Tenant Advisory Group
The Tenant Advisory Group recently had a guest speaker who spoke about Death Cafés . The members welcomed the setting up of a Death Café at Lanchester Court from February 2026. The Damp and Mould Policy and Pets Policy were reviewed and approved following suggested alterations by members. The Group continues to review key performance information and have input into the Society’s rent and service charge process. New members have recently joined the Group and have made valuable contributions.
It’s not as morbid as you think! It’s a subject that is not often discussed, and that was the reason a man called Jon Underwood arranged the very first Death Cafe in London in 2011. To date there has been over 22,000 cafes established across 93 countries. It is a much more popular subject than even I realised. Why? The objective of the cafes is for people to come together, drink tea, eat cake and discuss death. The aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their (finite) lives. It’s an opportunity for people to share their thoughts and maybe fears in conversations which they may not feel comfortable with having with family members.
My personal interest in this came from supporting a friend go through the process of “putting her affairs in order” after she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She wanted to talk about things but was met with resistance and silence from some friends and family. A style of Death Cafe gave her a space and place to talk openly. It is a discussion group rather than a grief and support and counselling session. The cafes will happen bi-monthly, my hope and intention is that at some of the cafes we will have invited speakers connected to Death Cafe themes.
If you are still unsure but you are curious you can have a look at the Death Cafe website www.deathcafe.com If you want a book to read, I would highly recommend the book “A Memoir of Living and Dying” by Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Elisabeth was known as the “death and dying lady”, she pioneered and encouraged people to openly talk about this subject. It’s not as morbid as you think!