Bridgnorth funeral director's podcast looks to change perception on death
A Bridgnorth funeral business has produced a podcast aimed at changing the way people perceive death and its profound impact on their lives.
Perry and Phillips' podcast 'Death: A Changing Industry' has garnered popularity with the support of patrons including actor Jason Watkins, grief expert Julia Samuel MBE, and SAS Who Dares Wins star Ollie Ollerton.
Now the podcast is set to explore the transformative power of the funeral industry and National grief awareness.
Perry and Phillips says it wants to pave the way for a new era of conversations, encouraging people to embrace the theme 'from grief to growth'.
Funeral Director, John Adams, who hosts the podcast, said: "We've seen an incredible response from those who have experienced loss and from professionals within the industry.
"However, our ultimate goal is to educate those who haven't yet faced loss, equipping them to be proactive when the inevitable time comes.
"The podcast thrives on real, unfiltered stories, creating an empowering platform for open dialogue and communication."
The podcast has gained sponsorship from two significant industry players – Westerleigh Group and Life Ledger.
The Westerleigh Group, operating privately owned crematoriums across the UK, and Life Ledger, a national support service for the bereaved with their unique death notification service, have recognized the value of this endeavour in reshaping people's approach to loss and grief.
Mr Adams has worked tirelessly on promoting bereavement awareness in schools and says he will continue, emphasizing the importance of addressing the sensitive topic among young people.
A petition calling for bereavement to be added to the national curriculum gained more than 11,000 signatures. The petition, which closed in April this year, surpassed the required threshold of 10,000 signatures to elicit a response from the government. The Department of Education will undertake a consultation later this year.
Speaking previously about his campaign, Mr Adams said: “I want to help young people when they suffer a close loss.”
“I lost my mum Maria, at the age of 12, and I felt very isolated. People were not sure what to say to me, which is understandable.
“From this experience and what I have learnt whilst arranging and conducting funerals, I believe there is a need for bereavement awareness to be added into the national curriculum.
“I want to give children tools of support and offer advice, in the same way pupils learn about sex education in school.
“It is about helping them understand emotions and feelings when someone dies, exploring those things associated with loss but in a gentle way.
It’s about trying to take the fear out of death through offering support to a child, compassion to friends and support for teachers on how they can communicate and speak.
“If we get things right we can have a positive impact on society and how we treat one another.
“Opening up on sadness and grief through honest conversation is important and you can still protect people by giving them information.
“It doesn’t mean you will suffer a close loss but it just means, when you do, it will help. It’s just in case.”
Podcasts are available at https://achangingindustry.com/
