Our National Campaign
white rose Conference
focused on Bereavement care, mental wellbeing, and suicide prevention
The Movement for Change
The National Campaign for Suicide Postvention & Bereavement Care, pioneered by White Rose Funerals & Memorials, is a powerful initiative born directly from the voices of families and our extensive experience on the front lines of loss. We recognise that grief and mental health challenges, including suicide risk, are profoundly intertwined.
This is not merely a forum for discussion; it is a movement to drive concrete, national-level change in how Wales addresses both grief and its severe mental health consequences. The campaign forms the urgent core agenda of our Wales Bereavement & Mental Well-Being Conference 2025.
The event’s prestige and purpose are underscored by the caliber of its attendees, serving as a vital meeting point for political and institutional leaders, including The Minister of Finance - Mark Drakeford, respected figures like Mark Isherwood MS, senior coroners, mental healthcare specialists, and community representatives. Their presence signals a top-down commitment to addressing these critical issues.
The Three Pillars of Immediate Action
Mandatory Suicide Intervention Training
This is a direct mental health intervention. The campaign demands that essential frontline professionals—including funeral directors, teachers, NHS staff, and emergency responders—be equipped with mandatory, life-saving suicide intervention training.
This demand recognises their unique position to identify and assist individuals in crisis, acting as a crucial first line of defense in preventing suicide post-loss and addressing severe mental health challenges. Equipping these staff is paramount to providing effective care that extends beyond the ceremony.
The Campaign for Dignity in Infrastructure
White Rose is leading the charge for essential infrastructure reform: a modern public mortuary in Cardiff with state-of-the-art facilities like digital MRI scanning.
By ensuring every deceased person receives a dignified resting place and significantly reducing delays in the release of bodies, this reform directly alleviates one source of immense emotional and logistical burden on grieving families, which is a key factor in post-loss mental well-being.
A Push for Inclusive Grief & Mental Health Support
This initiative seeks to dismantle the systemic barriers faced by marginalised communities in accessing effective help. We advocate for culturally sensitive and accessible support for all, ensuring that no family is left behind due to a lack of understanding or appropriate resources when facing acute grief and mental distress.
This includes securing access for Deaf families who often face communication challenges, supporting minority ethnic groups with distinct cultural and religious practices, and providing specific resources for faith communities needing urgent and timely arrangements.
Our Proven Impact Since 2017
Since 2017, our conferences have proven to be a powerful, continuous agent of change in bereavement, mental health services, and policy reform in Wales.
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Inaugural Achievements: Our first conference welcomed 70 delegates and sparked immediate, tangible progress. This includes the pioneering introduction of non-invasive MRI scanning and the launch of out-of-hours death registration.
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Expanding Accessibility: We have transformed local services to meet the needs of grieving families by successfully securing the ability for burials to occur on weekends and for death registrations to be completed on weekends, removing unnecessary delays during the most difficult times.
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Legislative Change: With attendance soaring to 300 at our second conference, we generated the momentum required to influence a new Bill. This landmark change allows funerals in cases of murder to take place within a week, rather than being delayed for months.
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Dismantling Barriers: We have broken down systemic barriers for marginalised communities, providing the Deaf and Blind communities with unprecedented access to coroner’s courts and successfully advocating for suicide intervention training for frontline staff.
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Future Infrastructure: As of 2026, our pledge to establish a public mortuary in Cardiff has moved from a vision to a legislative priority. With the instrumental support of HM Senior Coroner Graeme Hughes and Minister of Finance Mark Drakeford, this proposal is now being brought before the Senedd to ensure dignity and specialized care for the city.
Our ongoing work and our unique role in the Welsh Government's Cross-Party Groups continue to shape a more compassionate and inclusive future for bereavement and mental health care in Wales.
How to Get Involved in Our Conference
The success of the 'You Are Not Alone' Conference depends on the passion and participation of our community. There are several ways you can contribute to making the next event the most impactful yet.
