Power of Planning Ahead Cafe

The annual Dying Matters Awareness Week is a moment to encourage all communities to get talking about death, dying and bereavement.

This year for Dying Matters Week at Trinity, our theme is "The Power of Planning Ahead".

• If you were no longer able to care for yourself, what would you like to happen?
• If you could choose, what would be the dress code at your funeral? What songs would be played?
• Who would look after your pets after you die?
• What would you like to happen to your social media accounts when you are no longer here?

We hope our Power of Planning Ahead Café will help people understand the value of thinking and talking about their wishes for the end of their lives and after they have died. We hope that it will help our guests to understand that the best time to make these plans is before they become unwell. 

For some, thinking ahead and writing down what matters to you can be a daunting process. For others, it can feel liberating and allow you to get on with living without anxiety for the future. Either way, if you don't know what options are available to you, it's difficult to know where to begin. That's where our first "Power of Planning Ahead Cafe" comes in.

Who is the Power of Planning Ahead Cafe for?

All are welcome at this session, especially those new to Trinity.

You do not need to be a Trinity patient or be caring for someone who is. All we ask is that you come willing to participate and engage with the session and our other guests and have an interest in understanding the options available to you when thinking about your wishes for the end of your life, and what follows. 

What should I expect? 

• a relaxed, informal opportunity to think and talk about the options available for our care at the end of our lives and after we have died
• the opportunity to share hopes, expectations and questions with other guests over a glass of wine or a soft drink and with the support of a range of prompts and tasks, hosted by members of the Trinity team
• your own printed version of our "What matters to me" booklet to take away, which can help you to refine and share your wishes for the end of your life