Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice helps break the silence during Dying Matters Week

As part of Dying Matters Awareness Week 2025, the team at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice were out across Leeds last week, encouraging people to have open, honest conversations about death, dying, and bereavement.

- By Jo Fairburn Contributor

This year’s theme, The Culture of Dying Matters, saw hundreds of powerful conversations take place at Sue Ryder’s information point at St John’s Centre, Leeds on Wednesday 7 May and at the Dying Matters Festival hosted at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) on Thursday, May 8.

“Dying Matters Week has been a really humbling experience,” said Hannah McGougan, Community Engagement Coordinator at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice. “Around half of those we met had open conversations with us. Others were more reserved but even taking a leaflet or sharing a few words is a valuable first step in normalising these vital discussions. For many, acknowledging death at all can be a powerful moment.”