02/02/2026
A massive thank you to everyone who made our D Word visiting day so incredibly special.
From the school, to the crematorium staff, to Rev Rae McKenzie (Viewfield Baptist church), to Dunfermline Co-op Funeral Care, to Dean Saunders the Piper— every single person involved went above and beyond for our young people. They were welcomed with warmth, honesty, humour and care, and they responded with curiosity, respect and openness.
We saw 14 young people completely at ease in spaces that are often seen as frightening or taboo — asking thoughtful questions, listening deeply, and learning that death doesn’t have to be something we’re afraid to talk about.
The young people were truly incredible. They had a tour of the crematorium, a walk in the memorial garden, an inspiring session in the church, and probably everyone's favourite was sitting in the hearse, wearing the top hats and seeing a coffin being built and prepared. They even had the chance to line the street and bow with respect as a cortege was paged past them before a visit to the cemetery and a chance for one young lady to lay some flowers on her family grave.
A special thank you to Cheryl and Stephen from The Courier for taking the time to come out and meet with us in the cemetery. The young people were completely at ease with you and absolutely thrilled at the thought of being featured. It was lovely to see them chatting away and posing for photographs, and we are all so excited for the article to come out. I’ll make sure every young person gets a copy of their story.
Thank you, Cheryl, for taking the time to chat with me and for listening to my story and how much the D Word is in my heart. I hope it was clear how passionate I am about bringing this incredible resource to Fife, and how, as a team at The D Word we hope to take it across Scotland.
Our aim is to help build a resilient and compassionate generation of young people, and I think I can safely say — on behalf of the school — that Woodmill are proud to be the forerunners in Fife on what we hope will be an amazing journey.
This is exactly what the D Word is about: demystifying death, opening conversations, and giving young people experiences they’ll remember — and talk about — long after today.
I’ve no doubt we’ve inspired some future funeral professionals, celebrants, and compassionate humans along the way.
Grateful to work alongside such passionate, generous professionals.
Here’s to doing it all again with more schools across Fife. ❤️
