We’re Craving Grandparent Wisdom - So Why Aren’t We Listening?
David Annand, Head of Operations & Fundraising, Adopt A Grandparent
There’s something deeply comforting about hearing a story told from memory - not from a screen. And yet, as AI reshapes the way we learn and TikTok serves up everything from toast tutorials to tax tips, I find myself wondering: have we stopped listening to the people who lived the stories?
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
At Adopt A Grandparent, we recently commissioned a national survey to explore this. The results were both heartening and sobering.
Thousands of people across the UK said they want to learn from older generations. Wartime stories. Relationship advice. Classic recipes. DIY skills. Real, lived experience that can’t be downloaded or Googled.
But here’s the gap - while the appetite is there, the connection often isn’t. Around one in six UK adults speak to someone aged 70 or older only occasionally or not at all. For younger people aged 16 to 24, the number jumps to more than one in four. Only 8.5% of that group have regular conversations with older adults.
Why? More than a fifth of those surveyed said they assumed they had “little in common” with someone from an older generation.
That stopped me in my tracks.
Because I’ve seen, first-hand, how much people light up when they simply sit and share a conversation. At Adopt A Grandparent, we match care home residents with volunteers of all ages for weekly video calls. These chats aren’t scripted. They’re not content. They’re connection — pure and powerful.
I’ve heard laughter echoing from the screen. Seen strangers become friends. Watched confidence grow where silence once lived. Every call is a bridge - not just across generations, but across loneliness, misunderstanding, and forgotten potential.
This programme started small, back in 2019. Today, it's grown into a network of hundreds of volunteers and care homes - each one proving that age is no barrier to friendship. It’s free to join, takes just 30 minutes a week, and it changes lives. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard, “It’s the highlight of my week.”
So, as we reflect on another Remembrance Day, and all the legacies we inherit, I want to issue a gentle challenge: when was the last time you truly listened to someone older than you?
Not out of politeness, but out of curiosity.
Because within those stories are lessons, laughter, and wisdom we can’t afford to lose.
If you’re ready to be part of something quietly life-changing, visit adoptagrandparent.org.uk. It might just be the most meaningful half-hour of your week.