Aim To engage with the local community in conversations relating to death, dying, bereavement and end of life plans, using a Pop Up shop in the centre of town on the three main market days.

What We did • We partnered with our local Co-operative Funeral Service, who had premises we could use, and invited a number of relevant local organisations to join us in reaching out to our local community.

• Offered café style space with free tea, coffee, cakes etc.

• Provided wide range of local information relating to death, dying, bereavement and advance care planning.

• Offered complementary therapy taster sessions.

• The Co-op provided a white coffin for people to decorate with pictures, messages etc.

What We Learnt • People highly valued our time in listening to them.

• People sometimes need ‘permission’ to talk about things that concern them.

• The public value seeing local organisations working together.

• The importance of using local people to engage with local people.

• As a hospice we couldn’t have done it on our own.

Unexpected Outcomes • Recruitment of new volunteers and interest in joining the wider health and social care workforce.

• Quality and depth of conversations that took place both inside and outside the shop.

• Enhanced our partnership working; strengthened relationships, increased knowledge and understanding of each other’s services.

• People said they valued seeing us model that it’s possible to approach difficult subjects without causing offence.

• Support from other departments within the hospice which has helped us in reaching our internal community with the key messages from the Dying Matters agenda.

• Income generation – people insisting on giving us money despite us being clear in not asking for donations.