Death is not something that would usually be discussed over tea and coffee, but the topic of mortality is firmly on the agenda at one tea-party this evening.
Manchester’s very first ‘Death Café’, where users meet to talk about the ‘end’ will take place tonight at the Moor Club in Heaton Moor.
The unusual Death Cafe premise originated in America and has spread across Europe in recent years.
To date there has more than 500 Death Cafés take place around the world.
The events operate as a ‘social franchise’, which mean that anybody can set one up and claim to be an affiliate of the ‘Death Café’ provided they adhere to certain principles and guidelines.
Funeral director Hugh O’Brien has been the driving-force behind the Stockport venture, with the help of Liz Thompson, a funeral celebrant.
Liz says she simply wants to get people talking about a subject that affects us all.
“Death Café is around raising awareness of what is probably one of life’s last taboos really,” she said.
“Not a lot of people want to speak about death, although more and more people are, and it’s just a way of getting people together.”
Liz decided to involve herself in the Death Cafe because the subject has interested her through her current and previous work.
“I’ve also got an interest in death – that might sound a bit morbid – but in a previous job I use to manage a supported housing network for people with learning disabilities and it was very much a taboo subject.”
“It’s become a really difficult subject for people to discuss and people grow up not really knowing anything about death, then when people are faced with death it’s a very, very difficult subject to be able to manage, just at a time when they’re really raw and not able really to be able to do that.”
Tonight’s event may possibly be the first of many regular sessions, depending on how well the turnout is.
No entrance fee will be required, while cakes and tea and hot drinks will be provided.
Donations will be welcomed to help cover the costs of the session.
Liz says she is expecting a good turn-out, judging from the positive response they have had so far.
“Hugh thinks around 30 or 40 people may attend, which for a first meeting is really good. That’s people that have expressed interest, but also people who may just drop in as well,” she told MM.
“We don’t want people to feel under any pressure to talk about things if they don’t want to. People can come and just listen about what’s being said and then just go if they want to do that.”
The Death Café will begin at 7.15pm this evening at The Moor Club in Heaton Moor, Stockport. For more information, click here.
Image courtesy of google maps , with thanks
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
