Compassionate Communities Pembrokeshire

Project Outcomes:

The project has explored a range of opportunities enabling communities to learn about and to support each other around End of Life Care issues and lived experiences.  The project was able to address the emotional and social needs by facilitating workshops, talks, presentations, community cafes, film clubs, etc. that enabled people to gather in a safe space to learn about planning for their future care together in a supportive environment.

Although this was a one-off project with the aim of addressing a number of identified un-met needs during a 12-month timescale, a number of follow-on projects have been developed as a result.

” Peter had become very reclusive, his only contact is with professionals that are paid to be in his life (GP, Nurses, Shop keepers etc) and it was through the ‘kind’ person at Reception at his GP surgery that he learned about the weekly Café. He only went to the surgery to have his ears cleansed, but the kind Receptionist made a point of telling him about the Café. He was told that it is a space to meet other people over tea, cake and conversation around the subject of ageing, loss, grief and sharing stories. She encouraged him to go along and make an effort to meet people.  Peter has been coming along to the Brynberian  Compassionate Community Café held weekly in the morning. Over the last 20 weeks he has developed friendships and shared stories of death, loss and grief and learned to make his first ever lemon drizzle cake (just like his late Wife would make).”

Lessons Learned:

We will continue to progress the initiative and have learned a lot from the experience of facilitating community gatherings and individual 1:1 support provided.  We are focussing on the future and the needs to address the very low levels of Death Literacy in our communities.