Kissing it Better

Do you have older relatives or family friends with valuable memories to share? Lockdown has meant millions of older people have had to spend time alone, away from family and friends – but for many of them it won’t be the first time they have experienced isolation. Ask them to share their memories with you, and your work could feature in a new book published by the Stratford Literary Festival this autumn.

There’s a new look to our timetable of Zoom sessions. We’re still running regular zooms to support our volunteering-from-home programme (approved by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award). But we’re now also offering a host of specialist sessions and masterclasses. These new zooms give us the chance to delve more deeply into the challenges of old age, and look at how you can help support older people in your community – great for students who want to pursue a career in healthcare. Read on for more details.

Since lockdown began, KiB singers have been lifting the spirits of older, vulnerable people by performing outside care homes and in hospital gardens. These sessions send a powerful message of hope and togetherness, showing older people that they have not been forgotten by the outside world.

We’re all feeling anxious under lockdown and missing friends and family. So let’s take advice from the people who lived through quarantine, homesickness and isolation 80 years ago. Help KiB capture inspirational wartime stories for a new generation to learn from and enjoy.

Help us spread messages of hope and togetherness. Send us your poetry, your artwork and your inspirational articles and we will share them with lonely older people to show them that the world still cares.

Spring brings lighter days and lovely flowers and lots of fresh new conversation openers. Here are five to be getting on with….

As you know, we love to bring the generations together to tell stories – but it can be tricky to start a conversation with someone who’s so much older than you. Here are five ways to kick-start a lovely warm chat in February…

We’re running open evenings for DofE students who want to volunteer with us. If you’re working towards your Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, and you live in Birmingham or London, please join us to find out how you can sign up for healthcare volunteering experience through KiB.

If you love music and live in the Midlands, please join us for a fundraising evening with the fabulous Tarantara choir.

The DofE’s brand new list of teenage life hacks signposts young people towards experiences that build character and confidence. And KiB offers three of the top five suggestions.