How does it end?

Project overview

The Oxfordshire Palliative Care Network is a network of providers from across Oxfordshire, including Helen and Douglas House hospice. The network has supported a county-wide initiative to open up conversations about the end of life, and employed Alison Waller as a Public Engagement Officer.

In June and July 2023 Alison worked with a local comic book artist, Neill Cameron, to deliver a series of four workshops at EMBS Community College. These sessions aimed to give 16-18-year-olds the opportunity to talk about and explore death, dying and bereavement in an engaging and interesting way.

Outcomes

Alison and Neill identified themes for the workshops, using drawing and storytelling as a framework. However, the discussion was led by the young people taking part.

The group talked about the stories they like and how these end. They discussed fictional characters who become ill or die, and what happens to them and their loved ones afterwards. The workshops also provided a space for the group to share personal experiences of loss and to explore their own understanding and attitudes towards end-of-life and death.

Superheroes were a popular theme in the discussion, and the group decided to use Batman as a way to structure their conversations around death and dying. They developed a story around Batman being diagnosed with a terminal illness. What would he want for his last days and funeral? How would he talk to his family and friends about it? How could we support his family and friends after Batman has died?

With tips and advice from Neill Cameron, the young people created art work around the story they had developed. One girl even drew a visualisation of what she wanted for her own funeral.

Key facilitators

EMBS Community College supports young people from a wide range of backgrounds, including refugees and asylum seekers.

Alison approached Oxfordshire Youth for their advice about working with young people in the area. They were able to recommend the Community College as an organisation to partner with. The college had taken part in youth programmes before. She also worked with charity SeeSaw, who offer grief support to children and young people in Oxfordshire and who provided training materials for Neil and staff at EMBS.

The Dying to Talk project provided Alison with materials and artefacts that she could use in the workshops.

Wellbeing is a key priority for the college. Their Youth Wellbeing and Inclusion Lead sat in on the workshops as an observer, and found it really helpful as a way to understand the young people’s needs and identify where the college staff might need training.

Challenges

Neill had not led workshops on this topic before. Alison trained him in advance of the sessions, to help him prepare to discuss issues around death and dying. Following the workshops, he said he felt he had been able to process some of his own experiences of bereavement and think about his own wishes, as well as reflect on the ways that his creative skills can help open up important conversations in the community.

Some of the staff at the college were wary about discussing death and dying with students, particularly those who were considered vulnerable. This affected the uptake of the workshops. In hindsight, Alison thinks it would have been helpful to do training with staff in advance of the project to help them understand what the workshops were about.

As a result of the sessions, the staff at the college realised they needed training to better support students around bereavement. Alison has been booked to return to the college to provide a resource pack and lead training for staff. She plans to keep the relationship with the college going and explore opportunities for expanding the project’s reach by working with other schools and colleges in Oxfordshire.