A letter from the Lord Lieutenant

The Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland

Dr Sarah Furness PhD

25th November 2020

Dear Parish Clerks and Chairs

I am immensely impressed by the ways in which communities in Rutland have supported each other, the vulnerable and those in need through the pandemic. Thank you for everything that you are currently doing to support your Parish to serve the community. It has been an exceptionally testing year for us all to cope with so I wanted to take this opportunity to share some positive useful news with you. I would be grateful if you distributed around your Parish.

Last month a new initiative was launched - Dying Matters in Rutland with a website, brochure and video. I wanted Rutlanders to have a single source of information about the many forms of help available to them when they have to plan for their own deaths or cope with the dying and deaths of loved ones. People require all sorts of information from thinking about will writing or setting up a power of attorney to forms of care, arranging a funeral or bereavement counselling. I have talked to families about their experiences. Many have rewarding stories about the splendid support given by staff from the NHS, Care Services and many Faith and Voluntary Groups. There was, however, a recurrent theme in these conversations. First that it is so much easier to cope with a loved one's death if the deceased has talked, set out their wishes, made a will and, in the case of a debilitating illness, given powers of attorney. Secondly, that sources of help are good when you find out about them but not always easily found or as well coordinated as they could be. There was a real need to make finding information and help easy. Providers of services agreed that 'joined up care' is vital. 'Dying Matters in Rutland' has grown out of these many conversations.

I do encourage you to spend some time looking at what is available on the Dying Matters in Rutland website -https://www.dyingmattersinrutland.org - and/or watch the video https://www.dropbox.com/s/ib5279so0z701ej/bereavementnov20.mp4?dl=0 . Dying Matters in Rutland provides an extremely useful source of practical help. Dying is a really taboo subject yet thinking about and planning for it has a relevance for people of all ages. None of us know when we will die. People of all ages need to plan from young parents to the elderly. Our message is that you can improve your end of life for yourself, and for those you love, by setting down your aims and wishes. I would be so grateful if you would kindly put the link to the DMiR website in village magazines and on village websites.

Dying Matters in Rutland is my initiative and as Patron, I really hope that this project will help support Rutland people to plan for and have the very best end that can possibly be achieved.

Warm wishes and thanks for all you have been doing.