Better Endings is a collaboration between Co-Founders Louise Piper and Penny Bell.

How Better Endings Began:

Better Endings began with a personal realisation.

When someone in my own family was dying, I discovered how little I knew about how to be with someone at the end of their life.There was good medical care. There was plenty of love. But there were conversations we didn't know how to have and we avoided any mention of death and dying. Like many families, we were trying to protect one another. Looking back, I understand that silence differently. We often avoid conversations about dying because we love people, not because we don't.

But that experience left me curious.

Why, when death is something every family will encounter, are so many of us so unprepared for it? That question eventually led me to train as an end-of-life doula and to to setting up Better Endings.

Why we came together

Penny and I came together through a shared belief that end-of-life support doesn’t only begin with a terminal diagnosis. Increasing numbers of people are living for many years with dementia, and where there may be no clear point when someone is told they are dying. Penny's experience in dementia care and my work in end-of-life support felt naturally complementary, allowing Better Endings to support people and families earlier and when there is still time to talk, plan and understand what matters most.

About Louise

Louise is a practising End of Life Doula working across Kent and Sussex. She is Chair of End of Life Doula UK , A charity, and the membership association for UK Doula’s which the sets the standards for doula practice.

She is currently completing an MSc in End of Life Studies at the University of Glasgow. Her work combines one-to-one support with a wider interest in how we can become more confident talking about dying, planning ahead and supporting one another at the end of life in our communities.

She holds a law degree from the University of Cambridge, worked in the International Financial Markets for 20years, and latterly founded a Charity for Community Sustainable Development across Eastern Africa.

About Penny

Penny is a former nurse, journalist and an award winning broadcaster, with a particular interest in dementia, which began when her mother was diagnosed with the illness. She created the Discovering Dementia podcast to explore how people can live well with dementia and is a volunteer ambassador for Dementia UK. Penny supports families to have earlier conversations about later life and ensure that the wishes of people living with dementia are known and understood.

“To die is human. Anything human is mentionable. Anything mentionable is manageable”

Fred Rogers : A beautiful day in the neighbourhood.