About us
Friends at the End (SCIO) works to increase public knowledge about end of life choices and supports people to die with dignity.
We provide comfort and support to those suffering distress towards the end of their lives. Our team can also assist with documentation including Advance Directives, Advance Care Statements, and Powers of Attorney.
Our long term aim is to see the passing of assisted dying legislation in Scotland. We have supported Liam McArthur MSP in the development of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. We hope to see this bill passed in the current Scottish Parliament (session 6) – until this happens we will work to ensure everyone has a good death within the current law.
Other Friends at the End activities
- Host knowledge-sharing events about end of life issues.
- Support legal cases on assisted dying taken forward by individuals.
- Provide legal advice on assisted dying legislation, including assisting with the preparation of three parliamentary bills in Scotland.
- Invest in academic research to increase knowledge and awareness of end of life choices. Including providing a scholarship for Dr Amanda Ward’s PhD thesis which provides the legal and philosophical framework for the current proposal.
- Facilitate local support and campaigning groups for assisted dying legislation. (Want to get involved? Become a member.)
- Work with partnership organisations in the third, private and public sectors who support end of life care.
- We are currently in partnership with DID and HSS to sponsor Dr Amanda Ward (recognised as the expert on Scots Law on Assisted Dying) as Research and Legal Advisor on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
We formed as a voluntary society in 2000 and received charitable status in 2018. As a registered charity in Scotland (SC048875), our 2021-22 Annual Report and Accounts are published here.You can access a copy of our 2020-21 annual accounts at Friends at the End SCIO Report and Accounts 2021.
Our consultation responses
Friends at the End regularly generates consultation responses based on the views of our wide-ranging membership. Consultation documents are then submitted to a range of sources, including the Scottish and UK Government, Committees of the Scottish and UK Parliaments or other parties who can influence policy, such as the Law Commission.
- Response to Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Bill 2020
- Response to Scottish Government Coronavirus Framework for Decision Making
- Friends at the End AWIA Consultation Response April 2018
- FATE submission to Human Rights Comm of the Scottish Parliament
- Scottish Law Commission response
- Summary of written evidence submitted to the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee in response to the AS (Scot) Bill 2015
“The act of dying is one of the acts of life.”
– Marcus Aureliius
FAQs
You can find out more about assisted dying by reading our frequently asked questions here.
Donate
Supporting us financially, in any way you can, will help us to improve end of life choices and enable us to support people (regardless of their circumstances) to make sure their rights at that time are fully respected. Every contribution is a step in the right direction towards greater choice
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Our community
Friends at the End is a Scottish Charity promoting knowledge and understanding of end of life choices and campaigning to change the law to allow Assisted Dying in the UK.
