A community undertaking, Tender FNQ

On Monday 8th August, The Cairns Institute hosted a film screening of ‘Tender’. It is a film that documents the story of a community building a way to create more meaningful and affordable funerals. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful and funny glimpse of an extraordinary community taking on one of the most essential challenges of human life; its end.

The screening was followed by a community discussion facilitated by Professor Allan Dale and led by representatives of Tender Funerals North Queensland. Around forty people attended the evening session and the discussion centered around the importance and options of establishing a service in Cairns.

Tender FNQ is a community-based group, working towards establishing a not-for-profit funeral service for the Far North Queensland community. There focus is on providing personalised, meaningful and affordable funerals using a Social Enterprise Model.

Many people may be familiar with Tender Australia, after it was featured on Australian Story. Tender encourages practices that promote healing, including offering people the opportunity to participate in any elements of their loved one’s funeral. They are focused on enabling people to have the funeral experience they want to have.

Tender Funerals Australia is currently working with seven communities around Australia:
• Canberra
• Far North Queensland
• Illawarra and Sydney
• Mid-North Coast, NSW
• Newcastle
• Perth
• Tasmania
The screening was made possible through the support of the Social Enterprise Network for the Tropics (SENT), Queensland Social Enterprise Network (QSEC) and the TNQ Drought Hub.

For more information on Tender FNQ, contact Margaret Yandell tender.fnq@gmail.com