WALES TO MARK NATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION 2023

The third National Day of Reflection with Marie Curie is being supported by organisations, celebrities and politicians across Wales.  Taking place on Thursday 23 March 2023, the aim is to provide a moment to remember loved ones who have died, support those who are grieving, and connect with each other.

Organised by the end-of-life charity which provides care and support for terminally ill people, it will see a network of public Walls of Reflection go up across the UK where people can gather to reflect on their grief and support those who have been bereaved. A national minute’s silence will be held at midday.

The National Day of Reflection is a one of a kind opportunity to reflect on any death of a loved one, from any cause and at any time. For many it may be the only acknowledgment of their grief and gives everyone permission to take time to reflect and support one another.

Bereaved people, staff and volunteers will be dropping in to a bereavement café at the Marie Curie Cardiff and the Vale Hospice on March 23, from 10.30 to 2pm, pausing for the minute’s silence at midday.  A Wall of Reflection will also be in place at the hospice, and at the charity’s offices in Pencoed and Dafen.  Volunteers and supporters are invited to an event in Dafen from Noon to 2pm.

In Cardiff, Cruse Bereavement Support are working with Sands, Co-op and Cardiff Council to host an event at the Dear Mum Garden at Western Cemetery, providing a space for bereaved children and parents who’ve dealt with baby loss to come together from 10.30am  to 12.30pm

Coles Funeral Directors in Rumney will also be unveiling their Wall of Reflection from 11am, with a minute’s silence at Noon.

Welsh Government health minister Eluned Morgan said: “This moment of national reflection is an opportunity for us all to come together as a nation to remember those we have lost and to support all those living with grief and bereavement.

“We know how difficult it is when a loved one dies and we all grieve in different ways. It’s important we have this opportunity to reflect, support and connect with each other on March 23.”

Sue Tranka, Wales’s Chief Nursing Officer, said: “Personal loss is a universal experience. We will all feel grief at some point in our lives. Despite this, bereavement and the feelings that go with loss is not something that is always openly discussed in society which can lead to people suffering in silence and solitude. On this National Day of Reflection, I will consider those remaining in the wake of death, and contemplate what we can do to better support grieving members of our communities with kindness, respect and compassion.”  

Marie Curie launched the National Day of Reflection in 2021 as a day to remember those who died during the pandemic, and support those whose grief was affected by lockdown. Over 850 organisations took part in 2022. 

The day has also had backing from the likes of Sir Tom Jones, Alison Steadman OBE and Jim Carter OBE.

Sharon Jenkins, a bereavement counsellor for Marie Curie in Wales, said:

“This year’s National Day of Reflection will be the third; a day where anyone who has been bereaved, no matter how long ago or the cause, will come together to remember loved ones who have died.

“On 23 March remembering loved ones in a caring, compassionate and supportive environment at the minute’s silence at noon and contributing to the nationwide network of Walls of Reflection will mean people will feel supported and know that they are not alone in their grief.

“The national outpouring of grief following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September was palpable. People who themselves had been bereaved personally were united and used that time to grieve for their own loved ones. It was acceptable and encouraged. This moment highlighted the fundamental absence of this kind of collective grief support in our society, and the importance and need to have an annual National Day of Reflection.” 

The National Day of Reflection falls during Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, the charity’s flagship annual appeal raising money to support the charity’s nurses, doctors, and hospice staff so they can continue to give people end of life care.

To find out more, and to start planning your own Wall of Reflection, visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/dayofreflection.