St Giles Hospice bags

People in Lichfield and Burntwood are being urged to overcome the taboo of talking about death.

The call comes from St Giles Hospice as part of Dying Matters Awareness Week, which runs until May 17.

The Whittington-based charity has produced a leaflet – which is available from the St Giles Hospice shop on Tamworth Street in Lichfield – to find out more about some of the issues that need to be considered.

The charity’s nursing director Sarah Riches explained: “Talking about dying and death is something people understandably feel uncomfortable about, but it is something we all need to do – particularly for the sake of the loved ones we leave behind.

“I would advise people to pop into one of our participating shops during Dying Matters Awareness Week and pick up the leaflet, which explains how you can ensure your wishes are respected and supported at the end of your life.”

The call comes after new figures showed that only 25 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women in England have told anyone about the funeral arrangements they would like to have after they die.