Events
Queer Death Cafe at 3 of Cups, Durham
A Queer Death Cafe is a safe affirming space for LGBTQIA+ folks to come together for an open discussion about the end of life, death, bereavement and grief, facilitated by a queer End of Life Doula.
The aim is to create the space within our community for life-affirming conversations that it might not be possible to have elsewhere.
My first Queer Death Cafe is now available to book online.
Thursday 9th October from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at 3 of Cups Durham.
Places are free but it is limited to 12 people, so book on Eventbrite now to guarantee your place.
Three Magpies Death Cafe at Earthlings
A Death Cafe is an opportunity to come together for an open discussion about the end of life, death, bereavement and grief. The aim is to increase our awareness of death in order to help us make the most of our finite lives. They are life-affirming conversations in a welcoming setting.
For the rest of 2025 I will be hosting monthly Death Cafes at Earthlings - the Healing Cafe in Newcastle upon Tyne. Dates and times are
Friday 29th August - 6.30pm - 8.30pm - FULLY BOOKED
Sunday 21st September - 10.30am to 12.30pm
Friday 24th October - 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Sunday 23rd November - 10.30am to 12.30pm
Sunday 7th December - 10.30am to 12.30pm
It is free to attend but places must be booked on Eventbrite.
Autumn Grief Circles at Shanti Bee
During Autumn 2025 I am collaborating with three other End of Life Doulas to hold Grief Circles at Shanti Bee in Newcastle upon Tyne. I will be working alongside Beth Coverdale, Charlotte Willoughby and Gloria Ferguson to create a space for people to join us to share experiences and express our grief together without trying to 'fix' each other.
Dates of the Grief Circles are
- 20th September 2pm -4pm
- 1st November 2pm - 4pm
- 29th November 2pm - 4pm
Anyone who is grieving is welcome. This is not just about being bereaved. We may experience grief around many types of loss or life change as well as the wider global issues that we see on our screens every day.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Latest news from Tending Three Magpies
Tending grief through singing
Tending grief through singing
Tending grief through singing
I went on a residential singing weekend run by folk band The Unthanks and found many unexpected opportunities to tend to my grief. I created a Substack post about it, exploring how as an end of life Doula, I need to deal with my own stuff before I can support anyone else, and why creativity is a key to accessing emotions.
Soul-stirring visitations
Tending grief through singing
Tending grief through singing
News! I am developing a new project to explore how we can tend our grief through dance. Using Border Morris as a starting framework, we will choreograph eight new dances to take us through the Wheel of the Year festivals, exploring how our grief changes. You are invited to get involved.
Shapes of Grief
Tending grief through singing
Why 'Tending Three Magpies'?
I have now completed the award winning Shapes of Grief training. This online training curated by Liz Gleeson brings together people from around the world who are leading the way in supporting people in their grief. This learning will be woven into my upcoming seasonal grief sessions.
Why 'Tending Three Magpies'?
Why 'Tending Three Magpies'?
Why 'Tending Three Magpies'?
Why do I call my work Tending Three Magpies? It's all about the tidings the magpies might bring according to an old folk song.
Find out the full story by reading this article I published on Substack
Citizen Network
Why 'Tending Three Magpies'?
Sorrows and Gifts
Citizen Network is a global non-profit cooperative movement formed to create a world where everyone matters, where everyone can be an equal citizen. For me this means equality in death as well as in life. As a Citizen Network Fellow I work collaboratively with colleagues around the world to come up with solutions to social inequalities.
Sorrows and Gifts
Why 'Tending Three Magpies'?
Sorrows and Gifts
On Father's Day I carried out a simple Sorrows and Gifts ritual to honour my dad who died in January. Writing my words of sorrow on a hagstone from my collection, I took it back to the beach it had come from and released it into the sea as I immersed myself in the cold water. A butterfly flew past me heading from the horizon to the shore. An ephemeral being travelling from one place to somewhere else.