Value of Death Gathering 2026

Join us for a day of exploring and experiencing the 'old ways' of working with death in Scotland. Death in Scotland was always part of the fabric of our communities and culture. The community held the knowledge and skill for all elements of death care, from the practical and community needs, to the ceremonies of wakes and funerals. In the past, people had a far more intimate relationship with death. We will be exploring and experiencing the 'old ways' of working with death in Scotland, and how we bring that wisdom into our work with the dying now. The Lancet Commission on the Value of Death highlights the need to: • have conversations and stories around death and grief • value networks of care • understand dying to be a relational and spiritual process • to recognise death as having value. This grassroots gathering will look at what the old ways can teach us to help instil these core pillars in our approach to dying and death. An understanding of the past traditions that underpinned community approaches to dying and death can help us more effectively explore what we need today. Who is the event for? This event is for you if: • you are working with people around the time of death, and have an ethos to enable and support people to be involved in their own death as much as they want to be. • you are working or volunteering in your community to raise awareness about the value of death in our lives. • you are exploring the value of death through your creative work. • you are supporting bereaved families of individuals. • you are contributing to a more compassionate society by encouraging gentle conversations about death. • you are curious and interested about death and dying in Scotland and would like to be involved in conversations around these. What would we like you to bring? The only requirement is your willingness to share, within a small group, a positive story of your experience with dying and death. Overview of the Day The day will open with a lament played on the small pipes. We will then bring our own stories to the room and weave together our collective experiences, sharing and learning together what has worked, as well as tapping into community story-telling around dying and death. In the afternoon, there will be workshops on: • story-telling; herblore; laments and songs for the dead. • caring for the dying at home. • honouring a body after death • shrouds, shroud wrapping and willow coffins. Lunch will be provided. There will be scheduled breaks, with opportunities to network and connect. Event Hosts This second event on the Value of Death in Scotland is a collaboration between Pushing Up the Daisies (https://pushingupthedaisies.org.uk); End of Life Doula UK (https://eol-doula.uk); Soul Midwives Scotland (https://soulmidwivesscotland.org); The D Word (https://thedwordcic.info); and Scottish Independent Celebrants Association (https://celebrants.scot). Join us to radically reimagine a better system for death and dying in Scotland, grounded in The Lancet Commission on the Value of Death. (The event has been published by Caitrian Guthrie, End of Life Doula UK - Scotland Group Lead.)