ST Barnabas House, the hospice for Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield, is encouraging people to talk about death, dying and bereavement during Dying Matters Awareness Week.

The national awareness week, which takes place from 14-20 May 2018, is an annual national campaign described as “an unparalleled opportunity to place the importance of talking about dying, death and bereavement firmly on the national agenda”.

The theme for this year is “What Can You Do… in your community?” and the hospice is offering various opportunities for people to get involved.

St Barnabas House operates a Hospice Outreach Project which visits locations in the local community providing information about the hospice’s services and end-of-life care into the local community.

Throughout the month, the Hospice Outreach Project’s theme will be Dying Matters.

People will be encouraged to get involved by writing the things they would like to do before they die on the ‘Before I Die’ board which will be on display at various locations.

There will also be an opportunity to write an anonymous message on the ‘Things left unsaid…’ tags which will also be on display throughout the month.

Worthing town crier Bob Smytherman will be visiting the Hospice Outreach Project to write on the board on Thursday and Mayor of Littlehampton, Billy Blanchard-Cooper, will be visiting next Tuesday.

The friendly Hospice Outreach Project team will also be available to provide advice to those who need it about death, dying and bereavement, including emotional, spiritual and psychological support.

The full list of locations the Hospice Outreach Project will be visiting during May can be found at www.stbh.org.uk/outreach.

St Barnabas House also runs a project for local schools which helps to educate local children about death, dying and bereavement.

Children visit the hospice for three week courses.