Foyle Hospice supports Dying Matters Week with launch of new free online conversation tool 'Time for a Wee Chat'

Dying Matters Awareness Week, led by Hospice UK, takes place from May 4 to 10 2026.

This year’s theme is “Let’s talk about Death and Dying”, encouraging families, friends, workplaces and communities to speak more openly about a subject that affects everyone, but is often difficult to begin.

Built and hosted by Foyle Hospice, Time for a Wee Chat is a short, mobile-friendly digital experience that guides users through five questions. At the end, it provides a personalised conversation starter that people can use in their own words, in their own time, with someone they love.

The tool is not a clinical service, not a chatbot, and not a substitute for medical, legal or care advice. Instead, it has been created as a simple and supportive first step for people who may be unsure how to open a conversation about their wishes, the wishes of someone close to them, or the feelings that can follow bereavement.

Donall Henderson, Chief Executive of Foyle Hospice, said: “Dying Matters Awareness Week gives us an important national moment, through Hospice UK, to say something very simple but very necessary: talking about death and dying should not begin only when a crisis has already arrived.

“At Foyle Hospice, we see every day how much comfort, clarity and peace can come when people have had the chance to talk about what matters to them. Those conversations can help families understand wishes, reduce uncertainty and support more compassionate care.

“Time for a Wee Chat is not clinical advice, and it does not replace conversations with GPs, nurses, social workers, counsellors or care teams. What it does is help people find a starting point. For many people, that first sentence is the hardest part.

“As a hospice, we must continue to champion digital tools where they can reduce barriers, widen access and help people engage with difficult subjects in a way that feels safe and manageable. Technology can be assistive, it can be inclusive, and it can help us reach people in their homes and communities. But it will never replace the human touch that sits at the heart of hospice care.

“Our staff and volunteers remain the heart of Foyle Hospice. Whether someone is receiving care in our inpatient unit, attending day therapy, being supported at home, or accessing our free counselling and bereavement support, the foundation of that care is always human connection, dignity and compassion.”

The tool has been designed with privacy and accessibility in mind. It does not store names, contact details or personal free-text responses. The first name entered by a user is used only on their own device to make the experience feel more personal.

Sheila Duffy, Director of Income and Communications at Foyle Hospice, said: “One of the most important parts of our work is communicating with our community in ways that feel clear, compassionate and accessible. Conversations about death and dying can feel overwhelming, so we wanted to create something that feels familiar, gentle and easy to use.

“Time for a Wee Chat is about helping people take that first step. It may be a person thinking about their own wishes, someone worried about a parent or partner, or someone recently bereaved who is sitting with difficult thoughts and emotions. The tool does not push people. It simply offers words, prompts and reassurance. “The name Time for a Wee Chat is not intended to make light of death, dying or grief. It is about giving people a small first step to start.

“These conversations can feel very big, and for many people the hardest part is knowing how to begin. In the North West, a ‘wee chat’ is often how we open the door to something important. We wanted the tool to feel local, familiar and human, while treating the subject with the care and seriousness it deserves.”

“As communicators, we have a responsibility to use every appropriate channel available to us. That includes face-to-face conversations, printed materials, media, community engagement, social media and carefully designed digital tools. If a short online experience helps one person begin a conversation they have been putting off, then it has real value.

“This is also about meeting people where they are. Some people will speak to a nurse, a counsellor, a friend or a family member. Others may first need a moment on their phone to gather their thoughts. Both are valid, and both can lead to more open, compassionate conversations.”

Foyle Hospice provides specialist palliative care and support for people living with life-limiting illnesses across the North West, including care in the inpatient unit, day therapy, specialist care in people’s own homes, and free counselling and bereavement support for patients and families.

The hospice is encouraging people across Derry and the wider Western Trust area to use Dying Matters Awareness Week as an opportunity to talk more openly with family, friends and loved ones.

Donall Henderson added:

“Our hope is that Time for a Wee Chat helps normalise these conversations before people feel under pressure to have them. Hospice care is not only about the final days of life. It is about quality of life, family support, dignity, choice and helping people feel less alone.

“If we can support our community to talk earlier, more openly and with more confidence, then we are strengthening the community around every patient and family we serve.”

Time for a Wee Chat will be available during Dying Matters Awareness Week 2026 at: foylehospice.com/weechat