Coffin club dying for base

Dennis Beach has 40 people signed up to his new coffin-making club in Katikati – but without a base the group will die out before it comes to life.

The retiree is currently seeking a location where he and 40 Katikati residents, along with another six from Tauranga, can produce their own caskets.

Dennis Beach with his homemade coffin.

'There is no club at the moment because we can't find premises,” says Dennis.

Dennis got involved in coffin-making when a friend's wife died suddenly last November.

'When I saw all the grief and hassle they had with the funeral, I was very sad for them, but I took my wife to the dentist and while waiting for her there was a ‘The Shed' magazine with an article about a coffin-making club in Rotorua.

'That planted the seed and I joined Tauranga's Coffin Club and built my own coffin.”

He then found out the clubs aren't just about creating coffins.

'They have all the data for your final workbook, so you can discuss with your family freely and openly what you want in the event of your passing away.

'What sort of service you want, if you want to be embalmed and if you want to be cremated – you can plan the whole thing well ahead of time so when it happens there's no stress on the family.”

Dennis says a guest to his meeting to start the club said it costs $9000 for the funeral of a loved one.

'Between six of them that's $1500 each, which is quite a chunk out of anyone's income.”

The taboo subject of funerals also becomes more accessible thanks to the club, says Dennis.

When explaining to his granddaughter he'd planned his funeral she thought it was unthinkable, 'but when I took her through the workbook, she thinks I'm a genius”.

Dennis says coffins can be decorated to honour the individual and tell the story of one's life.

'I've got my African police force badge on the bottom, I've got the Christ Cross in centre and my company that I was general manager of on top – the whole thing tells my life.”

Dennis says the club needs a building, double garage-size or bigger, with kitchen and toilet facilities. If you can help, call Dennis on 07 549 0390.

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1 comment

The MENS SHED at the Historic Village

Posted on 13-07-2014 18:14 | By Murray.Guy

Go and talk to The Men's Shed at The 17th Avenue Tauranga Historic Village. Sound a perfect match! Tauranga


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