A Festival of Living & Dying

(Sponsorship and Fundraising – 07956 621040 – any contributions, small or large are greatly appreciated)

As well as fundraising for the Festival, I love to both volunteer and conduct ceremonies at Westmill, and for the past year I have been Liz’s tour manager for her one woman show Outside the Box. Liz and I first met in the 1990s when our children were small, but it wasn’t until her book launch in 2020 that we reconnected. Instantly inspired by her book and her work at Westmill Burial Ground, I wanted to get involved.

I’ve spent the past 20 years in the South of France with my family as a milliner and a wedding planner. Back in the UK post-Brexit I’ve retrained as a celebrant for weddings and funerals and divide my time between working in France and England.

My own mother’s death when I was just 7 years old has given me a huge appreciation of the gift of life and a desire to make the most of it. I also strongly believe that we should all be talking more about death and grief, and in so doing, reduce the confusion, discomfort and mystery that surround them.

I am also the facilitator of  our Wild Swimming
Event, Drowning Our Sorrows. Always up for jumping into lakes and rivers whenever the opportunity presents, the
realisation that you can swim in very cold water has been exhilarating. Its given me a new respect for my body, a certain fearlessness to tackle new challenges, and a huge appreciation
for nature and the natural world. An early morning swim on a frosty day sets me up for the day. I feel it has to help with grief – I want to try Cat’s idea of screaming under water on this swim.

As a funeral celebrant, I’m very conscious that after the drama of the funeral subsides, friends and family go back to their lives. But the griever has to face every day – joining a wild
swimming group is incredibly life enhancing, frequently a group of women with a smattering of men; they are so friendly and supportive.