gentle Endings Natural Burials.
I also co-founded Stag Cremations, a holistic approach to those who choose a direct cremation, ensuring both the bereaved family and the person who has died receives the best support and care possible.
I live in the beautiful Kent countryside with our young and energetic Border Collie Shepherd and my darling, son. I am passionate about supporting families with love and kindness. I believe strongly that families should be given all the options available to them to empower them to be able to choose what is right for them and their family, whatever that may look like. With love, Holly.
Louisa Terry, Heart of Kent Hospice, Head of Training and Education
I have worked at Heart of Kent Hospice since October 2019, initially as a registered nurse on the inpatient unit. I moved into education in March 2022 as a Practice development nurse where I supported clinical colleagues with learning and development as well as delivering external training to healthcare professionals and workers in Kent and Medway. In February 2023, I became Head of Training and Education.
Working in education, I am able to combine my two professional passions: palliative and end of life care and teaching. My vision for palliative care education in our community is that, through our teaching, everyone approaching the end of life receives an excellent standard of care, regardless of where they choose to be cared for, whether at home, in a care home, or in a hospice.
Lisa Summers, Heart of Kent Hospice, Practice Development Nurse
I have worked at the Heart of Kent Hospice for the past 16 years. I started as a Registered Nurse on our Inpatient Unit, and in May 2023 I became part of the Training and Development Team. Much of my current role is focused on developing best practice with our hospice colleagues and volunteers which plays to my strengths given the wealth of experience I have working within the hospice.
Moving over to the Training and Development Team has given me the opportunity share my skills and expertise with other Health Care Professionals, both internal and external while enabling me the opportunity to carry out training and personal research to further develop my own knowledge of best practices. My passion lies in delivering holistic, person-centred care that recognises each patient as a unique individual. I am committed to promoting nursing and care that supports, empowers, and values both the person and their loved ones, ensuring their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs are met throughout their journey.
Bill Lewis, Poet
Bill Lewis is a poet, storyteller and mythographer. He has travelled extensively, giving readings and performances in England, Europe, North America and South America. He has also taught classes in writing, film appreciation, and “Myth, Magic and Spirituality” in Adult Education Centres, Schools, Prisons and Universities.
He has appeared on television in England, (BBC and ITV), and at English literary festivals and has read his work on the radio in England, Central America and the United States.
He is a founding member of The Medway Poets Group. His poems have been published in various journals, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror volumes, and the Green Man and Other Tales from the Mythic Forest, edited by Neil Gaiman.
In 2025, his poetry was translated into Spanish, and a bilingual edition was published. He gave a reading tour of six cities in Spain.
In 2026, he edited the poetry anthology “Beyond The Acorn Door”, which contains work by 44 poets from 17 countries. His latest collection of poetry “Updating” was launched this year.
In addition to his writing, he is also a visual artist and was a founder member of the International Stuckists Art Movement. Currently, Bill lives in the town of Gillingham, Kent, where he is committed to bringing poetry and art to people from all walks of life. To learn more about Bill, visit his Wikipedia page (Bill Lewis – Artist).
Rosalyn Yates, Speaker for Wisdom Hospice on palliative care – Molly’s Hub
Rosalyn (aka Roz) Yates is a qualified nurse and has had a varied career, previously working in neonatal and adult intensive care, HM Prison Service, and addiction services. She has a post-graduate Diploma in Forensic Mental Health and a Diploma in Bereavement Counselling, specialising in HIV/AIDS. She joined the Wisdom Hospice as a Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist from 2002-11, completing her Masters modules in Palliative Care Studies during this time. After a brief spell working in child and adult safeguarding, Roz joined the Kent Oncology Centre in 2014 as an Acute Oncology Nurse Specialist, eventually becoming the Lead Matron for Cancer and Haematology. Roz returned to the Wisdom Hospice in 2023, as Clinical Lead for the service.
Her interests within the palliative care field are supporting patient choice and improving wellbeing for staff, and her current goal is to re-open the Wellbeing and Therapy Day Centre.
In her spare time she is a funeral celebrant, a keen hiker, and rides a classic Vespa scooter.
Kelly Chubb, Speaker for Wisdom Hospice on palliative care – Molly’s Hub
Kelly began her career as a Speech and Language Therapist after completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Greenwich in 2012. She has worked across acute and community settings in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, and Margate, joining Medway Community Healthcare in 2018 as part of the Community Speech and Language Therapy Team.
Throughout her career, Kelly has supported people one to one, living with a range of neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease (MND), stroke, and stammering. She established a Parkinson’s Disease Volume Group at the Walter Brice Centre to help patients maintain and practise speech exercises. She later led the MND caseload within the SLT team, supporting communication, swallowing difficulties, and the use of communication aids.
In 2023, Kelly took on a pioneering joint role between Medway Community Healthcare and the Motor Neurone Disease Association as MND Coordinator for Medway and Swale, based at the Wisdom Hospice. In this role, she supports people living with MND and their families, working closely with hospice and community services, as well as the specialist care centre at King’s College Hospital. She also coordinates the local MNDA support group and manages multidisciplinary team meetings to ensure joined-up, person-centred care.
Alongside her role as MND Coordinator, Kelly has led the way in the relaunch of Molly’s Hub, the hospice’s wellbeing and therapy centre. The centre provides educational, holistic, and therapeutic support for people living with life-limiting illnesses across Medway and Swale. Kelly manages both the Therapy and Wellbeing teams, championing a holistic and therapeutic approach to palliative care. She is passionate about the benefits of early intervention and believes that everyone with a life-limiting illness deserves the opportunity to live well and maintain the best possible quality of life.
Outside of work, Kelly is a busy mother of three. In her spare time, she holds a 5th Dan Black Belt in Kickboxing and previously competed at a high level. She enjoys exploring in her camper van and spending as much time outdoors as possible.
Ella Rich, Singer
Ella Rich is an aspiring singer and performer, who will begin her training in Musical Theatre at ArtsEd in London in Sept 26. She hopes in the future to pursue this as a career.
Ella’s talents as a performer were recognised early on. In July 2025 she made her Hillview production debut in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and has been a finalist for Musical Theatre Soloist of the Year at the National Dance School Awards. Ella adores performing and is proud to share her love and passion with everyone. She is thrilled to be asked to perform at the KMDC Conference this year.
Holly Johns, Singer
Holly Johns is an up and coming singer and performer and is shortly about to start her training in Drama at North Kent College, aspiring to one day turn her passion for performing into a career.
Her precious performances have included Pugsley Addams in The Addams Family and Violet Beauregard in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Holly last performed at the LGC Christmas Social Event 2025, and is honoured to return for another performance at the KMDC Conference 2026.
Chalotte Ansell, Poet
Charlotte is a poet and creative writing facilitator who lives by the estuary near Rochester, Kent. She has four poetry collections published by Flipped Eye; You were for the poem (2002), After Rain (2008) Deluge which was a 2019 Poetry Book Society Winter recommendation. and Amittere (2025)
She was a recipient of an RSL – Literature Matters Award in 2020 and her poems have appeared in print publications that include Poetry Review, Mslexia, Prole, Spelt and Butcher’s Dog, and online e.g. @ IAMB, Ink Sweat and Tears, Proletarian Poetry, and Black Nore Review. She also appears in several anthologies, including the Sheffield Anthology in 2012, These are the Hands- poems from the heart of the NHS in 2020, Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different- Poems from Malika’s Poetry Kitchen in 2021 and Live Canon Anthology 2022. In 2015 she won the Red Shed Open Poetry Competition and was a finalist in the BBC Write Science competition, and in 2016, she won the Watermarks poetry competition in aid of flood victims in the Calder Valley.
Charlotte was commended in the Winchester Poetry Prize in 2024 and in 2025 she placed 5th in the Saolta Arts Poems for Patience competition, came 1st in the Curae Poetry Prize for unpaid carers and was shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize. Charlotte founded and co-runs Common Ground, a local poetry collective.
Charlotte’s poetry over the last year has been focused on loss and grief following the death of her husband to prostate cancer in March 2026.
(Colour bio picture taken by Michi Masumi).
Jennie Steer, Speaker for Demelza Children’s Hospice
I’m Jennie and I’ve spent over 20 years working in the charitable sector, with the last 15 dedicated to hospice care across both children’s and adult services. I currently work in the family support team at Demelza and I’m also a trained counsellor specialising in bereavement and living loss. Earlier this year, I co‑led The Art of Belonging project in Medway, creating safe, reflective spaces for remembrance and connection. The project culminated in a beautiful exhibition for Dying Matters Awareness Week, bringing community voices together around grief, memory and belonging.
In a world where the death of a child goes against the natural order, I’m passionate about creating safe, connected spaces for families navigating the unimaginable. Supporting people through child loss isn’t just part of my work, it’s something I care about deeply.
Priti Joshi, Speaker
Born in Mumbai in India, I migrated to UK after my marriage to my now husband and am mum to 2 adult children, both successful practitioners in the fields of law and medicine. I have completed an undergraduate degree from the OU in psychology due to my interest in Autism and secured a full scholarship to complete masters in social work, a profession that is a more a vocation, aligned so well with my own personal values and ethics.
I have worked across all areas of children’s social work, but my time in palliative care has been the most defining period of my career, shaping me professionally, personally, and socially.
Alongside my statutory work, I have held a variety of leadership roles within the voluntary sector, advocating for equitable access to services, championing the voices of children and families, upholding rights, and promoting lives of dignity and inclusion.
I am currently a Lead Social Worker within Perinatal Mental Health Services, where I provide professional leadership and support the development of high-quality, evidence-based social work practice. Throughout my career, I have remained committed to person-centred, compassionate care and to ensuring that individuals and families are heard, valued, and empowered during some of the most challenging times in their lives.
I most enjoy time with my two Labrador retriever dogs and having recently rekindled my love for hiking. I completed one trek in the Himalayas and am aspiring to pursue this interest further.
Udaya Panchagnula, Dance performer
Udaya is a spiritual bhajan singer and performer with Medway Hindu Parivar and has performed at various Satsangs in Bedfordshire and in Kent such as Kent Hindu Parivar.
She is honoured to be asked to perform a Hindu dance around loss at the KMDC Conference.
Shyamala Holloway, Dance performer
Shyamala Holloway has always had an interest in music and the Performing Arts. From childhood ballet to adult flamenco, she has spent a lifetime speaking through movement. She is also a member of the Medway Can Sing Community Choir.
Shyamala is looking forward to the opportunity to perform at the KMDC Conference, to translate emotion into motion through a Hindu fusion dance exploring loss and healing.
Tamara Watters, Speaker
I am a psychotherapist and supervisor with 30 years experience. I have run a bereavement counselling service in Kent and Canterbury hospital many years ago. I am qualified for Family Constellation therapy. For the last 10 years I have been learning Maya healing under an indigenous Curandera in Mexico. My passions are healing, nature, and creativity.
Adela Austin, Holistic Psychotherapist and Counsellor based in Rochester.
I am fortune to have worked as a therapist for over 45 years and a therapy supervisor for over 30 years. I love my work, and continue to find it very fulfilling, knowing I am able to contribute in helping people heal and feel better about themselves and their lives.
As well as people benefiting from our work together, I also find I learn a lot from those with whom I work. Not only does this enrich my own life, but it also benefits those people I meet with for therapy and supervision.
At the same time as helping others facilitate their healing journey, I am also continuously working on my own personal growth. I am particularly interested in discovering and developing simple, effective, compassionate ways that people can use to help heal themselves.
It will be my honour to close this year’s KMDC Conference, where I will be capturing the experiences of the day, and guiding you through a healing relaxation journey. This will enable you to feel more at ease and peaceful as we prepare to leave, and will be a positive and nurturing way to bring this enriching Conference to a close for another year.
A FINAL WORD FROM SHILA
I very much look forward to seeing you at the Conference. It will be a valuable opportunity to connect with beneficiaries, stakeholders and supporters of the Service, and celebrate all that we have achieved over the past 4 years.
The event promises to be another special, inspiring and illuminating day.
Warmest regards
Shila Jassal
Founder and CEO of Kent and Medway Death Cafe