Dying Matters Week: Why talking about death now could make all the difference later

Members of the Northern Trust’s Palliative Care and Learning Disability Working Group pictured at an event to mark the launch of the bereavement information for adults with a learning disability.

Talking about death remains one of life’s most avoided conversations—but a major regional campaign this week is aiming to change that, with new support, resources, and community events rolled out across the Northern Trust area to help people face it with greater confidence and compassion.

Dying Matters Week, running from May 5 to 11, is being marked locally by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust through a coordinated programme designed to break down stigma, encourage open discussion, and ensure people know they are not alone when dealing with death, grief, or bereavement.

Campaign aims to open difficult conversations

Led nationally by Hospice UK, Dying Matters Week focuses on making conversations about death and dying more normal and less feared.

Locally, the Northern Trust is working in partnership with Compassionate Communities NI and Libraries NI to bring that message directly into communities.

A series of events will take place in libraries across the region, offering safe and supportive spaces for people to begin conversations that many find difficult to start.

Libraries take centre stage in community support

As part of the initiative, Coleraine Library will officially become a ‘Death Positive Library’, joining others in Cookstown, Magherafelt, Draperstown, and the Northern Regional College campuses in Ballymena and Newtownabbey.

These libraries will offer dedicated collections of books and resources focused on death, dying, and bereavement, helping individuals and families access information in a familiar and accessible setting.

Tracey Stewart, Anne O’Hagan, Kerrie McLaughlin and Fiona Gilmour from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust pictured with Donna Breslin from Macmillan Cancer Support.

Sharon Williams, Project Manager at Compassionate Communities NI, said the initiative is about removing fear and empowering communities.

“We know that talking about death doesn’t make it happen sooner, but it does make it easier to deal with when the time comes,” she said.

“We are providing resources for Coleraine Library, to help people in our community start those difficult but essential conversations. There are now 15 Death Positive Libraries in Northern Ireland. Our ambition is that every library, and therefore every community, has access to these important resources.”

New resources tailored to real-life challenges

Alongside the library programme, the Northern Trust has developed a suite of new booklets designed to support people facing different aspects of death and bereavement.

These resources focus on three key areas: supporting people with learning disabilities, helping children and young people process grief, and guiding families through the final days of a loved one’s life.

Alison Craig, Northern Trust Macmillan Palliative Care Service Improvement Facilitator, said the goal is to make these conversations more accessible and less overwhelming.

“Like many things in life, open and honest communication can have a positive impact, but it can be difficult to know where to start,” she said.

“During Dying Matters Week, we want to encourage timely and meaningful conversations, while reassuring people that they don’t have to face these discussions alone.

“Our Death Positive Libraries have been very well received, and we also have a range of excellent resources tailored to meet different people’s needs. The resources have been chosen to help people talk, listen, and plan with confidence and compassion.”

Supporting those often left out of the conversation

One of the new resources, ‘When Someone Dies’, is specifically designed for people with learning disabilities—an area where conversations about death are often avoided altogether.

Developed by the Northern Trust’s Specialist Palliative Care and Learning Disability Working Group, the toolkit uses accessible language and imagery to help individuals understand and process bereavement, while also supporting carers, staff, and families in having open discussions.

Helping families guide children through grief

Another booklet, ‘Supporting Children and Young People Through Grief and Bereavement’, offers practical guidance for parents and carers navigating difficult conversations with children.

It explains how understanding of death varies by age, provides advice on discussing loss, and helps families support children through key moments such as attending funerals or saying goodbye. It also includes ideas for memory-making and signposts further support services.

Clear guidance for life’s final moments

A third resource, ‘What to Expect When Someone Is in Their Last Days and Hours’, offers families clear, practical information about the physical and emotional changes that can occur when a loved one is nearing death.

Developed jointly by professionals from the Northern and Belfast Trusts, the booklet aims to reduce uncertainty and distress by helping families understand what is happening, how they can help, and when to seek additional support.

Community drop-in sessions offer direct support

As part of the week’s events, Connect North will host free drop-in sessions aimed at linking people with local services and support networks.

These will take place on Tuesday 5 May at Larne Library from 10am to 12 noon, and at Rathcoole Library from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

The sessions are open to anyone seeking practical, emotional, or social support, or simply looking to find out more about what is available in their community.

All resources developed for Dying Matters Week, along with additional support materials, are available through Compassionate Communities NI, Bereaved NI, and the Northern Trust website.

With conversations about death often delayed until crisis point, organisers hope this week will prompt earlier, more open discussions—helping people across the Northern Trust area feel better prepared, better supported, and less alone when it matters most.

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At a glance

• Dying Matters Week runs from May 5–11 across the Northern Trust area

• Campaign aims to break stigma around death, grief, and bereavement

• Coleraine Library becomes a new ‘Death Positive Library’

• Total of 15 Death Positive Libraries now operating across Northern Ireland

• New resources launched for learning disabilities, children, and end-of-life care

• Free drop-in sessions at Larne and Rathcoole libraries on May 5

• Events delivered in partnership with Compassionate Communities NI and Libraries NI

• Support materials available online via Northern Trust and partner organisations