On 23 March 2023, people will come together for the third National Day of Reflection (UK) https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/day-of-reflection/talks. It’s organised by end-of-life charity, Marie Curie, and has been adopted by many other organisations including other charities, religious organisations, parts of the NHS and local councils.

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The day is an opportunity to remember loved ones who've died and support the grieving, and many of our teams, where feasible, will be joining others in observing a moments silence.

At easyStorage, we are keenly aware that often people’s reasons for using self-storage are for the death or severe illness of a loved one.

It may be that someone is unwell and is moving into sheltered accommodation or care, either temporarily or permanently.

It may be that someone’s house needs to be sold to pay for care.

It may be that a house needs clearing following a death, or is being adapted to meet the needs of someone terminally ill.

Many of us have seen first hand how so many of us put off the important conversations, leaving families suffering and divided when a loved one dies, so we are keenly aware of the important message this Day of Reflection brings.

Our franchisees are selected as much for their ability to empathise as for their ability to run a business (something which we feel influences our consistently good TrustPilot review scores). It doesn’t mean they’re coming armed with broad shoulders and tissues – it means that they are going to do their best to professionally take a load off someone's already burdened shoulders.

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We also try and make things easier in ways that include:

·         As a matter of course, easyStorage collects and delivers back possessions, but our teams can also arrange to pack for you;

·         In 2021, easyStorage became a member of the NAFD, the National Association of Funeral Directors which means a deeper understanding of the issues faced by our customers, and allows member Funeral Directors, who are an important help to people at a difficult time, to arrange discounts on storage for the bereaved;

·         We have blogs and resources on a growing special channel on our website (https://www.easystorage.com/living/loss ) to help with advice and suggestions.

Of course, our specialism is storage, and we don’t pretend to have answers to the bigger issues. But we do aim to do our best to understand and practically support any customers moving for these reasons, and hope that people will not only join the minute’s silence, but engage with the fabulous resources created by the Marie Curie charity with a view to having healthy conversations about death, dying and loss before having to make tough decisions at a difficult time.