Death Cafe to open during the day

The first daytime Death Cafe will be held in Perth later this month.

It follows the success of three evening events in the city.

Rachel Weiss, co-founder of Rowan Consultancy, will be one of the hosts.

She said: “The event is about providing a neutral space for people to talk about one of the last taboo subjects, death. As a society, we tend to deny death, constantly seeking cures, but we will all die eventually.

“In other societies, and previously in the UK, death is more visible, more part of life, with people dying at home and bodies being viewed in the home.

“But here, many people will not see a dead person until they are middle-aged themselves, and may not know what to do when someone dies, both practically and emotionally.

“Death cafes provide a space to talk about your own death, or a relatives, to share experiences and sometimes even jokes. It allows a group-directed discussion about death with no agenda, objectives or themes.

“It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.”

Rachel added: “Having held three evening events, feedback suggested that a daytime event would also be good.”

Death cafes have spread across Europe, North America and Australasia.

The session will be held in the Queens Hotel, Perth, on September 29, from 10am until noon.