Adopt a Grandparent named finalist at the 2027 National Activity Awards

Adopt a Grandparent has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Intergenerational Project category at the 2027 National Activity Awards.

The awards, run by the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA), recognise the people, teams and projects helping to enrich the lives of people receiving care and support. For us, being named a finalist is a proud moment and a welcome recognition of the friendships being built every week between older people living in care homes and volunteers across the UK and beyond.

Adopt a Grandparent was founded to reduce loneliness and social isolation among older people in care homes. Through our free programme, residents are matched with volunteers for regular one-to-one video calls, based on shared interests, hobbies, language, culture and life experience.

What often begins as a simple conversation can grow into a genuine friendship. Some residents talk about football, music, books, travel or family memories. Others enjoy the familiarity of speaking to the same person each week and knowing that someone has chosen to give them their time.

For volunteers, the experience can be just as powerful. Many sign up because they want to support an older person, but soon find themselves learning from another generation, gaining perspective and building a friendship they may never have expected.

The Intergenerational Project category feels especially important because it reflects the heart of our work. We do not ask people to give days of their time or travel long distances. It asks for regular conversation, curiosity and kindness. A phone, tablet or laptop is often all that is needed to create a relationship that can make a real difference to someone’s week.

David Annand, Head of Operations and Fundraising at Adopt a Grandparent, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to be named a finalist in the Intergenerational Project category at the 2027 National Activity Awards. This recognition means a great deal because it celebrates the friendships at the centre of our work. Every week, we see how a regular conversation can lift someone’s mood, give them something to look forward to and remind them that their stories, interests and experiences still matter.

“We are hugely grateful to our volunteers, care homes, sponsors and supporters who make this possible. Most of all, we are grateful to the adopted grandparents themselves, who continue to show us just how powerful connection between generations can be.”

The finalist announcement follows continued growth, with more care homes registering for our free programme and more volunteers coming forward to offer companionship to older people in care homes.

The final judging stage will include an online interview in September 2026, before the winners are announced at the National Activity Awards ceremony on Friday 22 January 2027 at Hunton Park Hotel in Hertfordshire.

We are so pleased to be shortlisted and grateful to the National Activity Providers Association for recognising the value of intergenerational friendship in care.

We look forward to celebrating alongside fellow finalists in January.