Have you ever thought about that one thing you want to do before you die?

St Elizabeth Hospice is encouraging people to talk about the often taboo topic of death as part of Dying Awareness Week, and got the conversation started at University Campus Suffolk yesterday by asking people to think about what really matters to them.

Visitors were asked to share their ambitions by completing the sentence “before I die, I want to...”, scrawling their wishes on a special wall.

Some people had a long list of daring deeds they wanted to undertake before their time comes including swimming with a killer whale and gaining a private pilots licence, while others were keen to see some of the world’s most stunning sights including the Great Wall of China and Hawaii.

But for some, their ultimate goal was more family orientated, such as seeing their brother beat cancer.

One woman simply wanted to own a dog before she died.

Hosted by Norfolk and Suffolk Palliative Care Academy, in partnership with UCS, Suffolk County Council and St Elizabeth Hospice, the Be Ready For It drop-in event aimed to encourage people to talk openly about the subject of death, as well as highlighting the support available at this time.

Workshops were led by the Alzheimer’s Society, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Eastern Organ Donation, Healthwatch Suffolk and Co-Operative Funeral services.

Maggie Parsons, cancer and end of life programme manager with the academy said: “Many people still feel uncomfortable when it comes to talking about death - and that’s something we want to change.”

To find out more, call the hospice on 01473 707015 or visit www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk