The Empty Chair campaign is starting conversations at the heart of government
Our powerful Empty Chair exhibit goes on display in the House of Commons between 6-9 March 2023.
Last year, we carried out research which found that 72% of people who have experienced bereavement skips meals because they don't like eating alone. This insight led to the creation of the Empty Chair campaign. It aims to raise awareness of how lonely grieving can be, particularly at mealtimes, and create conversations about how we can better support one another.
This week, our Influencing team has secured the chance to showcase our Empty Chair exhibit in the House of Commons. A dining table surrounded by 12 empty chairs has been installed in the Upper Waiting Hall, where MPs, Peers and their staff pass through to reach the Committee and Dining Rooms.
Each empty chair represents someone who has died, including patients cared for at our hospices and palliative care hubs, and relatives of people who had used our bereavement services for support. The exhibit has been carefully crafted working with families with the table being decorated with photos and special items that were important to them. Each place setting also includes a quote from one of their loved ones, highlighting their experience of bereavement and grief.
The event has been sponsored by Peter Dowd (Labour MP for Bootle) and Rt. Hon Tobias Ellwood (Conservative MP for Bournemouth East). Both have personal experiences with bereavement, with Tobias losing his brother Jon in the 2002 Bali bombings, and Peter losing his daughter Jennie in a bike accident in 2020. Both Jon and Jennie are represented with a chair at the table.
Peter Dowd, Labour MP for Bootle, sponsored and spoke at the event. His daughter Jennie was also remembered at the table.
On Monday, the Influencing and Fundraising teams held an opening ceremony in the House of Commons to mark the start of the exhibit. Peter Dowd MP hosted and spoke at the event, which was attended by major donors, representatives from our corporate partners, colleagues from the hospice sector and MPs. We were also pleased to welcome several family members whose loved ones were represented at the table.
Monday also saw a visit from Sue Ryder Ambassador Lisa Riley, whose mum Cath is remembered with a place at the table. Lisa met with Kim Leadbeater MP, sister of the late Labour MP Jo Cox to discuss the exhibit and our bereavement work.
Peter Dowd, Labour MP for Bootle, sponsored and spoke at the event. His daughter Jennie was also remembered at the table.
The Influencing team has invited MPs, Peers and their staff to come and visit the exhibit throughout the week. This is a chance to start conversations with them and their teams about our services, our Grief Kind campaign and the impact of grief and bereavement, as well as supporting our aim to strengthen our relationships with politicians and policy makers to make sure every bereaved person gets the support they need.
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