Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rach Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we’ll have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some. Together with guests from all walks of life, we’ll be unpacking big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?

We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.

This episode is a little different. Today, we’re taking some time to look back on the past year and reflect on some of the conversations that have really stayed with us.

This month we’re talking about what we’ve learned from our guests, from our work at PAH, and from each other. We’ll reflect on conversations about anti-racism, faith, identity, care and love. And we’ll share why, despite everything, we still believe belonging is something we can build together.

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk

Hosted and produced by Rachael Basak and Sarah Dowd

Produced by Sarah Dowd

Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rach Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we’ll have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some. Together with guests from all walks of life, we’ll be unpacking big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.

This month, we’re delighted to be joined by Steve Marshall. Steve is a clinical academic who combines his work as a palliative care social worker at King’s College Hospital with research at The Cicely Saunders Institute. His work focuses on improving care for people and families at the end of life. Steve is currently undertaking qualitative data collection on a Marie Curie funded research project entitled The Take-up Study, which is exploring the take-up of welfare benefits towards the end-of-life. This work is already leading to practical, evidence-based guidance to support professionals in their practice in applying for benefits with those to likely to die in the next 12 months.

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk Hosted and produced by Rachael Basak and Sarah DowdProduced by Sarah Dowd Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

Resources:Info about the KCL/CSI research project: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/the-take-up-study

Marie Curie's Dying in Poverty report: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/document/dying-in-poverty-report-2025

Marie Curie's petition: https://campaigns.mariecurie.org.uk/page/159107/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=web

In the podcast we discuss that Macmillan Grants are no longer available nationally please see here for advice and support on other financial support Macmillan Grants | Macmillan Cancer Support Money advice | Macmillan Cancer Support

Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rach Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we’ll have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some.

Together with guests from all walks of life, we’ll be unpacking big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?

We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.

Today’s episode is a very special collaboration with our guest, Richard Keagan- Bull. Richard is a podcaster, an author and a researcher at Kingston University. He also has a learning disability, and he uses his work to help people understand inclusion, respect and what good support looks like. This collaborative episode is called A Cuppa and Beyond with Richard, Rach and Sarah in honour of Richard’s podcast A Cuppa Tea with Richard, where he has interviewed guests including Dr Katherine Mannix and Actor and Comedian Mel Giedroyc.

We talk about Richard’s work, how we can support people with a learning disability in palliative care, and we even share our dream dinner party guests, dead or alive!

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk

Hosted and produced by Richard Keagan-Bull, Rachael Basak and Sarah Dowd

Produced by Sarah Dowd Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

Thanks to Jonny, Andrew and the Team at Kingston University

Resources:

Don't Put Us Away by Richard Keagan-Bull | WaterstonesCuppa Tea with Richard - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe KIND Research Group (Intellectual Disability Research) | Kingston University LondonThe DAPPLE Project |End Of Life Care Planning | The Victoria And Stuart Project

'Belonging in Every Sense'

Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rach Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we’ll have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some. Together with guests from all walks of life, we’ll be unpacking big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?

We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.
Today we are joined by a very special guest, Clare Burgess, Chief Executive of Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey. Clare brings both professional insight and personal lived experience of sensory loss. Clare has a particular interest in loneliness and social isolation, and the role of the community in tackling these issues. In our conversation, we talk about what meaningful support looks like and how we can all play a role in creating more inclusive communities.

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk

Hosted and produced by Rachael Basak and Sarah Dowd
Produced by Sarah Dowd
Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

Resources

sightforsurrey.org.uk/
www.meta.com/gb/ai-glasses/
www.letsenvision.com/glasses/home
www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-he…uide-training/
rnid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/…lling-card-2025.pdf
deafblind.org.uk/get_support/care-and-support/
www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/
royaldeaf.org.uk/deaf-support-services/

Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rachael Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support, and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some. Together with guests from all walks of life, we unpack big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?

We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.

In this episode, we’re joined by Michelle Gibbs, a dedicated teacher at Tolworth Schools, who brings over a decade of hands-on experience to the conversation. Mrs Gibbs shares how knowing each child’s story, creating space for mutual respect, and embedding pastoral care into daily school life can transform the learning environment—and help every child feel seen, heard, and valued.

This conversation is especially timely, as over the summer, the UK government updated the national curriculum to include loss, including bereavement education for primary-aged children. This important change is part of the revised Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, aiming to support emotional literacy and wellbeing from an early age. You can read the official guidance here.

If you work in a primary school and would like to talk to us about this change, we’d love to hear from you: bereavementsupport@pah.org.uk

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond, please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk.

Hosted and produced by Rachael Basak and Sarah Dowd
Produced by Sarah Dowd
Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

📚 Resources:

• trauma-informed-schools.pdf– Young Minds – Trauma Informed Education
• Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning | EEF
• Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education

Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rach Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we’ll have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some. Together with guests from all walks of life, we’ll be unpacking big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?

We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.

Today, we’re joined by Sarah, the Musical Director of our Hospice Community Choir, a unique group that brings together bereaved family members, carers, patients, staff, volunteers, and people from the local community. In this episode, we’ll talk about how singing in a group can support emotional well-being, build new connections, and help people feel part of something bigger: especially in times of grief or uncertainty.

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk

Hosted and produced by Rachael Basak and Sarah Dowd

Produced by Sarah Dowd

Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

Resources:

www.pah.org.uk/how-you-can-help/choir/

www.ovid.com/journals/bmjspc/fulltext/10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001642~group-singing-in-bereavement-effects-on-mental-health

Welcome to Belonging and Beyond: Exploring Belonging Through How We Live and Die, brought to you by Princess Alice Hospice with your hosts Rach Basak, Head of Community Involvement and Support and Sarah Dowd, Head of Inclusion.

In this series, we’ll have honest conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the barriers created in society for some. Together with guests from all walks of life, we’ll be unpacking big questions like: What does belonging look like? Who gets to belong? And how can we build communities where everyone feels seen and included?

We are excited to be here and hope it sparks reflection, connection, and maybe even change.

Today, we’re highlighting the experiences of refugees and displaced people, emphasising the vital importance of belonging and the opportunity to contribute to society as part of their journey.

We are joined by Nurettin, a trustee at Elmbridge CAN — a local charity doing incredible work to support refugees and asylum seekers here in our community. Nurettin has also generously offered to share his own lived experience, helping us understand the challenges and triumphs that come with building a sense of belonging in a new place.

If you would like to share your thoughts, views or be part of Belonging and Beyond please do get in touch at sarahdowd@pah.org.uk and rachaelbasak@pah.org.uk

Hosted and produced by Rachael Basak and Sarah Dowd

Produced by Sarah Dowd

Edited by Sarah Dowd and Elizabeth Lattimore

Resources:

Elmbridge CAN | positive action for refugees

Home - Refugee Council

Refugee Action Kingston

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