One of our wonderful Age and Dementia Friendly businesses, Full Circle Funerals, recently hosted a conference at Thackray Museum on Bereavement, Inequality, and Care. Here, Ruth has captured some highlights and reflections of the day.

At Full Circle Funerals, we believe that compassionate, informed conversations about death,
dying and bereavement can transform how we support each other. That’s why, on 12 June, we were proud to host a free educational conference at the Thackray Museum in Leeds, welcoming professionals and community members from across Yorkshire and beyond.

The day brought together palliative care teams, bereavement support practitioners, and an inspiring range of stallholders – from Maggie’s Centre, Dogs Trust, and Sue Ryder, to Child Bereavement UK, local hospice services, and more. Together, we explored the conference theme: Inequalities in Health Care – and how this relates to dying, death and loss.

It was a powerful opportunity to share excellent projects already happening in our area, hear about best practices, and reflect on how these could be woven into our own work. Whether through specialist approaches for people with learning disabilities, making information more accessible through ‘easy reads’, or simply by talking more openly about death, everyone left with ideas to carry forward.

The conversations were full of energy and purpose. Attendees spoke about arranging time with learning disability teams, pushing for improvements in their trusts, and even taking steps personally, such as writing down funeral wishes and starting a plan for the future.

One attendee told us:

It was a delight to be in this space to converse specifically and openly about death practices and the efforts made to develop best practice for all.

Another reflected:

I am going to see if we can improve services in my trust!

There were also many comments on how valuable it was to hear a variety of presentations from different areas of expertise – planting seeds for new ideas and future collaborations.

At Full Circle Funerals, this aligns perfectly with our mission. We’re not just here to support families at the time of a funeral. We also help people make plans in advance, document their funeral wishes, and offer gentle, practical guidance around bereavement. By creating spaces like this conference, we hope to keep building connections across the community, ultimately making sure everyone can access the care and support they need, regardless of circumstances.

Looking ahead, we’re already thinking about hosting another event in 2026, possibly with more hands-on workshops. It’s still early days, but if you have ideas for what you’d like to see or if you’d be interested in contributing, please do get in touch.

We’d love to hear from you. You can reach Ruth Owen at ruth@fullcirclefunerals.co.uk

And if you’re thinking about your own plans, or would like a safe place to start a conversation about funerals, grief or planning ahead, remember – our team at Full Circle Funerals is always here to help.