Becoming a death doula
Mangala Holland is a death doula in training, having completed a foundation course with Living Well Dying Well. Having worked in the sexual wellness world for 12 years, she is no stranger to journeying with people through tender, challenging and intimate times. In our latest blog we ask her why and how she became a death doula.
Lung disease and end of life: take part in research
Nurse and PhD student, Kathy Rogers, is currently exploring the experiences of caregivers (friends and family) who looked after someone who died with a respiratory disease with the University of the West of England, Bristol. In our latest blog, she tells us why she is studying this important topic and how you can get involved in her research.
The history of death masks: faces of the departed
Throughout history, humans have longed to remember the dead—not just in spirit, but in form. Among the most haunting and intimate expressions of this desire is the death mask: a cast taken from a person’s face shortly after death. From Tutankhamun to Lenin, let’s take a look at death masks through history.
Grief Journaling
For Mental Health Awareness Week, Amy Jackson shares her personal experience and top tips for Grief Journaling.
Dying Matters Awareness Week 2025: The Culture of Dying Matters
This Dying Matters Awareness Week, from 5 – 11 May, Hospice UK is focusing on how different communities and cultures in the UK feel, talk about, and deal with death and dying – and what brings them together.
The theme of this year's campaign is: The Culture of Dying Matters.
World Art Day 2025: the depiction of death in art
Throughout the history of art, artists have utilised various mediums to explore universal human experiences. The one, inescapable human experience which has fascinated, horrified and captivated artists, is death.
Part of Life has created a list of art works that offer views on death and dying, that can help those struggling with questions around mortality, to reflect and consider the ultimate human experience.
The power of the ‘in-between’ time
Part of Life was thrilled to be invited to a special The Power of Liminal Time workshop, aimed at understanding why men are reticent to attend such workshops.
This blog is a personal journey, offering a white male perspective on the session that is in no way meant to lessen any other experiences.
Mother’s Day and grief
Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for many. There are those who are grieving for their mothers and mothers who are grieving for their children.
Coping on Mother’s Day when you have experienced a loss may seem unfathomable, but we hope that these suggestions on how to manage the day may offer some comfort.
Books for children and young people – World Book Day
We know that death and dying is a taboo topic for most adults, but this is especially the case when communicating it to children and young people. To mark World Book Day on 6 March, Part of Life guest blogger, Amy Jackson, explores some of the most popular children’s books on death, dying and grief.
Grave iconography – decoding a Victorian cemetery
If you’ve ever taken a stroll around a cemetery you may notice a cornucopia of symbolism surrounding you. Each of the symbols you find on headstones is rich in meaning, but if you’re unfamiliar with them, may need decoding. Read Anna McGrail’s blog to discover more about cemetery symbolism.
Film review – We Live in Time
Released in UK cinemas earlier this month, We Live in Time stars Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh in a romantic comedy-drama that explores love, life and loss. In her latest blog for Part of Life, Amy Jackson reviews the film, looking at the emotional themes involved and how they are portrayed and the important questions it raises about mortality and memory.
How do different religions view death and dying?
Religion and spirituality are something many people will think about when faced with mortality, whether a person has been given a terminal diagnosis, is approaching the end of their life, or has experienced a bereavement. In her latest blog for Part of Life, guest blogger Amy Jackson delves in to religious beliefs around death and dying.
Reuse of graves in the UK: sacrilegious or pragmatic?
The UK is experiencing a shortage of burial space, particularly in urban areas. The Law Commission has proposed changes to the law to allow the reuse of graves to address this issue. So what does grave reuse entail? And what are the proposed changes? And is this really a new idea at all?
Cherished Moments: How to Make Memories That Last a Lifetime
While we all know it’s important to build lasting memories with those we love, sometime it’s difficult to know how to achieve this.
For guest blogger, Rosie Buckley, this is a subject close to her heart, and here she offers some wonderful tips to help make memories you will cherish long after they have gone.
Grief support
We have pulled together a list of grief and bereavement resources that you can turn to when you need support and to find some calm and solace.
National Grief Awareness Week 2024: Six Ways to Support Someone Who is Grieving
The 2nd to 8th of December marks National Grief Awareness Week 2024. We spoke to Part of Life guest blogger, Amy Jackson, about how best to offer support to someone who is grieving.
Assisted dying in the UK: compassion or manslaughter?
As MPs voted in favour of Kim Leadbeater’s Private Member’s Bill on Assisted Dying, we delve deeper into the issues of assisted dying and explore opinions on both sides of the debate.
The Grief Self-Care Guide
To mark National Self-Care Week, we asked guest blogger, Amy Jackson, for her tips on how she took care of herself after experiencing a number of bereavements. Her Grief Self Care Guide provides simple and accessible tips to help adjust to life without loved ones and to improve wellbeing.
A Halloween Ode to Brompton Cemetery
Inspired by a Halloween stroll around Brompton Cemetery, London, Part of Life penned a poem to shine a light on the beauty to be found behind cemetery walls.
Book review: A Beginner’s Guide to Dying
A beginner’s Guide to Dying, a review of Simon Boas’s acclaimed and inspiring end of life journey, by James Byron.