About Us
Adopt a Grandparent was founded by Shaleeza Hasham.
Having been born and raised on the grounds of her family's care home, Shaleeza started going into work with her mum from the age of 8 weeks - which made for a somewhat unusual, but certainly fun, upbringing. She spent a lot of her time with the residents, keeping them company - and all the while, having the pleasure of 15 adopted grandparents!
In October 2019, Shaleeza wanted to take action to abolish loneliness amongst the older and younger communities. The idea initially focused on inviting local people into care homes, encouraging them to ‘adopt’ a grandparent of their own and make regular visits to spend quality time together.
Volunteers would sign up and provide details of their hobbies, interests and reasons for volunteering, before being matched with a resident who shares similar likes and dislikes. The pair can then communicate with each other in a variety of ways, staying connected through video calling, messaging and letter writing. Some of our successful matches have even met face-to-face.
Often, our volunteers are those who’ve lost their own grandparents, and are looking to fill the void and create a meaningful intergenerational relationship. However, the scheme is open to anyone and is a great way to connect with others and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
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