Life Rites: Reflections, Growth, and Gratitude
As we find ourselves already a few months into 2025, we wanted to pause and share some reflections on the start of the year, and most importantly, to say thank you.
The first quarter has been full of life, love, and care. We've had the privilege of supporting an incredible diversity of ceremonies and services. From small, private family gatherings to larger community celebrations of life. Each one has been unique, each one a reminder of how important it is to meet people where they are, and to honour the individual stories that shape our lives and our deaths.
Beyond our ceremony work, we've also been busy behind the scenes. We've been involved in a number of programs, some created by Life Rites, and others in collaboration with wonderful organisations that share our values. These opportunities to connect, educate, and advocate have been a real highlight for us, and we're proud to continue contributing to broader conversations around holistic, community-centred end-of-life care.
None of this happens without the trust and openness of the people and communities we work with. It’s something we never take for granted. Every family, every story, every moment entrusted to us is a privilege, and it’s what fuels our commitment to the work we do.
We’re excited to share a glimpse of what the first few months have held, and even more excited for what’s still to come. Thank you for being part of the Life Rites community.
The Life Rites Team
Knowledge and Skills Workshop
In March and April, we welcomed a passionate group of end-of-life doulas and care practitioners to our inaugural Life Rites Training Workshop weekends. Across two rich and reflective days, we explored the practical, relational, and ritual elements of end-of-life care, together cultivating a space that was as nourishing as it was educational.
As one participant shared:
“There was so much valuable information shared with us through the insights, experience and knowledge from across the entire Life Rites team. It was a privilege to be included, not only to learn from the fantastic Life Rites practitioners, but also to be in the company of awesome doulas from around the country.”
The weekend brought deep learning, generous contributions, and a strong sense of connection.
Another participant reflected:
“This was an incredible workshop! Two days of deeply embodied, practical training exploring both the hard and soft skills of doula work in community.”
We’re filled with gratitude and excitement. This is just the beginning. We’ll be offering more training weekends throughout the year on a range of topics that support meaningful, grounded, and holistic practice in deathcare.
Deepening Our Practice: Life Rites Book Club
Earlier this year, the Life Rites team launched a book club as part of our commitment to continually deepening the care we offer. Our first choice has been What Happened to You? by Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey. A powerful exploration of how early experiences shape us, and how understanding trauma can transform the way we support others.
The reading has been rich, thought-provoking, and at times deeply moving. It has sparked many important conversations amongst the team, offering new insights and language that help us reflect on the way we approach our work, and each other.
To support this learning, we have also gathered for shared discussions, creating space to sit with the ideas, share personal reflections, and explore how they translate into practical, trauma-informed care. We still have a few gatherings to go as we near the end of the book, but already, the impact of this work is clear: a greater awareness, deeper compassion, and an even stronger commitment to meeting the people we serve with sensitivity, respect, and understanding.
Celebrating Local Connections: Life Rites in the Business Awards
We’re excited to share that Life Rites has entered the Local Business Awards this year in the Specialised Business category.
Since opening our independent premises in the Georges River area, we’ve been committed to offering personalised, holistic funeral care that truly meets the needs of our local community. From full funeral planning and ceremony facilitation, to body care, family-led funerals, grief support, and community education. Our work is grounded in compassion, respect, and the belief that every life deserves to be honoured in a meaningful way.
Being part of the Local Business Awards feels like a special milestone for us, and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the values that guide our work: care, choice, connection, and community. It’s also a chance to highlight the importance of independent funeral practices, and the real difference it makes to have locally-owned, people-centered options available when they’re needed most.
We would be so grateful for your support. If Life Rites has made a difference to you, your family, or someone you know, we’d love for you to vote for us in this year’s awards. You can cast your vote by following this link.
Honouring Service and Sacrifice: Reflections for ANZAC Day
As we pass ANZAC Day, we take time to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many, past and present, in service.
During the 2020 lockdown, Sonja Godfrey-Chan from our team found a quiet but powerful way to honour her own family’s connection to this legacy. She taught herself to crochet poppies, preparing three glass vases to remember her grandfather (WWII), her great-grandfather (WWI, who died post-war of his injuries), and her great-uncle (WWI, who died on the fields of France). When dawn broke on 25 April, she stood with her neighbours at the end of her driveway, listening to the Last Post play across their quiet street.
Sonja shares, "I have always held those who have fought for us close to my heart. I now have the privilege in my work with Life Rites to assist families of veterans by including a RSL-endorsed Military Funeral Tribute in their ceremonies, a chance to honour their contribution to our country, to place the poppy flower, that widely recognised symbol of remembrance, on the coffin, and to reflect on the timeless words of the Ode of Remembrance."
At Life Rites, we recognise how important it is to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of veterans and service personnel, not only on ANZAC Day, but whenever we are called to honour a life that has helped shape our collective story.
Lest we forget.
Life Rites in Community: Supporting Conversations That Matter
At Life Rites, we believe that death care is deeply connected to community care, and we are proud to support initiatives that open up important conversations and strengthen the continuum of care across our community.
Recently, we had the privilege of supporting the South East Sydney Local Health District’s World Social Work Day event. We hold a deep appreciation for the essential and often unseen work that social workers do every day. The connection between hospital care and Life Rites care is a vital one, ensuring families are held with sensitivity, compassion, and support as they move through some of life’s most difficult moments.
Looking ahead, there are two community events we are proud to be part of:
Eco Rest – Wednesday 7 May, 6:30–8:00pm at Good Earth Bookshop, Wentworth Falls
Eco Rest is a dedicated group of Blue Mountains locals advocating for terramation (human composting) to become legally accessible as an affordable and environmentally sustainable death care option in Australia.
At their next gathering, Victoria Spence and Sarah Barry from the Life Rites team will be guest speakers, sharing their experience and vision for community-led funeral care and the importance of sustainable body disposal methods.
Bookings are essential, secure your place here.
An LGBTQ+ Death Conversation – Saturday 17 May, 10:00am–1:00pm at East Sydney Community and Arts Centre, Darlinghurst
Hosted by The Love Project and ACON, this event invites lesbian, gay, bi+, trans, and queer people (18 years and over) and people living with HIV (PLHIV) to come together for a relaxed, welcoming conversation about death, dying, and end-of-life care.
It’s a safe space to explore important questions, share concerns, and connect with others over morning tea.
Bookings are essential, register here.
We’re proud to keep supporting spaces where open, compassionate conversations about death and dying are not just possible, but encouraged and celebrated.
Thank You for Over 50 Google Reviews
We’re so grateful to share that Life Rites has now received over 50 Google reviews. Each message shared is more than just feedback, it’s a reflection of the trust, care, and connection at the heart of what we do.
If you’ve connected with Life Rites and feel called to share your experience, we would be deeply grateful. Your words help carry the message of holistic, community-centered care further into the world.