Festival Events 2021
To Absent Friends Coffee Morning
Organised by the Sunrise Partnership, 7 November, 10am- 12pm, Ashdale Hall, Westhill Drive, Westhill, Aberdeenshire AB32 6FY
unrise Partnership is a small, local charity working in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. We provide free, therapeutic, confidential support for children and young people up to age 18 who have experienced bereavement and/or significant loss. There is no waiting list, support continues for as long as it is required, and we travel to meet the child or young person in a setting they feel comfortable in. We offer a blended approach - young people can choose to meet face to face indoors; or on a walk and talk; or meet online; or connect by phone or text. We also offer group support via Seasons for Growth and Family Loss Days.
Sunrise Partnership will be hosting a ‘To Absent Friends’ coffee morning/drop in event. Refreshments will be provided, and the aim is to offer the opportunity for those attending to remember loves ones, share experiences if they wish and hopefully establish peer support to minimise isolation and find solace.
Sunrise Partnership staff, volunteers and trustees will be in attendance to facilitate this and have conversations around the support we can offer. There will be an opportunity for storytelling and creative activities designed to facilitate remembering and talking about absent friends. We will also have a memory tree whereupon messages can be left for loved ones.
The event is free to attend, but please register in advance if you wish to join us. This can be done by phoning Sunrise Partnership on 07827 755735 or by emailing support@sunrisepartnership.org before Thursday 28th October 2021.
Stepping Stones Bereavement Cafe
Organised by Livingston United Parish Chruch, The Bridge Community Project and Co-op Funeralcare West Lothian, 7pm, 12 November.
Stepping Stones bereavement support course has been running in West Lothian for over 3 years. It is a partnership of 3 organisations who are passionate about providing an opportunity for people living with loss to meet in an informal and safe way to explore some of the issues that they have in common.
As part of the To Absent Friends Festival, we will hold a Bereavement Cafe and invite everyone who has become part of the Stepping Stones Family. The event on Saturday 12th November will centre around the sharing of stories and a scrumptious afternoon tea!”
Photo credit: Henry Perks
Absent Friends - Not Forgotten
Organised by St Mary's for All, Hamilton. Sunday 7th November 2021 at 11.30am in the gathering space.
St Mary’s For All are holding a socially distanced open event with tea/coffee, sandwiches and cake. People can bring stories/ pictures of people who have died and are welcome to share their memories with others in a safe environment.
To create an enduring reminder and if you can't make it on the day, a tree of memories will be built with words to lost loved ones and a digital record will be available
Always and Forever
Organised by Friends of the Glasgow Southern Necropolis. Sunday 21 November, 12pm-3pm at the Southern Necropolis, on Caledonia Road, Gorbals.
Friends of Glasgow Southern Necropolis invite local families and individuals, to come along to the Franciscan Circle area of the Southern Necropolis, share memories and songs about past family members and friends, and celebrate the lives of some of those interred within the cemetery.
Friends of Glasgow Southern Necropolis will collaborate with other local community groups, Bridging the Gap, Givin It Laldie and Local Links Practitioner (Gorbals Health Centre) to support individuals and families to come along and take part in the Always & Forever event, hanging signed hearts onto a memory tree near to the circle.
Throughout the cemetery there are many monuments that are memorials to the many unique individuals, who have contributed to the historical legacy of Glasgow, and along with those near and dear to us, we will celebrate the lives that they have lead. Our good friends from Giving It Laldie will provide opportunities for those present, to rekindle some musical memory links, with guitar and song renditions of tunes that link us with our families and friends.
Soup and sandwiches will be provided for those who come along, with hopes of creating a welcoming experience that will promote opportunities for people to reflect and remember family and friends together.
Anyone interested in attending, contact colin@southernnecropolis.com
Lochgelly Band - To Absent Friends
Lochgelly Brass Band, 14 November 2021, 10.45 am, Lochgelly Memorial. Information about the virtual concert will become available on the band's facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/lochgellyband
As part of the To Absent Friends Festival, Lochgelly Brass Band will perform a programme of remembrance-themed music at the Lochgelly Cenotaph on 14th November.
They will also release a virtual performance, which will be available on the band's facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/lochgellyband
Both performances will pay tribute to people who have died during the pandemic.
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