Faces of the Day

The Hawke’s Bay Coffin Club donates hundreds of baby coffins to hospitals every year, but can’t keep up with demand, because the group doesn’t have a permanent space of its own.

The club is run entirely by volunteers and anyone can become a member, which then means they can buy and design their own personalised coffin.

The group of about 40 members are mostly elderly and retired, and gather every Tuesday morning at an old sports building in Hastings to make coffins.

However, a growing part of the charity’s work is in making baby coffins, funded through the adult coffin purchases. In the past financial year, volunteers have made and donated more than 500 baby coffins, valued at more than $175,000.

“That’s a huge amount for our little club and it just shows the need that is out there in society,” said club treasurer Cherie Hames.

From talking to hospitals, she believes their club is the only group in New Zealand making this many baby coffins, but despite hospitals and birthing units needing more, they aren’t able to meet that demand.

“We are at a point where we don’t have the room to make any more,” Hames said. “We are basically at capacity of what we can make on the premises, we have to find new premises.”

RNZ