Death and Dying; A Celebration of Life through Reflection on Death
Sat 01 Nov
|London
We would like to invite you to join us for our annual event, 'Death and Dying; A Celebration of Life Through Reflection on Death', organised by the Kagyu Samye Dzong London (KSDL) Bardo Group.
Time & Location
01 Nov 2025, 09:30 – 17:00
London, 15 Spa Rd, London SE16 3SA, UK
About the event
We would like to invite you to join us for our annual event, "Death and Dying; A Celebration of Life Through Reflection on Death", organised by the Kagyu Samye Dzong London (KSDL) Bardo Group. The Bardo Group have run these events since 2017, and this year we will have another full programme of events with speakers from various professions talking about their experience around death and dying. There will be a space set aside for contemplation, as well as a coffin exhibition, and we will be lighting butter lamps for the deceased and loved ones, with dedications and prayers to end the day. It is a place to share ideas and practical advice on death and dying. You are welcome to come along for all or part of the programme.
Our Tibetan Tearoom will be open throughout the day for teas, coffee, cold drinks, and light snacks, including a hot lunch from 1pm on a first come basis.
This is a free event and there is no need to book in advance. However, if you wish to make a donation on the day towards the running costs of the Centre that is always welcome. If you would like to support the centre with a donation, you can do so via the following link. All contributions are deeply appreciated: Donate here
Schedule:
Shrine room:
10.00 – 10.40 - The Buddhist Approach to Death & Dying ~ Lama Zangmo
10.40 - 10.55 - Short Break
10.55 – 11.35 - Insights on Grief – Grief investigator ~ Lizzie Pickering
11.35 - 12.20 - Tea Break
12.20 – 13.00 -Do’s and don'ts in funerals ~ Clare Montagu Poppy’s Funerals
13.00-14.10 - Lunch break (poetry reading in the exhibition room)
14.10 - 14.50 - What is palliative care? How can it help us live & die better? ~ Dr Liam Gabb NIHR Doctoral Fellow
14.50 - 15.00 - Short break
15.00 - 15.40 - The power of planning ahead ~ Annmarie Blues Royal Trinity Hospice
15.40 - 16.10 - Break
16.10 - 16.40 - Light offering in the courtyard & prayers for deceased and loved ones
Exhibition Room:
All day - coffin display
13.00-14.10 - Poetry Reading (during lunch break)
Clinic Room:
11.00 - 15.00 - Michael Perry Bereavement Counsellor
Speakers:
Lama Zangmo: The Buddhist Approach to Death & Dying.
Lama Gelongma Zangmo has spent many years in retreat and in service to others through her work at Kagyu Samye Dzong London. Drawing on the Buddhist teachings she has received and practised for much of her life, she will join Embracing Death and Dying Day to share reflections on how the Buddhist tradition approaches death and dying. Lama Zangmo will explore how contemplating impermanence can help us meet death with greater acceptance, and inspire us to live with more awareness, kindness, and meaning.
Lizzie Pickering: Insights on Grief - Discoveries from a Grief Investigator.
Poppys Funerals: Do’s and don'ts in Funerals
Poppy's is a funeral director, based in London, with a fresh approach to funerals. Instead of following rigid traditions, we listen to what you want and need. Instead of hiding behind closed doors, we’re open about how we care for the living and the dead. Poppy’s is also proud to be a certified B Corp, putting care for people and the planet at the heart of the business.
Dr Liam Gabb MA(Cantab), MBBS, MRCP(UK): What is palliative care? How can it help us live & die better?
Dr Gabb is a NIHR Doctoral Fellow undertaking a PhD looking at priorities towards the end of life for people with dementia, supervised by Prof Katherine Sleeman and Prof Catherine Evans at the Cicely Saunders Institute, and Dr Gareth Owen at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience. This is a sequential mixed methods study involving photo-elicitation and a discrete choice experiment. My previous research has been in Alzheimer’s dementia and Psycho-Oncology.
Dr Gabb has a clinical background as a Specialty Registrar Doctor in Palliative Medicine with an interest in end-of-life care for those at the intersection of physical and mental ill-health.
Annmarie Blues, Senior Social Worker, Royal Trinity Hospice: The Power of Planning Ahead.
As a hospice, we see firsthand the difference it can make when someone has taken time to think about the choices available to them, whether this is writing a will, thinking about treatments they would or would not want, or even deciding what songs they would like at their funeral. In this session, we will explore individual choices when it comes to future care, known as Advance Care Planning, and the power that comes with making a plan.
Royal Trinity Hospice is the local hospice for south west and central London, providing free specialist palliative and end of life care.