Death Cafè

Sundays 16:00-18:00 – On the following dates:

• 27th April
• 18th May
• 15th June
• 6th July (15:45-17:45)
• 17st August (15:45-17:45)
• 14th September
• 12th Oct
• 9th Nov
• 7th Dec

Book via eventbrite or send an email to [email protected] and [email protected] or drop in on the day.

This event is on a suggested donation sliding scale. Please decide in what category you fall and what you might be able to contribute. Tiers are:

Tier 1 - Concession : £5
Tier 2 - Sustainable : £10
Tier 3 - Generous : £15

Note: For those unable to contribute financially, please get in touch with the facilitator to claim a free OR subsidised ticket.  Please email [email protected] or [email protected]

Wellspring room

All rooms at the Salisbury Centre are accessible. The Salisbury Centre’s kitchen door and toilet are now wheelchair accessible. The studio is located upstairs and is accessible via a chair-lift. The Garden can also be accessed by wheelchairs via a movable ramp via the Art Room Annex

Please, it is important to let the organisers know in advance of any access requirements. Please email [email protected]

Robyn and Alison both did a Death Doula workshop in 2021 and Alison completed a Funeral Celebrancy course in September 2024. We hold a safe space for discussion on death and related topics so that we can be more open about it, whenever death appears in our lives and to prepare for our own death. We would be happy for you to come along.

The format of the evening is choosing subjects about death from a bowl and discussing the subject among us. These subjects could be – Would you choose cremation or burial? Do you know about human composting and water cremation? Make up and embalming? What are your views on assisted dying, organ donation?

We ask you to be willing to participate and also to listen to others.

Please note, this is not a grief circle. If you are in grief we can direct you to people who do this. It is also not a cafe in the sense that we do not eat food at the meeting. Tea is available from the kitchen.

Alison has a degree in Psychology and has been interested in her dreams for 50 years. A repeating nightmare about death lead to a fascination about the subject and resulted in doing a Death Doula and Funeral Celebrancy training and also starting a Threshold Choir to sing to dying people. This came to an end due to Covid. She and Robyn have been running Death Cafes for three years.Robyn’s father died at a young age and as she got older found she wanted to talk about death but that people were often uncomfortable with the subject. Robyn has been a birth and post natal doula for 18 years and after a time began to feel drawn towards working with the dying as well. After the death of her mother she realised how much cross over there is between the beginning and end of life. She sang in Alison’s Threshold Choir before covid and then did a Death Doula course in 2021 and another with Pushing up the Daisies in 2023. Holding death cafes with Alison felt like a natural progression.

Participation in our community-led events is on a voluntary ‘by donation’ basis. This means that nobody is expected to make a payment if they cannot afford to do so.

Any donations received will be shared between the Centre and the facilitator, helping to make the events’ programme sustainable 

For events which are Drop-ins you can donate on the day by:

• Bringing cash
• donating online on    (Please use reference “EVENT NAME“).
• Card payment option available at the entrance hall (Please enter the event name before making payment)

“What donation tier might be best applicable to me?”

• Concession Tier 1 

This tier is for those who are students on a low income, carers, or single parents. It is also for people who are unemployed or underemployed, navigating financial hardship, or facing systemic barriers. If you rarely spend on extras or feel stressed about meeting basic needs, this tier exists so that you can still participate. Your presence matters, and you are welcome here.

• Sustainable Tier 2 Choose this tier if you have stable employment or a regular income, are able to meet your basic needs and some wants, and can occasionally go out or put a little money aside. At this level, you don’t often worry about making ends meet.

• Generous Tier 3This option is for those with a comfortable income or savings, who may own their home or have access to family wealth. You might go on holidays, eat out regularly, or shop for pleasure. Contributing at this tier helps support the wider community and those accessing the concession rate.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Salisbury Centre, 2 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

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