More than £17,000 raised at our first Adopt a Grandparent Charity Awards
What an afternoon.
More than 140 people joined us for the inaugural Adopt a Grandparent Charity Awards 2026, sponsored by Care Shop, helping us raise over £17,000 to support our work with older people living in care homes.
We welcomed care home representatives, sponsors, volunteers, trustees, ambassadors, supporters, award winners and their guests for our very first A Celebration of Grandparents.
The afternoon gave us the chance to talk openly about loneliness in later life, share more about why Adopt a Grandparent exists and, just as importantly, celebrate some of the people who have given so much to the charity over the past year.
Our Chair of Trustees, Paul Birley, opened the event before our Founder and CEO, Shaleeza Hasham, shared the personal story behind AAG and how her own experiences growing up around her family’s care home eventually led to the charity being founded in 2019.
David Annand, our Head of Operations and Fundraising, then spoke about the reality of loneliness in later life.
One of the points David explored was that loneliness can still exist when someone is surrounded by other people. Older people move into care homes because those homes can provide the individual care and support they need. They have not necessarily moved in alongside people who share the same memories, interests, experiences or passions.
For some residents, many of the people who once knew their stories and shared those moments with them may no longer be in their lives. Sometimes what someone wants most is a person who has the time to sit, listen and take a genuine interest.
David said:
“Loneliness in later life can be incredibly difficult because so much of it is tied to loss. The people who knew your stories, shared your memories or understood the references without explanation may no longer be there.
“Care homes provide extraordinary care, activity and support, but residents have not chosen one another because they happen to love the same football team, grew up in the same place or share the same interests. Adopt a Grandparent gives us the opportunity to find that person for them.
“To see more than 140 people come together behind that idea, and to raise over £17,000 that will go directly towards helping us reach more care homes, was incredibly powerful.”
We were also honoured to welcome Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, as our keynote speaker.
Professor Green spoke about loneliness in later life and highlighted the statistic that 60% of care home residents do not receive regular visitors. He reflected on how difficult it can be for someone who does not receive visitors to watch others welcoming family and friends.
Fundraising was a big part of the afternoon too.
Our raffle, which included 15 prizes, raised an incredible £3,340, while an auction of three signed sporting memorabilia items brought in a further £1,050.
Then came the awards.
The second half of the event was dedicated to five people and organisations who have gone above and beyond in their support of Adopt a Grandparent during 2026.
Each winner had their own story and their own reason for being recognised, from volunteering and fundraising to championing AAG within care homes and helping us reach new audiences.
The final award of the day, Grandparent of the Year, went to Michael Devlin, whose friendship through the programme has become one of AAG’s most celebrated stories.
Michael accepted his award and then gave a short speech of his own, bringing the afternoon to a memorable close.
Shaleeza said:
“I wanted the afternoon to feel like a genuine celebration of grandparents and of everyone who gives their time, energy and support to Adopt a Grandparent, and it became exactly that.
“There were moments that made us laugh, moments that made us think, and some that were incredibly moving. I am so grateful to Care Shop for sponsoring the event, to Professor Martin Green for joining us, and to every volunteer, care home, sponsor, trustee, ambassador, friend and supporter who came along.
“Raising more than £17,000 means we can take the programme into more care homes and give more older people the chance to build a friendship with someone who genuinely wants to know them.”
At Adopt a Grandparent, we match older people living in care homes with volunteers for regular one-to-one video calls, based on shared interests, hobbies, language, culture and life experience.
Our programme is free for care homes, residents and volunteers, and the money raised through the awards will help us reach more care homes and create more friendships across the UK.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make our first awards such a success.
If you are a business, foundation, care provider or individual who would like to help us reach more older people, we would love to hear from you.
Contact us at [email protected] or find out more about our sponsorship opportunities here: https://adoptagrandparent.org.uk/sponsors