Londoners are crowdfunding something called a 'death cafe'

Death is the only certainty, of course, but how often does that cross your mind? When was the last time you spent a few minutes thinking about how one day everyone you’ve ever known and love will someday die? As we slowly march to our deaths, do you ever stop and realize it?

Maybe, but probably not. The organizers of the Death Cafe want to change that. In London, the Death Cafe is raising money for a permanent location where customers can “increase awareness of death.” At the Death Cafe, they seek to help people “make the most of their (finite) lives,” according to their website. There will also be tea and cake.

“Talking about death and preparing for when the inevitable does happen helps so much,” says Louise de Winter, a Death Cafe host, in their crowdfunding video.

The Death Cafe’s existed conceptually since 2011, when the first “pop-up” Death Cafe launched. Timeout London reports there’s been 2,400 pop up death cafes since the group started.

But these pop-up death cafe’s weren’t doing the job for some Londoners, so they’re crowdfunding a permanent one. So far, they’ve raised nearly £20,000 of their £250,000 goal.

“There should be a place where you can travel,” says Ned Bushkirk, who owns the website y2gd.com (y2gd stands for “you’re going to die”). “People all over the world will have an opportunity to come be in that space.”