A cafe to discuss death will launch next week in Hitchin.

Salli Lovett, who used to work as a nurse at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, has decided to hold a meeting about death after being influenced by the storyline in ITV soap Coronation Street in which character Hayley Cropper battled with cancer before choosing to end her life during Monday night’s show.

Speaking to the Comet about the Death Cafe, as it is known, Ms Lovett said: “As a retired nurse I was part of end-of-life treatment for patients. I have always been interested about death and it is something we don’t like to talk about so this death cafe will give people the chance to be open and honest. The group is not bereavement support for people, it is about how you can make the most of your life. I would not encourage people with raw grief to come along to it.”

The 57-year-old said the cafe will take the form of a workshop where people will have the opportunity to talk in small groups while enjoying refreshments. The forum intends to be both confidential and informal.

Asked what she expects people to take away from the session, which if successful she hopes to run once a month, the mother-of-two added: “People may get a better idea of what to expect to happen when they die and be aware of the needs of those that are left behind. But more importantly to make the most of their finite lives.”

The concept – called Death Cafe – has become an established social franchise which has spread quickly across the globe.

The first Death Cafe in Hitchin will be held on Tuesday at The Radcliffe Arms in Walsworth Road from 6.30pm to 9.15pm.

If you wish to attend email Ms Lovett with your name, phone number and a bit of background about yourself to deathcafehitchin@gmail.com

For more information about the wider Death Cafe model visit http://deathcafe.com/