Earlier this month, hospices nationwide marked Dying Matters Awareness Week—a campaign promoting open conversations about death, dying, and grief.
At Pendleside Hospice, we embraced this year’s theme, The Culture of Dying Matters, with a series of internal and external events, including a Cultural Awareness Day on Thursday, 8th May.
In what proved to be a truly special moment for Pendleside Hospice, we welcomed a panel of four guest speakers from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds to share their personal perspectives on how they approach death and dying within their communities. This session was attended by a packed room of staff, volunteers, external stakeholders and local community members from across Burnley and Pendle, all eager to listen, learn and reflect.
Our panellists including, Cosima Towneley, former Mayor of Burnley and Council Cabinet Member for Children & Families at Lancashire County Council; Roxy Ahmed, Family Support Specialist at Lancashire County Council; Marta Szczubiak, Healthcare Assistant here at Pendleside Hospice; and Saraj Mohammed, Health Inequalities Project Manager at Burnley East Primary Care Network, delivered an enlightening and deeply moving discussion on a topic that affects every one of us, yet one that is too often left unspoken.
Each speaker brought a unique voice to the table. Cosima reflected on her Catholic upbringing and family traditions, speaking fondly of the dignity and care her mother received at Pendleside in her final days. She highlighted how important it is for families to talk openly about death, sharing stories, values and practical wishes such as Wills—things that are so often left too late. She spoke about the idea of a “good death” being deeply personal, involving family, ritual, and the opportunity to be at home surrounded by loved ones.
Roxy shared an emotional account of experiencing five family deaths in a very short space of time. Roxy’s story is rooted in her Asian upbringing, where conversations about death began from a young age. She spoke about the importance of honouring individual wishes, whether emotional, spiritual or practical, and described the challenges of navigating grief privately while fulfilling religious and familial expectations. Her reflections on how her father-in-law had planned every detail of his own funeral offered a poignant reminder of the power of preparation.
Saraj also provided invaluable insights from his Islamic perspective, discussing the balance between practical planning and spiritual acceptance. He spoke about the concept of living a good and righteous life as a preparation for death, and how his faith teaches the value of hope, family, and continuity beyond this life. Sharing his own experience of losing a young daughter, Saraj’s words were grounded in compassion and strength. He encouraged us to support individuals in leading their own care, not only medically but emotionally, financially and spiritually, too, recognising the holistic nature of end-of-life care.
Marta, who works within the Inpatient Unit at Pendleside Hospice, offered a powerful look into how death and dying are approached within the Polish community. She described how the topic is often taboo, not openly discussed until death is imminent. There’s little awareness of palliative care, and children are frequently shielded from grief. Marta spoke with honesty and encouraged people of all generations, cultures, and backgrounds to seek help and support when they need it.
Helen McVey, Chief Executive at Pendleside Hospice said, “We are deeply grateful to Cosima, Roxy, Marta and Saraj for generously giving their time and speaking so openly and honestly about their experiences as part of Dying Matters Week. The session was a powerful opportunity to build bridges between cultures and foster mutual understanding. It encouraged everyone to reflect not only on their personal beliefs around death, but also on how these perspectives influence the care we provide to our patients and their families. It was a pleasure to hear conversations continue long after the session ended, showing just how much it resonated with those who attended. We’re fortunate to have recorded the session and encourage everyone to watch it when it becomes available on our website and social media channels in the coming weeks.”
As well as Cultural Awareness Day, we’ve had presence at Burnley and Nelson libraries with information stands, supported by members of our team who spoke to members of the public about end-of-life care. On Wednesday, 7th May, we also recognised Advance Care Planning Day, a day that aligns perfectly with the messages shared by our panellists. Advance Care Planning is about empowering people to make informed choices about their future care.
We are proud to have created a space where real conversations could take place, across cultures, faiths, roles, and generations. The relationships formed, the respect shown, and the stories shared will help us all deliver even more compassionate, culturally sensitive care in the future.