"I was approached by an Anglican priest from one of the poorer areas over there, and his friends, a retired couple.They felt that they needed to do something like this over in their area in London, so I had a big session with them and we will be helping them as much as we can while they set up over there.
"More people are starting to see the benefits of what we are doing. One is that the cost is low, which is not always the top priority but it does make a difference. The participation of somebody having control over their life right till the end is important. They're not just relying on their family to get them a box, it takes the pressure off the family at a very vulnerable time. I think lots of people would cringe if they knew what they were buried in. And the stories that are being told by people and families about their lives while they are decorating their coffin is just beautiful. It's healing.," she says.
"So this caused a lot of interest in the community and from there, we have started Coffin Clubs in Tauranga, Hawke's Bay and Katikati, and we are starting one in Auckland. They come here and we make them templates and help them as much as we can because we believe in what we are doing as an important part of community service."
Coffin builders Bruce McPike and Jim Stewart are retired tradesmen who meet at the club on a Wednesday and get straight to work putting the coffins together.
"Sometimes we have rush jobs that we will come in and do on other days. If someone has just been killed and their family comes in and says they need a coffin, it's urgent, so we get it done," Bruce says.
Katie says the club is also making coffins for babies now, each one lovingly handmade and free for families through Sands (a support group) or directly through The Kiwi Coffin Club.
"They come in four sizes, and we have the timber and the paint donated. The material for the lining we get donated, too. The men make them, we have a team that paints them, and there's a team that make the little inserts for inside. There is also a lady who makes the little bears that sit inside them, and there's another lady that comes in and paints things on the lids, like little butterflies, or whatever the family wants."
Katie says they are doing it as much for the volunteers as for the families who use their service.
"It keeps these guys off the street. They love coming in here, and have been getting here earlier and earlier. They used to start at 9am and now some of them come in at 6am. They just love what they are doing. There's a great friendship among them, it's a social thing," she says.
