Episode five of More Than a Shop Podcast is released

Recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic, this episode features Co-op Funeralcare’s Raegan Drew and Methodist minister, writer and filmmaker Kathleen Loughlin. We also hear from a Death Café in Manchester. Death Cafés exist all over the world, creating a safe, informal space for people to talk about death and grief.

Guests were asked to bring a challenge they feel is particularly pertinent when it comes to people dealing with or thinking about death or dying.

You can subscribe to the podcast via morethanashop.coop, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read a transcript of the episode on our website or listen to it here: 

Kathleen Loughlin believes we have a tendency to avoid those going through difficult times: “We have to redefine our understanding of where people who are living with grief, or a health crisis, can be actually valued, contributing people as well as enjoying the life that’s still theirs to have.” 

Co-op Funeralcare’s Raegan Drew works every day with families planning loved ones’ funerals: “For us, it’s people not saying what they want. Not talking about death enough. I know it’s morbid but not expressing anything to do with your funeral means families have no idea what you want.”

Series producer, Geoff Bird, visited a Death Café – one of 100s globally. Debbie Jones, who runs a group in south Manchester, says: “We create a space where local people are building a community around a topic that might be close to their heart but difficult to talk about. We get a spread of ages – anything between 18 and 80 something.”

The More Than a Shop podcast is a collaboration between Co‑operatives UK, The Co‑op, Co‑op News, The Co‑operative College and The Co‑operative Heritage Trust. The series was produced by Geoff Bird on behalf of Sparklab Productions.

Please note: The series was recorded before the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.