A memorial for anyone remembering someone this Christmas.
Kings Funerals invites you and your family to our complimentary
‘Caring at Christmas‘ memorial event.
Join us at our Newcomb Chapel for our annual memorial gathering, where there will be formal and informal opportunities to reflect and share memories over light refreshments.
WHERE:
Kings Funeral Chapel
130 Bellarine Hwy, Newcomb 3219
WHEN:
Tuesday December 5 2023
TIME:
6.45 pm for a 7.00 pm Start
Gathering to conclude by 8.00pm
For catering purposes, please RSVP by December 1
You are welcome to submit a photo of your family member or friend to be honoured during our memorial.
Please submit your photographs by December 1 using the RSVP form.
A safe, confidential and friendly space where people, come together to talk openly about death, dying, grief and life.
On Dying to Know Day, Barwon Health’s Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning teams, together with Kings Funerals invite you to join us in a relaxed setting to discuss death.
Death Cafés are gatherings to share thought-provoking, engaging and respectful conversations on death.
There is no agenda or objectives, the conversation is simply led by the people in the group. We sit in small groups so it’s easy to participate. It is a place to talk and share (or just listen).
Dying to Know Day is an annual campaign that encourages all adult Australians to plan, record and advocate for their end of life preferences.
WHEN: Tuesday 8 August 10.00 am
WHERE: Café Palat, 1/6-10 Apparel Close, Breakwater
Coffee, Tea and a selection of slices provided.
For catering purposes, Please RSVP by Friday August 4
From May 21st to May 27th, 2023, National Palliative Care Week will be held in Australia, with the aim of bringing attention to the importance of ‘Matters of Life and Death’. To further this message, there will be the world premiere of ‘Live the life you please‘, a documentary produced by Moonshine Agency. The film tells the personal stories of real people from all over Australia, including Geelong, sharing their experiences with palliative care. The documentary is emotional, heartwarming, and occasionally tear-jerking, as these diverse Australians share the last chapter of their lives with us.
Barwon Health’s palliative care team is dedicated to supporting those with terminal illnesses, as well as their families and friends, across the entire Geelong Region. Palliative care is focused on improving a person’s quality of life by managing symptoms and meeting their social, emotional, and spiritual needs. Additionally, it provides support, advice, and education to family and friends.
Barwon Health’s Palliative Care team strives to provide inclusive care for everyone, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTIQA+ people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disabilities, and people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
Kings Funerals has been working closely with Barwon Health’s palliative care team for a significant amount of time.
Two showings of the documentary will be held at Village Cinemas Geelong on Tuesday May 23rd, and Sunday June 4th. After the Tuesday screening, a Q&A panel featuring some of the documentary’s participants, members of the palliative care team, and Julie, Kings Funerals pre-paid consultant, will be available to address any questions that may arise.
We hope to see you there.
Book your Tickets HERE
At 11.00 am on the 15th of March 2023, Kings Funerals invited friends and families to join us for a memorial service to share memories and reflect on the many families who had held funerals at our chapel over the decades. We invited everyone to place a flower in our farewell wreath honouring someone they love.
Thank you to all that attended.
If you weren’t able to attend, the service recording is below.
Warm regards, Michael, Louise, and Beth King and the team at Kings Funerals
Follow the link below if you wish to leave a tribute for a loved one.
Farewelling our Myers Street Chapel
When: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Time: 11.00 am
Where: Kings Chapel, 25 Myers St, Geelong
Service Recording
Order of Service
Visual Tribute
Photo Gallery
Dying to Know Day is an annual campaign that empowers Australians at all stages of life to live and die well. Dying to Know Day seeks to radically reshape how Australians approach death, dying, and end-of-life planning. This year's campaign asks Australians to ‘get dead set’ by taking simple steps to plan for end-of-life.
Kings Funerals teamed up with Barwon Health for a live-streamed discussion answering your questions about death and dying and shared insights into the work of funeral homes and palliative care.
Watch the playback on demand below. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out or add comments to the Facebook thread from the live stream located here.
Get Dead Set Panel:
Beth King, General Manager, Kings Funerals
Julie Cantwell, Prepaid Funeral Consultant, Kings Funerals
Tim Fitzpatrick, Barwon Health Advanced Care Planning Team
Amanda Myring, Barwon Health Spiritual Care
Carol Treyvaud, Barwon Health Community Palliative Care Nurse
With thanks to the Piano Bar, Geelong for hosting us, and Andy Pobjoy for his musical delights.
Leading not-for-profit, The Groundswell Project Australia, calls on Australians to ‘get dead set’ around death and dying as part of its annual Dying to Know campaign.
This year, the national campaign asked people of all ages and stages of life to prioritise compassionate conversations and ‘get dead set’ around the reality of death and dying – because it’s going to
happen to us all. It outlines simple steps people can take around end-of-life planning, which is personal and unique to everyone.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we live, die, and grieve. Early studies suggest that people in Australia who lost a loved one during the COVID pandemic (from any cause) are experiencing more grief, anxiety, and depression than before the pandemic.
Research shows there is a risk that the support received by Australians dealing with death and dying is less than what is needed.
The Dying to Know campaign (which culminates on Dying to Know Day on 8 August) helps bridge this gap by improving death literacy and positivity in individuals, communities, healthcare workers, and other professionals through local and community events. Death literacy is the knowledge, compassion, and practical skills that enable supportive action and active decision-making around someone’s end-of-life choices.
To ‘get dead set’ is to prepare for the unique circumstances every person will face at the end of their life. By asking Australians to ‘get dead set’, the campaign invites Australians to overcome their
fears or discomfort around death and take action on end-of-life planning in a way that is right for them.
The benefits of planning for end-of-life are clear in the wake of necessary pandemic restrictions – which impacted people’s ability to see dying loved ones, arrange or attend important rituals like
funerals and see friends and family for support. By being ‘dead set’ and prepared for end-of-life, Australians can:
- Have a ‘good’ death that reflects what mattered in life.
- Have conversations to ease the anguish of loved ones through the distress, uncertainty, and finality of death.
- Leave a positive legacy that is consistent with how we want to be remembered.
- Have their lives celebrated/remembered the way they choose.
Sentimental favourites made an appearance such as ‘Time to say Goodbye’ and ‘My Way’, mixed in with songs that lean towards a celebratory feel for someone’s life, often including humour (‘Highway to Hell’ by ACDC, ‘Burn for You’ by John Farnam – noting the personality of the individual, they wouldn’t have it any other way!) and, positivity (‘Walking on Sunshine’). We’ve included a selection below. To see the full post visit the Bay 93.9 facebook page.
Article Photo by Mike Giles on Unsplash
Your hamper includes these locally sourced products for you & your family to enjoy over Christmas, worth $395.
- Gamekeepers Christmas Ham (4-5kg)
- Whole side of Huon River Smoked Salmon
- Pork & Pistachio Terrine
- Roast Chat Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary
- Christmas Pudding (Serves 6-8)
- Bayside Boys Christmas Macarons (6)
- Lighthouse Olive Oil
- Lard Ass Cultered Butter (150g)
- Born & Bread Sourdough Loaf
- Australian Cherries (1kg)
- Bottle of Oakdene Wine
To enter, go to our Facebook page, like our post and tell us your favourite Christmas tradition in the comments box.
Good luck!
PROGRAM:
- Welcome music from Andy Pobjoy, The Piano Bar Geelong
- Words from Michael King, Managing Director, Kings Funerals
- Words from Womble, Comfort Dog, Kings Funerals
- Words from Louise King, Funerals by Women, Kings Funerals
- Grief during the Christmas season from Trudie Vos, The Grief Centre
- Reflection with Philip Christian, Celebrant, Kings Funerals & Music from Andy Pobjoy, The Piano Bar Geelong
- Honouring family and friends – Name and photo display
- Closing Christmas Carols from Andy Pobjoy, The Piano Bar Geelong
REMEMBERING FROM HOME:
During the memorial service, we will invite your participation by focusing on something personally connecting. At the end of a life, what is left? Much has been shared, the meals, conversations and experiences, money lent or spent, the travel, the work all done. There are material things, plenty. And these can draw us to the intangibles that say so much more of character and personality, and impact. We can use items, objects to point us again to his or her values, interests, and beliefs. Here are some prompts to help;
- You may have a candle to light, a bowl with water upon which you may float a flower petal or some tea-light candles.
- Think about symbols – a chair or other furniture, a treasured possession, jewelry, or badge, a certain way of organising things, a book, or magazine, quotation or CD, favourite drink or food, a hat or scarf, scent, flower or herb or fruit, a tool, utensil or sports item, craft or artwork, photo or print.
Have these things around you. During the ceremony, you will have the opportunity to consider these things and how they still speak to you.
MANAGING GRIEF DURING CHRISTMAS:
Download our support guide for dealing with Grief at Christmas, from our partners, The Grief Centre.
Awareness
- Awareness means possessing knowledge, the experience of a particular matter, being conscious, being informed.
- Awareness is about having the ability to perceive, feel, and be in touch.
- Awareness helps us prepare and plan
- Awareness helps us seek and discover opportunities within our present reality
Readiness
- To be ready is to reduce the element of surprise or shock.
- To be ready, allows us to envisage a best-case scenario, whilst considering all the potential outcomes, thereby being better prepared.
Creativity
- Our circumstances allow for creative and personally appropriate responses to loss and grief, ensuring that our needs are embraced in a language that we understand
- Creativity is enhanced through awareness, readiness, and exploration, and especially through knowing ourselves, our heart, and our soul.
Support
We at Kings are here to help – and so are many professional and caring organisations like the ones listed here. We encourage you to see what services they have to offer and to call on them for assistance when needed.
For information and helpful guides regarding funeral services in relation COVID-19, learn more here.
Kings Funerals offers our families complimentary bereavement support; learn more about this service here.
Read more on Dealing with Bereavement in a COVID-19 World here
Image Credit: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
It challenged what we thought of as ‘normal’ and forced us to recognise how connectivity plays a role in our wellbeing where, previously, many of those actions and daily rituals were sitting within our subconscious.
For those dealing with grief from the loss of a loved one, COVID-19 created an added layer of loss – the ability to be close and seek comfort in those around us in traditional ways. For this reason, we were asked to think of new ways to bridge the uncertainty, create connection and learn to adjust.
Philip Christian – Kings Funerals Celebrant, believes that social distancing doesn’t necessarily mean loss of connection;
“Our purpose under the pressure of change is to support and empower family and friends to fully remember those who we have lost, to grieve together, and find comfort in ritual and meaningful acknowledgment in different but important ways. We don’t need to lose our human side, our gifts of emotion and creativity, and the power of personalities, unique and special. It’s about caring and being present.”
Despite the COVID-19 regulations and an emotionally challenging time, Kings Arrangers and families have sought creative ways to pay tribute and create connection whilst adhering to strict safety and COVID-19 guidelines;
‘Chairs were changed into a horseshoe shape for the service to create a sense of togetherness. ‘Nanna Joy Roberts’ had been a hand-knitter of socks all her life, right up to her 100th year. To acknowledge their personal Nanna Joy sock collections, all the guests wore a pair of these colourful socks to the service. For a bit of fun at the beginning of the service, they all took their shoes off for a sock display. It was a light-hearted and touching tribute to their Nana Joy, and an intimately shared moment’
‘Friends, family and the community created a massive tribute on the sand at Ocean Grove. A huge drive-by was mapped out where friends and the community lined the streets in their driveways to pay tribute and in a show of support to the family.’
‘A cousin requested to organise a presentation of balloons attached to names and photographs of those who couldn’t be present, as a reminder of their support. It was such a lovely gesture as they have a large extended family.’
“When the COVID-19 restrictions began, initially families were worried that they wouldn’t be able to grieve and have family and community connection to help them mourn. But the evidence and feedback suggest that this in fact wasn’t the case.” Says Briohny Fitzgerald, Kings Funerals Operations Manager.
“Lowered numbers at services resulted in more intimate, meaningful occasions, with only close family involved. People were more confident with their eulogies; happy to speak in front of a small gathering rather than a large crowd. There was increased engagement with each other during the service, with more people speaking and interacting. Digital webcasting allowed those who wouldn’t usually be able to attend to take part and even read eulogies. Overall, many families have found it less stressful to organise and were able to mourn with a fulfilling and meaningful service.”
Briohny explains that the most important thing is ensuring upfront and honest conversations on the possibilities. “We don’t want to say ‘no’, it’s about offering alternatives and helping adjust our mindset to be creative in delivering a service that maintains all the valuable elements that make a meaningful funeral.”
Support
We at Kings are here to help – and so are many professional and caring organisations like the ones listed here. We encourage you to see what services they have to offer and to call on them for assistance when needed.
For information and helpful guides regarding funeral services in relation COVID-19, learn more here.
