The Coffin Club sees its members chatting while crafting their own coffins.

Ritu77

When it comes to the topic of death, many people tend to avoid discussing it, but in the city of Hastings on the North Island of New Zealand, there exists a unique community organization called the "Coffin Club" – which is not your typical club! It's a place where members gather to enjoy tea and chat while handcrafting their own unique coffins!

Reportedly, in recent years, New Zealand has seen the emergence of several such clubs, with the Coffin Club in Hastings being one of only four nationwide. The first club opened in Rotorua on the North Island in 2010. Members only need to pay a membership fee of 30 New Zealand dollars to receive a plain wooden coffin. These coffins come in different designs and sizes, with each originally priced at around 700 New Zealand dollars, while additional charges apply for paint and fabric lining. In this club, there's no shortage of creative ideas from the seniors.

Let's take a look at some of these seniors' creative works! 75-year-old motorcycle enthusiast Jim Sorn utilizes his skilled cabinet-making abilities to design a coffin with a motorcycle racetrack painted on it. Sorn believes he prefers his own coffin designs, as it's a way of embarking on his final journey. He expressed that while death may be a taboo topic for many, it's still a part of life, and one ultimately has to come to terms with it!

Meanwhile, Kevin Hayward's design inspiration comes from Austin Healey's vintage cars, with the coffin adorned with a "license plate" that reads "DEAD1A". He even equipped the coffin with decorative features such as a simulated steering wheel, windshield, metal hubcaps, bonnet, and rearview mirror. Although this is a club related to "death", and talking about death is a difficult topic for many, the atmosphere in this unique club is relaxed and cheerful. Members enjoy food while chatting and laughing during their tea breaks.

In addition to making their own coffins, club members also support the community through practical actions. They produce urns, which they sell to local crematoria, and they also make small coffins to donate to families in need, providing comfort to families who have lost children. Additionally, members knit blankets, teddy bears, pillows, and hearts to place in infant coffins. The club also makes small coffins for Hastings Hospital, and if women who have suffered miscarriages need them, the club donates these small coffins.

Yamini003

Truly, in this vast world, there are all sorts of wonders.

Ritu13

After all, at a certain age, death must be faced.