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Guest speaker: Erica Buist

To mark Dying Matters Awareness Week 2026 (4th-10th May), writer and journalist Erica Buist invited us to look at death differently.

After a personal loss brought her face to face with how awkwardly we react to dying, Erica set out to explore how other cultures approach it: with ritual, openness, and even joy.

Her journey took her to death festivals (deathtivals) in Mexico, Nepal, Sicily, Thailand, Japan, Madagascar and Indonesia. We got to see and hear what she experienced: reminders that by facing endings together, we can live more fully, and maybe even find moments of laughter along the way.

Guest poet: Kay Scorah

The ideal complement to any Sunday Assembly London speaker, our own Kay Scorah gave us her own reflections on this challenging but important topic.

Read Are you still there?, Kay’s opening piece

Our singalongs

As usual, there were be four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band and reflecting today’s themes.

• A Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum
• I Just Died in your Arms Tonight – Cutting Crew
• Who Knew – P!nk
• The Dead Dance – Lady Gaga

The lyrics were projected on screen and everyone was welcome to sing (and dance) along.

About Sunday Assembly London

Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.

Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.

→ Our next assembly: Woodshop of Recycled Delights, 17th May
← Our previous assembly: Mind the Gap: Why Intergenerational Connection Matters now more than Ever, 19th April

Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear an age-based label. Boomer, Generation X, Millennial, Gen Z… might these be blocking connections, understanding, better living? What becomes possible when we work to bridge these divides?

Guest speaker: Dr Judith Ish-Horowicz MBE

With Global Intergenerational Week 2026 coming up (24th to 30th April), we welcomed its England lead Judith Ish-Horowicz. Judith shared the story of founding Apples and Honey Nightingale (AHN), the UK’s first co-located nursery and care home.

‘In our own bungalow within the grounds of Nightingale House, a care home for older people, the children develop a deeper understanding of the human life cycle and respect for others from their daily interactions with their older friends at Nightingale.’

What began as a bold idea has grown into a wider movement, from training practitioners to building networks that connect generations across the country.

Judith is also co-founder of Gen-All, a grassroots network championing intergenerational practice.

Guest poet: Carys Hannah

Continuing the theme of what we can learn from children, Carys read a lovely poem about believing in dragons, based on her experience of teaching abroad.

Our singalongs

As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band and reflecting today’s themes.

• When I’m 64 – The Beatles
• Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
• Father and Son – Yusuf aka Cat Stevens
• Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus

The lyrics will be projected on screen and everyone’s welcome to sing (and dance) along.

→ Our next assembly: This Party’s Dead: a Journey to Seven of the World’s Death Festivals, 3rd May
← Our previous assembly: The Power of Love, 15th March

Guest speaker: Laura Coleman-Day

Laura Coleman-Day told us her extraordinary story of resolve, generosity and love.

After losing her husband Xander to leukaemia, Laura set herself a remarkable challenge: running 12 marathons in 12 months to raise funds and awareness for Anthony Nolan. She finished on what would have been her and Xander’s 6th wedding anniversary, running the final miles of the London Marathon in her wedding dress. She raised over £30k.

Laura says: ‘In 2026, I plan to take on 7 marathons for our 7th Anniversary, finishing with London 2026 where this time, I will run the whole marathon in my wedding dress.’

While this assembly marks International Women’s Day (8th March), Laura brought us a story for all time – of strength, purpose, and turning grieving into giving.

Support Laura

Guest poet: Kay Scorah

Sunday Assembly London’s own Kay Scorah was back on stage, helping us to find strength and inspiration through her verse.

Read Kay’s poems from the assembly

Our singalongs

As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band and reflecting today’s themes.

• Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) – Kate Bush
• Keep On Movin’ – 5ive
• Girl On Fire – Alicia Keys
• Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves – Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

The lyrics were projected on screen and everyone was welcome to sing (and dance) along.

This will be our last assembly before we take a month’s break around the Bank Holiday weekend (returning on 19th April), but there will be a Spring Socials calendar to fill the gap. Find out what we’ve got planned here.

About Sunday Assembly London

Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.

Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.

→ Our next assembly: Mind the Gap: Why Intergenerational Connection Matters now more than Ever, 19th April (We’re skipping 5th April for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend)
← Our previous assembly: You Matter… Really!, 1st March

‘Are we living at a turning point in evolution?

Throughout Earth’s history, evolutionary big bangs like the Cambrian explosion have brought fundamental change – and some believe we are approaching the biggest one yet. The consequences could be profound: ushering in a new era of intelligence, or putting us at risk of irrelevance… or even extinction like world-dominating species who came before us.

But instead of despairing, join us to chew it over! (And to wash it down with a nice cup of tea.)’

Guest speaker: Dr Nash Popovic

Nash Popovic is a former Senior Lecturer at the University of East London, author, and founder of The Synthesis: a website which brings together science and spirituality to explore the perennial question of the meaning of life.

Blending science, philosophy and human experience, Nash helped us explore how rapidly accelerating change could shape the future of humanity – and why, at times like this, curiosity, compassion and everyday choices matter more than ever.

Our singalongs

As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band and reflecting today’s themes, including St. David’s Day.

• Dakota – The Stereophonics
• Changes – David Bowie
• The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
• Mulder and Scully – Catatonia

The lyrics were projected on screen and everyone was welcome to sing (and dance) along.

About Sunday Assembly London

Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.

Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.

→ Our next assembly: The Power of Love, 15th March
← Our previous assembly: The Love Doctress Is In!, 15th February