The third workshop on Shining Light on Death held at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust was an opportunity for the group of 21 participants to hear from speakers about their own experiences in dealing with death and dying. These included Rev. Mike Gartland, Head of Pastoral and Spiritual Care, Elaine Brookes, a cancer survivor, and Janet Millard, a specialist palliative and end-of-life carer from Wakefield Hospice. Elaine shared a poem she wrote for a friend who died of cancer. The discussion that followed deepened participants’ understanding of the spiritual context of dying and bereavement.

The gathering broke into smaller groups to share their thoughts and then do some journaling about what they considered needed to be put in place before they died. The session ended with a visualisation on self–compassion and being compassionate when in the company of someone nearing the end of life. The workshop drew to an end with a 30 minutes meditation in the Chapel and a candle was lit in memory of departed loved ones.