Death Cafe

Death Cafe profile for DC Manawatu

Location: New Zealand

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091050796695&mibextid=ZbWKwL

About DC Manawatu:

About Us – Death Café Manawatū

Kia ora and welcome!

Death Café Manawatū is founded by Laura Sweetman, a funeral director based in Palmerston North with years of experience supporting families through some of life’s hardest moments. With a deep respect for community, culture, and open conversation, Laura brings a grounded, compassionate approach to talking about death and dying.

Laura is proudly joined by her new co-host Melissa Hemi, a community leader from Rangitāne iwi, who brings rich cultural insight through her mahi as a Kaumātua Services Coordinator and a passion for compassionate conversations.

Our gatherings are relaxed, inclusive spaces where people can share stories, ask questions, and explore ideas around mortality over a cup of coffee/tea (and hopefully some cake). We believe that facing death with honesty and kindness can help us live more fully.

Both Laura & Melissa work alongside local community partners when needed to ensure the kaupapa reflects the spirit of Manawatū, welcoming, down-to-earth, and connected.

What brings you to Death Cafe?

Our Death Positive Philosophy

At Death Café Manawatū, we believe that death and grief are universal human experiences, something we all share, yet often avoid talking about.

Our philosophy is simple: talking about it won’t make it happen any sooner. Instead, it opens the door to connection, comfort, and courage.

By gathering as a community, we:

Create safe, welcoming spaces to share stories, questions, and reflections.

Break down fear and stigma by bringing conversations about mortality into everyday life.

Encourage honesty and curiosity, knowing that understanding death helps us appreciate living more fully.

For us, “death positive” means normalising the conversation, not to dwell on death, but to connect as humans and find meaning in the time we have.

What would you like your legacy to be?

Laura’s Legacy Statement:

I want to be remembered as someone who showed up with honesty, compassion, and courage - unafraid to face the hard things, and always willing to sit with others in their vulnerability.

I want my legacy to be one of connection: breaking down the fear and silence around death, and creating spaces where people felt safe to talk, grieve, laugh, and simply be human together.

I hope my step daughters, niece and nephew remember me as steady and loving, a step mum & aunty who gave them roots and wings, and my community remembers me as someone who helped turn death from a shadow into a teacher.

My legacy is this: I helped people talk about death, so they could live with a little less fear.

Thoughts for sharing:

"Death isn't the opposite of life - It's part of it."

"Talking about it won't make it happen any sooner!"

Contact DC Manawatu

DC Manawatu's posts on the Death Cafe website

Death Cafe: Death Cafe Manawatu

Posted by DC Manawatu on Sept. 9, 2025, 4:16 a.m.

With Laura Sweetman & Melissa Hemi

Oct. 19, 2025, 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m. (NZST)

Free

Death Cafe: Death Cafe Manawatu

Posted by DC Manawatu on July 10, 2025, 8:22 p.m.

With Laura & Melissa

Aug. 31, 2025, 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m. (NZST)

Free

Death Cafe Manawatu invites you, the public, for cake, tea and positive death & dying discussion. We meet every 2 months in and around Palmerston North.

Keep an eye on our ...