Past Events

Dear, All,

I am excited to now release the programme for the Medway Death Cafe Conference taking place on 5 October 2024 from 9am-5pm in McLeods Restaurant, Mid- Kent College, Gillingham.

MEDWAY DEATH CAFE CONFERENCE 2024- PROGRAMME OF DAY

08:45-09:10am- Arrival- registration and refreshments.

There will be the opportunity before the event starts to browse all our amazing stands!

09:10am-09:20am– Welcome by Shila Jassal, Co-ordinator and Founder of Let’s Get Chatty, Medway Death Cafe

09:20am-09:40am– Holly Lyon- Hawk – speaking on Sacred Care of the Body with some Q and A.

09:40am-10:00am- Maria Therese Williams – poet- reading a selection of her own poems on death and mortality.

10:00am- 10:50am- Adela Austin – open floor discussion on Assisted Dying. The focus of the workshop is to openly explore the topic of euthanasia. The session will conclude with a guided journey for increased well-being.

10:50am-11:20am- Holly  Lyon Hawk – speaking on natural burials and direct cremations with some Q and A.

11:20am- 11:40pm– Refreshment break and chance to browse the stands

11:40am- 11:50am- Claudia Miller– Expressive and sacred Tao dance on creating a connection between this life and the next.

11:50am– 12:30pm– Sadie Watts- musical performer singing nostalgic songs on the theme of Death and Loss

12:30pm-12:50pm- Claudia Miller– Sound Bath before lunch.

12:50pm- 2:00pm- Lunch. Over the lunchtime period there will be the opportunity to mingle and relax and browse the stands.

2:00pm-2:20pm- Maria Therese Williams– reading a selection of her own poetry

2:20pm- 3:25pm- James- Baskerville– workshop on Facing our Mortality. The focus of the workshop is to help us embrace each moment of life with grace and appreciation.

3:25pm – 3:45pm- Teabreak

3:45pm- 4:30pm- David Ditchfield – speaking about his near death experience and what it has taught him about life with some Q and A.

4:30pm- 4:50pm- Susan Wilkinson – mindfulness wind down session

4:50pm- 5:00pm– Thanks from Shila and closing remarks.

Close of event

HOLLY LYON-HAWK- HOLISTIC FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND END OF LIFE PRACTITONER

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 to include; www.gentleendingscremations.co.uk, www.gentleendingsfunerals.co.uk and Gentle Endings Natural Burials.

I also co-founded www.stagcremations.co.uk , 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.

MARIA THERESE WILLIAMS – POET

Maria is an insightful poet, who has a talent for creating enticing narratives. The poetic sharing of her innermost thoughts and observations on life engage the mind of her readers. Bittersweet reflective monologues resonate with feelers and thinkers. Her emotive writing voice reveals humanity and kindness as well as the reality of passionate aversion to certain aspects of society. Her careful observations are relatable and meditative.

ADELA AUSTIN- PSYCHOTHERAPIST, COUNSELLOR AND THERAPY SUPERVISOR

I am fortunate to have worked as a therapist for over forty years and a therapy supervisor for over 30 and this work continues to enrich my life. During these years I have worked with thousands of people who have had concerns relating to death, dying, bereavement and loss, many of whom I have learned a great deal from.

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 developing simple, effective ways that people can use to help themselves. I also use these self help techniques in my own life and gain a lot of joy in sharing them with others. One of the things that particularly inspires me is Compassionate Self Talk (CST) which I will be sharing more about during my talk at the Medway Death Conference.

SADIE WATTS- MUSICAL PERFORMER

Sadie Watts is a professional singer who regularly performs at various events. Music, as well having a strong faith has enabled her get through many challenging life experiences that she has faced. This has also inspired her to write her own songs.

Sadie enjoys encouraging others through song and scripture and is looking forward to performing at the MDC Conference 2024.

CLAUDIA MILLER

Claudia Miller is a healer and spiritual channel, and a Sound Healing Practitioner for animals and humans, with over 12 years experience. She has studied with Master Sha and the Tao Academy, and as well as her spiritual work, where she offers one to one and group sessions, is also currently supporting people with mental health issues.

JAMES BASKERVILLE- BUDDHIST TEACHER AND CHAPLAIN

James Baskerville is the principal teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre, Kent. In this capacity he also performs the role of Buddhist Chaplain at a number of hospices and hospitals, where he has gained extensive experience working in end of life care. This predominantly involves supporting people to overcome their fear of death and instead face it with understanding and acceptance. James also leads regular retreats sharing traditional meditation practices of mindfulness of death and mortality, as a method to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

DAVID DITCHFIELD- AUTHOR, ARTIST, MUSIC COMPOSERS AND NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCER

David Ditchfield is an artist, composer and author of ‘Shine On’. In 2006, he had a horrific train accident in Cambridge (UK), when he was pulled under the wheels of a speeding train. This terrible accident nearly claimed his life but he has a profound spiritual experience filled with love, radiant light, and spiritual beings just before surgery. This near-death experience (NDE) awakened his hidden talents for music. His musical journey is remarkable. He continues to create classical works, currently working on a new symphony. David’s artistic endeavours are no less remarkable.  A few months ago, his extraordinary story reached a global audience when the BBC World Service aired a documentary about his journey titled, ‘My Journey Beyond Death.’ David’s journey symbolises the resilience of the human spirit and the boundless potential within all of us. He continues to paint and compose in Cambridge, UK.

David’s Website: https://www.shineonthestory.com

SUSAN WILKINSON- MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

My name is Susan Wilkinson Cox, originally from Preston Lancashire, I am now based in Rochester, Kent, UK. I am the proud mother of three beautiful, independent girls.

I have moved away from my background in corporate business – organising events world-wide to focus on the spiritual side of life.

I re-educated myself and now I’m doing the work that was intended for me to do in this life time.

As a result, I have many modalities in my repertoire:

– Mindfulness Meditation Teacher,

– Reiki,

– EFT & Matrix Reimprinting- Advanced and Teacher,

Spiritual and Holistic  Practitioner/Counsellor, Clinical Hypnotherapist

– Natural Psychic Medium

– Soul Plan Reader

In all I do, I work with the feeling body. I offer my services locally, nationally and internationally. I help people to reconnect with themselves, helping them to heal from past traumas and trapped pain, so that they can see things in the reality of how they are, make better choices moving forward, and live a happier and healthier life.

I also offer workshops, groups and training, always working to empower and support positive change in others. I am a catalyst for others.

MEDWAY DEATH CAFE CONFERENCE ON 7 OCTOBER 2023

Thank you to those who have booked your place for the first ever Medway Death Cafe Conference on 7 October 2023! This will now take place in McLeods Restaurant at Mid-Kent College, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1FN. A big thank you to Mid-Kent College for hosting us.

The Conference will be an opportunity to discuss the subject of death, dying and loss in a safe environment, and hear from experts on these topics. It will also be an opportunity to share experiences, to offer diverse perspectives; to broaden understanding and to learn from each other.

We are delighted that you will be joining us. Here are a few things for you to be aware of on the day:

ARRIVAL TIME: 8:45-9:10am for registration and refreshments. There will also be a chance to relax and mingle before the event begins
We will start the Programme promptly at 9:10am

THE EVENT WILL ALSO BE LIVE STREAMED on our Medway Death Cafe Facebook page.
If you are intending to join online, please ensure you have joined our Facebook Group prior to the day of the Conference

PROGRAMME OF DAY:

08:45-09:10am- Arrival- registration and refreshments. There will be the opportunity before the event starts to browse the stands

09:10am-09:20am- Welcome by Shila Jassal, Co-ordinator and Founder of Let’s Get Chatty, Medway Death Cafe

09:20am-09:40am- Will Stepto- Funeral Director from W Naylar and Sons Funeral Directors- speaking on ‘The funeral process from registration to ceremony’

09:40am-10:00am- Andrea Button, Funeral Director from Button and Family Funeral Services, speaking on the role of the Undertaker

10:00am- 10:20am- Sarah McGuire from Patron Wills- speaking on Making a Will and Lasting Power of Attorney

10:20am-10:35am- Sam Rapp- the dyslexic poet- reading a selection of her own poems

10:35am- 11:00am- Refreshment break and chance to browse the stands

11:00am- 11:10am- Expressive dance on death and loss from Roserene Performing Arts

11:10am- 11:45pm- Grace Carroll- musical performer from Roserene Performing Arts,
singing nostalgic songs on the theme of Death and Loss

11:45pm-12:15pm- Susan Wilkinson- Body awareness and mindfulness practice before lunch.

12:15pm- 1:35pm- Lunch. Over the lunchtime period there will be the opportunity to mingle and relax.

1:35pm-1:45pm- Sam Rapp- the dyslexic poet- reading a selection of her own poems.

1:45pm-15:15pm- Adela Austin- workshop on Befriending Death, Befriending Ourselves. The focus of the workshop is to help us become more comfortable when we think about the eventual death of our physical bodies, and to discover ways of developing greater peace of mind.

15:15-15:40pm- Teabreak

15:40pm- 16:15pm- Grace Carroll- Pt 2- musical performer from Roserene Performing Arts, singing nostalgic songs on the theme of Death and Loss

16:15pm- 16:35pm- Nikki Price- photographer- speaking on creativity in the home after the death of a friend or family member

16:35pm-16:50pm- Susan Wilkinson- wind down and relaxation session

16:50pm- 17:00pm- Thanks from Shila and closing remarks

17:00pm- Close of event

DIRECTIONS TO VENUE:
For those coming by car to the event there is ample parking at the venue. Parking is free.

Link to venue below.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mid+kent+college,+gillingham&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

The 116 bus from Chatham bus station also takes you directly to the venue.

LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS
We will provide hot and cold refreshments and snacks throughout the day, including sandwiches. You may prefer to bring your own packed lunch as we will not be able to cater for all dietary needs. Alternatively, you may wish to get lunch from some local shops nearby.

To support the cost of free refreshments and light snacks during the event, we are always grateful for any donations that are received, including snacks that you may wish to donate on the day.

Thank you to Will Stepto from W Naylar and Son Funeral Directors for financially sponsoring us with some snacks on the day.

For those who may also wish to make a donation, then the online banking details are as below:

Halifax Bank
Account number: 10982168
Sort code: 11-13-52

Reference when making payment:
MDC CONF 2023
There are still a few days left to to book for the Conference. If you are interested in attending, and to book your place, please let the MDC office know no later than the deadline of 1 October 2023 on deathcafemedway@ gmail.com.

We look forward to your attendance at the event which promises to be a special and enriching day.

Any questions, please get in touch with the MDC Office on deathcafemedway@gmail.com, or ring us on 07902 606927

See you soon.
Warmest regards
Shila Jassal
Co-ordinator and Founder of Medway Death Cafe
www.medwaydeathcafe.org.uk

BACKGROUND ON SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS

I started in the funeral industry back in 2010 after leaving the world of motor insurance.

I began my funeral industry career as a basic Arranger working for Dignity Funerals in South East London. I was hired as a Mobile Funeral Arranger and I was tasked with covering all 47 funeral homes within the South London area, from Staines to Dartford and everything in between but because of where I lived, and my thick skin, Ispent an awful lot of time in Brixton and Camberwell. They were very high maintenance and busy areas. After getting established within the area, I began to expand my knowledge within the industry and have spent the last 13+ years working my way up from a basic Funeral Service Arranger in South East London, to Preneed Specialist, Memorial Consultant, Repatriation Specialist and then Funeral Director. Since November of last year, I have been the Business Leader for our Medway community consisting of our A H Apps, Thomas Fowles, and W Naylar Funeral Homes respectively.

During my time in South London, I have also had the pleasure of being a part of the Death Café Seminar Program, working alongside local units such as: St Christopher’s Hospice, Trinity Hospice, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer support, and in doing so, have hopefully had an impact in helping local families with death matters.

My time in the industry, and with Dignity Funerals in particular, has given me a far broader understanding of the industry as a whole, and having experiences both in the capital and in the North Kent area, has also given me greater scope to feel confident in the advice I can give, the support we have at our disposal and the surety in the quality of care, both my team and myself can provide whenever needed.

ANDREA BUTTON, FUNERAL DIRECTOR FROM BUTTON AND FAMILY FUNERAL SERVICES

I am a licensed and qualified Funeral Director and have been working within the funeral sector for approximately 30 years. The start of my funeral career began in a mid- sized business then moved to my own family business in 2005.

Button and Family Funeral Services is based in Chatham.

SARAH MCGUIRE FROM PATRON WILLS

For many years I managed sheltered housing schemes for people over 55. I saw the things people worry about as they get older, such as loss of independence and control over their life, being taken advantage of, making sure loved ones are happy and provided for, and making sure their own wishes are known and followed. This led me into setting up my own business, Patron Wills, writing wills and powers of attorney so they could address and resolve those concerns. I believe it should be an enjoyable experience. In fact, I’m known for my catchphrase “putting the fun back into dying!”

SAM RAPP- THE DYSLEXIC POET

Sam Rapp (The Dyslexic poet) is a neuro-diverse writer, who raises awareness about being Dyscalculia, Dyspraxic, Dyslexic. Sam is a poet, playwright, a short story writer, inspirational speaker, editor, producer, part time lawyer. She is Co-Chair of the Disability Staff Network, Co- Co-ordinator for Neuro Arts On Tour, and she supports Medway Library as part of her role for Creative Medway for the Circle of Six Project, which is about six amazing women from Gillingham.

Sam is also an Ambassador for Medway Disability Action, Co-Chair of Medway Champions for Creative People (Creative Medway), and with her company Fun with Words, conducts creative writing workshops for all abilities as a creative writing teacher.

She has appeared on radio and is published in various anthologies, magazines and has her own publication ‘Rainbows in a Jar’, a project about the NHS. Sam took her one woman show (The Amazing Dyslexic Poetry Show) to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2019 and has had one of her plays about WW1 performed in the UK and on TV in Gibraltar. She was selected as a judge for Medway Council Poet- Tree Competition.

Sam’s book, “Rant, Dyslexic me”, is a collection of some of her poems about being dyslexic, she is writing her second collection, which is a thriller and play.

GRACE CARROLL – MUSICAL PERFORMER FROM ROSERENE PERFORMING ARTS

SUSAN WILKINSON- MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

My name is Susan Wilkinson Cox, originally from Preston Lancashire, I am now based in Rochester, Kent, UK. I am the proud mother of three beautiful, independent girls.

I have moved away from my background in corporate business – organizing events world-wide to focus on the spiritual side of life.

I re-educated myself and now I’m doing the work that was intended for me to do in this lifetime.

As a result, I have many modalities in my repertoire:
– Mindfulness Meditation Teacher,
– Reiki,
– EFT & Matrix Reimprinting- Advanced and Teacher,
Spiritual and Holistic Practitioner/Counsellor, Clinical Hypnotherapist
– Natural Psychic Medium
– Soul Plan Reader

In all I do, I work with the feeling body. I offer my services locally, nationally and internationally.

I help people to reconnect with themselves, helping them to heal from past traumas and trapped pain, so that they can see things in the reality of how they are, make better choices moving forward, and live a happier and healthier life.

I also offer workshops, groups and training, always working to empower and support positive change in others. I am a catalyst for others.

ADELA AUSTIN- PSYCHOTHERAPIST, COUNSELLOR AND THERAPY SUPERVISOR

I have always had a strong desire to help others as well as myself, find ways of healing our emotional pain and suffering, and develop greater well-being. This has resulted in my undertaking a wide range of professional training for my therapeutic work.

My work as a psychotherapist, counsellor and therapy supervisor, has included many years of working with people with concerns relating to death, dying and grief.

It has been my personal story however, which placed me on the path of the wounded healer, that I believe has been my major teacher.

Due to having had a traumatic childhood, I have spent a great deal of my life trying to find ways of healing my own emotional pain and difficulties.

I now feel very fortunate to experience contentment within myself and in my life, and I am able to appreciate the many gifts my life has given me. I am grateful for how much my own difficult experiences and consequent journey of healing has not only benefitted me but has also helped me so much to help many other people.

The focus of my workshop Befriending Death, Befriending Ourselves, is to help us become comfortable when we think about the eventual death of our physical bodies.

In the 90 minutes we will spend together, I will share with you simple and safe self-help ideas that hopefully will ease various fears that some of us may have around death and dying.

We will also explore how we can learn to develop and experience greater peace of mind, both in our everyday lives, and at the end of our life. This will include easy ways to become more mindful, and create a kinder more loving relationship with ourselves.

Much of what I will share with you will be based on my own personal experiences. This includes the knowledge and wisdom I have gained from many of the people I have met through my work as a therapist, and from others in my life.

NIKKI PRICE – PHOTOGRAPHER

Next Online Medway Death Cafe Event on 14 June, 18:45- 20:15pm via zoom.
Guest – Anna Feindel speaking on End of Life Presence and Communication

Anna Feindel is an International Speaker, Spiritual Educator and Bravery Coach. She has been a healthcare professional for over 40 years and has captivated her audiences with her vibrant and engaging presentations on accessing bravery to navigate crisis. As a spiritual educator, she accompanies patients in the dying process and offers support to their families at end of life and through bereavement. She is co-author of Caregivers of People at the End of Life: A Guide Book (2015) and upcoming author of Phoenix Ashes to Sky: Brave the Crisis, Heal the Past and Reclaim Your Soul. Anna has delivered speeches since 1982 to patients, family members, students, healthcare professionals and colleagues. She combines her education in psychology and nursing with her skills in neurolinguistic programming and compassion key spiritual techniques to guide patients and family members through the maze of issues at end of life. Anna has presented at International Palliative Care Conferences, Hospitals and Research Institutes, Spiritual Centres and Universities on selfcare and maintaining boundaries for palliative care teams, work-life balance in palliative care, bereavement and end of life communication, art as education for volunteers and staff, navigating crisis with access to bravery, spirituality with a focus on end of life and diversity issues.
 
We are honoured and blessed to have Anna Feindel as our Guest Speaker in June with her wealth of skills and experience.

Zoom link to join meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6583631109

My meeting room number, as you can see, is 6583631109

The link should not require a password to join. You should be able to get straight in. If for whatever reason you do need to put in a passcode, then it is:

Passcode: 476923

Please confirm attendance by E-mailing deathcafemedway@gmail.com

Our Guest Speaker for the MDC Online event on 12 April will be Irene Baldock. Irene is a bereaved parent and has been a volunteer for The Compassionate Friends UK for over 30 years.

For those not familiar with Compassionate Friends, it is a peer support group. A registered charity formed by and for parents whose children have died, irrespective of the child’s age at death and the cause of death, and is independent of any religious, philosophical or government body.

Irene is actively involved with Compassionate Friends in the Medway Towns, and also runs a monthly support group.

Please come along to the event to support Irene and to learn more about the work of Compassionate Friends and to discuss this important topic of death of a child.

A big thank you to Irene Baldock for being our guest speaker yesterday at the first online Medway Death Cafe event. Irene spoke very movingly about the death of her beloved son, Stephen; her grief  journey and the amazing work she is now doing to support parents affected by the death of a child through the organisation, The Compassionate Friends.

Irene, is a remarkable and inspiring person with all that she is doing to support families in this way. I am honoured she was our first Guest Speaker.

Irene is also involved in some wonderful memory quilt work. I wanted to share the beautiful quilt below that she has shared with us. One of  her group members also made 50 fabric candles to give to everyone at their Candle Lighting event last year.  Very inspiring.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event last night and shared from the heart. We had a number of people joining us from abroad and out of county. My appreciation to everyone who made the time to attend.

Recording will be avialable soon.

Here are the details about The Compassionate Friends, UK in case anyone would like more information.