A Festival of Living & Dying

There is a wealth of information on death, dying and bereavement available online. Listed below are some recommended websites (listed alphabetically.) For further resources, such as downloads and books, please visit the Westmill Burial Ground Resources page

Age UK – www.ageuk.org.uk – 01235 849434 or 0800 169 6565

Age Concern & Age UK working together for older people.

Alzheimers’ Society – Alzheimers.org.uk – 0333 150 3456
The largest national charity supporting people with dementia and their carers.

Bereavement Advice Centre – www.bereavementadvice.org
Information and advice on practical concerns after death.

Blue Cross – www.bluecross.org.uk – 0300 790 9903
Pet bereavement support.

Child Bereavement Charity – www.childbereavement.org.uk – 0800 02 888 40
National organisation supporting families and training professionals in a wide range of child bereavements.

Citizens Advice Bureau – www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Contended Dementia Trust – www.contendeddementiatrust.org
Helps those who have already been diagnosed with some form of dementia, and their carers, for whom practical help and resources are more important than research into prevention and care.

Crisis Skylight – www.crisis.org.uk – 08000 384838
Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people – runs café and courses in Oxford.

Cruse – www.cruse.co.uk – 0800 808 1677
Free support to all bereaved people – information, counselling support and training services.

Dignity in Dying – www.dignityindying.co.uk – 020 7479 7730
We campaign to change the law to allow the choice of assisted death for terminally ill, mentally-competent adults, within upfront safeguards.

Dementia Oxfordshire – www.dementiaoxfordshire.org.uk – 01865 410210
Information, support and connection for people living with dementia in Oxfordshire.

Death Cafe – www.deathcafe.com
Information about running death cafes and an international diary of postings about when they are happening.

Dying Matters – www.dyingmatters.org
Set up by National Council for Palliative Care to promote public awareness of dying, death and bereavement.

Good Funeral Guide – www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk
An independent, not-for-profit information resource.

Grave Talk – www.churchofenglandfunerals.org/gravetalk
Creative ideas for starting the conversation

Grief Speaks – www.griefspeaks.com
A website for those coping with the trauma of a sudden death.

Guideposts – www.guideposts.org – 01993 893 560
Information, advice and support.

Helen & Douglas House – www.helenanddouglas.org.uk – 01865 794749
Helen & Douglas House hospices care for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions and support their families.

Home Funeral Network – www.homefuneralnetwork.org.uk and Home Funeral Network
The Home Funeral Network UK offers support, education and guidance for all those involved in arranging a home based, family led funeral.

Horizon Research Foundation – www.horizonresearch.org
Scientists researching near death experiences.

Hospice UK – www.hospiceuk.org – 020 7520 8200
Information about hospice care nationally

Living Well Dying Well – www.livingwelldyingwell.net – 01273 102511

Training Doulas (companions) for the dying; supporting families and individuals at the end of life; ‘Embracing Death and Dying’ courses for professionals and the public.

Maggie’s – www.maggies.org – 0300 123 1801
Everyone’s home of cancer – centres for practical, emotional and psychological support. There is one in Oxford.

Martin Lewis (Money-Saving Expert) “Death checklist” – Martin’s recently updated webpage on all issues surrounding death planning, specifically focusing on checks to minimise financial trauma https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/death-plan/

Natural Death Centre – www.naturaldeath.org.uk – 01962 712 690
Free advice and information about death and dying helping people make informed choices about death and burial.

Organ Donation – www.organdonation.nhs.uk – 0300 1231107
Information about donating organs.

Oxford District Probate Office – www.oxfordshire.gov.uk – 01865 793055
Not a drop-in service.

Oxford Nightline – oxford.nightline.ac.uk  01865 270270 – 8pm-8am in term time
An independent listening, support and information service run for and by students in Oxford.

Oxfordshire Registration Offices (7 districts) –  www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Oxford Registration office – 1 Tidmarsh Lane, Oxford OX1 1NS – Mon-Thurs 9-4.30 – Friday 9-4 – 0345 241 2489

Oxford Mindfulness Centre – www.oxfordmindfulness.org
Preventing depression, enhancing human potential with therapeutic use of mindfulness.

Parkinson’s UK – www.parkinsons.org.uk – 0808 800 0303
Advice and support for people living with Parkinson’s.

Papyrus – www.papyrus-uk.org – 0800 068 41 41
PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to preventing young suicides.

Restore – www.restore.org.uk – 01865 455821
Restore is an Oxfordshire charity providing rehabilitation, employment and training support for people with mental health problems.

Samaritans – www.samaritans.org – free phone 116 123
Samaritans is a confidential emotional support service for anyone in the UK and Ireland. The telephone line is open 24 hours and a drop in service.

SAND (Safe Ageing No Discrimination) – SAND is a community organisation whose goal is to improve the experiences and increase the expectations of LGBT+ people as they age (based in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.) https://www.lgbtsand.com/

Sands – www.sands.org– 0808 164 3332
Stillbirth and neonatal death charity

SeeSaw – www.seesaw.org.uk – 01865 744768
An Oxfordshire charity providing grief support for children and families before and after a bereavement.

Sobell House – www.sobellhouse.org – 01865 455821

Sobell House Hospice providing professional and creative care for patients and families dealing with life-shortening conditions – day care and residential.

SOS Silence of Suicide – www.sossilenceofsuicide.org 0330 1020 505 – suicide prevention, suicide intervention, suicide awareness

Soul Midwives – www.soulmidwives.co.uk
Spiritual and holistic companions to those facing the end of life.

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide – www.uk-sobs.org.uk – 0300 111 5065
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide exists to meet the needs and break the isolation of those bereaved by the suicide of a close relative or friend.

The Compassionate Friends – www.tcf.org.uk – 0345 123 2304
Charity of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents supporting others who have been similarly bereaved.

The Porch Steppin’ Stone Centre – www.theporch.org.uk – 01865 251798
Supporting those who are experiencing, or have experienced, rough sleeping – training and overnight beds.

The Sensory Trust – www.sensorytrust.org.uk
Making places more accessible, engaging and useful for everyone regardless of age, disability or social circumstance.

University Counselling Service – www.admin.ox.ac.uk
Therapeutic support for University of Oxford students facing emotional or psychological problems.

Wiltshire Treehouse – http://www.treehousewiltshire.org.uk/ – 01793 987105 – supporting children and young people who have been bereaved

Winstons Wish – www.winstonswish.org.uk – 08088 020 021
National childhood bereavement organisation supporting children and families facing any kind of death.

Young Dementia Network (hosted by Dementia UK) – www.youngdementianetwork.org
A national source of information and support to focus specifically on young onset dementia; created with and for younger people, families and supporters.