Our activities

Public and Stakeholder Involvement Event March 2025
March 2025

march We held a Public and Stakeholder Involvement Event with the End of Life Partnership to discuss research priorities for end of life care. We had an excellent morning with attendees sharing their experiences and views, and we had a lot of feedback around themes including pain management, vulnerable groups, family carers and staff wellbeing. The discussion was particularly helpful in guiding our thinking from the perspectives of those with direct experience, which will support the development of research proposals that can have a meaningful impact in the community. 

We are currently working through all the feedback to form some areas of interest for discussion with other partners over the next couple of months, which we will also align to national priority setting exercises.  We aim to identify some priorities for research over the summer. If you have an interest or expertise in the field and would like to get involved in some of this work please do contact Dr Angela Clifford and Dr Jane Jervis, and do share this invitation with others in research, clinical or third sector roles.


The Loss, Bereavement and End of Life Care Research Group invite you to attend the Seths Legacy: Pancreatic Cancer Compassion and Creativity Conference
20th November 2024
Keele Chapel


This event is free to attend. Please see the flyer for the event here, and the booking form below. You are very welcome to attend all or part of the day. Please feel free to share the links with anyone you think would be interested in attending.

The link to share the booking form is here.


Exploring the subject of pets, companionship and ageing with Beth Johnson and a local primary school: https://www.bjf.org.uk/pets-companionship-and-ageing/


Agenda for Creatively Improving End of life Care for People Now and in the Future: Seth's legacy

14th June 2024

Join Lesley Goodburn, Marie Curie and Pancreatic Cancer UK  on the 14th June face to face at Marie Curie in London for this free conference Creatively Improving End of life Care for People Now and in the Future: Seth's legacy or join us virtually online just click the link and book your place https://bit.ly/4bHLoxp

The day will start with an overview of strategic landscape of end of life and pancreatic cancer care with Baron Ilora Finlay, Sarah Holmes Chief medical officer at Marie Curie and Sarah Bell head of services at Pancreatic Cancer UK

Our first panel session looks at how Seth's Story the play, the film and educational resource has impacted and influenced end of life care, the need for psychosocial support and raised awareness of pancreatic cancer with a panel of people from hospices, universities, drama schools and US based creative agencies.

We then move on to share three personal experiences via digital stories discussing the need for person and family centred care, compassion and the role of live experience in improving compassionate care.

Our session mid-morning will be a performance piece and the sharing the audio, written and digital story versions of the letters I wrote it healthcare professionals six months after Seth died in 2014. These unpublished letters are now being shared 10 years on to be included in the curriculum of health and social care teaching working with 19 universities.

A highlight of the day will include a panel discussion about the issues highlighted during the day with Ruth May Chief nursing officer at NHS England, Baroness Ilora Finlay, Bishop Sarah Mullaly and Professor Bee Wee.

Our final session of the day will feature workshops sessions from Alison Penny of the National Bereavement Alliance, Sarah Bell from Pancreatic Cancer UK and a creative session from Faye Whale palliative CNS from Leeds Teaching Hospital

So much to learn, share and take part in creativity taking centre focus.


Law surrounding pet theft changing thanks to Keele lecturer’s campaign


Midlands Racial Equality in Medicine (MREM) Network Conference
Keele University
2 March 2024

Members of the Research Group were invited to facilitate two workshops on palliative and end of life care.

For information on the network please follow this link.


Keele lecturer receives prestigious national award for animal welfare campaign work