Information Evening Death and Dying

170 The Garden of the Happy Dead, St. Maurice/Seine, 1953.

Hundertwasser's comment on the work:

"Here an ecological burial method is already anticipated. In it, the dead are buried in harmony with nature and creation, integrated into an ecological whole, returned to a higher order. In this way there would be no more cemeteries, but just a respected, sanctified nature which goes on reproducing, with trees growing out of people, where there are no dead, only life. This I called the "Garden of the Happy Dead" (Hundertwasser, 1928-2000).

Please come and join us for an Information Evening on all things about Death and Dying.

Topics that may be discussed: alternatives to traditional burial and funeral arrangements, after-death care, “green” alternatives, natural burials, Te Ao Māori perspectives, family led – family healing, planning ahead, palliative care, the role of an End-of-Life Doula and everything in between.

Come prepared with questions, all questions are welcome, these evenings are intended to be interactive, not a presentation.

Meet our Panel Participants:

Jo Samuel, Co-owner, A Graceful Undertaking

New generation funeral directing

 A Graceful Undertaking; a fresh approach to after-death care and funeral arranging, offering contemporary solutions including natural and home-based, as well as more conventional. Designed to support the choices that are right for you while fostering engagement and facilitating creative, personalised family led funerals that truly reflect the uniqueness of every life, because that is what we want for ourselves.

Trinity Hereora

Aratohu Tangihanga, Natural Funeral Guide

 Ma te Whānau e akiaki Ma te whānau e houhou te rongo.

Family Led, Family Healing.

Stephen Jenkins

Manager, WDC Maunu Cemetery – natural burials

 Providing award winning burial options and a caring environment for our community, bringing our Tikanga to life by utilising Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Atawhaitanga and Kotahitanga.

Katy Mandeno

Founder, Go with Grace – planning ahead for when you die, from a personal perspective

 For many of us, we have disconnected from death so much that it can feel scary just talking about it... and yet dying is the natural conclusion to all of our lives. I believe that creating space for gentle conversations, and then planning ahead, can have a profound effect on our peace of mind, and our ability to understand and accept death. In turn, this can inspire us to find gratitude in the grief - and gifts - that come with losing loved ones.

Sherie Sullivan

End of Life Doula, Sovereign Departures

 My passion is offering gentle guidance and care to inform, to empower and to enable each person and their loved ones to have the best experience that they can of dying, death and bereavement.

Helen Blaxland

CEO, North Haven Hospice

 Te Korowai Humarie a cloak of care - Hospice is more than a place to die or pain relief - its more about supporting people AND their whanau to live while dying. After all we are all dying it’s just when and how. Developing a community who cares for their dying builds resilience and meaning to life.