Activities
The Natural Death Centre's activities include:
Acting as a consumer advice body, available by phone (0871 288 2098, 10am to 2pm, Mon-Fri), email or letter, for unbiased information, referrals and recommendations. In its role as funeral watchdog, it has published a Survey of the funeral trade. Also a Good Funeral Guide to which are the most helpful undertakers, funeral suppliers, crematoria and cemeteries (and giving awards to the best of these). Also pressing for more NHS resources to be put into the care of the dying at home, and researching recommendations to the Office of Fair Trading and others.
Organising a National Day of the Dead in the UK, modelled on the Mexican Day of the Dead, on one Sunday in April each year (on Sunday 17 April in 2005). On this day people are encouraged to light a candle at meal time for someone who has died, and to share their memories. As part of the day there is usually a co-ordinated open day at natural burial grounds around the UK, and a main London event.
Setting up The Association of Natural Burial Grounds in 1994, which monitors and offers a Code of Practice for the growing number of burial grounds where, instead of a headstone, a tree, shrub or wildflowers are planted as a memorial. There are now over 200 such natural burial grounds open and at the planning stage. For a full list of these sites, please see Chapter 6 of The Natural Death Handbook (4th edition).
Running various events, seminars and workshops intended to provide a safe setting in which people can discuss their beliefs about (and experiences of) death and dying, their ideas about funerals, etc. Christianne Heal and Josefine Speyer, psychotherapists and founders of the Centre, are prepared to run these workshops by arrangement anywhere in the UK or abroad, wherever a group can publicise them and can attract sufficient participants. Josefine also offers seminars for nurses and doctors training in palliative care.
Setting up The Befriending Network in 1994 (it is now an independent charity in its own right). This is a UK network providing trained volunteers who visit the homes of those who are critically ill. The service is established in London and Oxfordshire. Referrals can also be made to other befriending-type services nationwide. If you know of those who might need this service, or who might like to become volunteers, please contact The Befriending Network (London tel 020 7689 2443; Oxford tel 01865 316200; e: info@befriending.net; w: www.befriending.net).
Helping organise a fund-raising Poetry Challenge where adults and children recite poems they have learnt by heart for charity. See the online details of the Centre's next Challenge (the first Sunday in October annually in London and also, at various dates, in schools in the UK and overseas).
The Natural Death Centre is a sister project of the Global Ideas Bank, which processes its book orders. Both are projects of The Nicholas Albery Foundation, registered charity no. 1091396.
