Sunflower Project joins Dying Matters Week

BELOVED people and pets are being honoured at Candie Gardens for Dying Matters Week.

Standing in front of the installation for Dying Matters Week outside the Guernsey Museum at Candie are, left to right, Jo Dowding, the museum’s access and learning manager, Denise Ozanne, Sunflower Project bereavement worker, and bereavement support worker Mair Skillett. (Picture by Emily Hubert, 29540015)

Until Sunday a temporary installation is on the terrace to which ribbons can be tied on two sides to remember loved ones.

This year is the Sunflower Project’s first time being involved, so images drawn by bereaved children with signposting to helpful services are on the other sides of the installation.

Lottie Barnes, Health & Social Care arts, culture and health manager, steers the Dying Matters Week events locally.

‘We talk regularly and decided it would be good to install it here,’ said Jo Dowding, the museum’s learning and access manager. ‘It was installed on Friday, so people were coming in over the weekend. There has been a lot of interaction.’

Throughout the year, a Dying Matters trail has been at the museum to normalise it, looking at death, resurrection, Iron Age burials and Damien Hirst’s butterflies and chrysalis stages.

‘Sometimes history can play a really important role in helping people process death, to know that it’s all happened before. It can be comforting to know that death is a very natural part of life,’ said Mrs Dowding.

Themed as Remembering Those We Love, an aim is to speak openly without stigma to benefit grieving processes, especially during the pandemic when usual collective mourning rituals have been impacted.

Sunflower Project bereavement worker Denise Ozanne said that previously Dying Matters was marked in its own sessions, so it was lovely to be part of it.

‘Dying Matters Week aims to make it acceptable to talk about someone who has died,’ she said.

‘It’s meant to be for anyone, not specifically for children. It is lovely to have those moments of remembrance by tying a ribbon.’

Sessions are arranged through the Sunflower Project for children who have lost a parent. By listening to what the child wants, they are supported through events such as Mother’s or Father’s Day.

Including pets was seen as positive.

‘With pets, they are often children’s best friends, and are who they confide in.’

Getting conversations going is another aim of the week.

.Visit dyingmatters.org/AwarenessWeek for more information.