Virtual LifeBooks - Terry's Journey
Over the summer of 2020, Digital Voice successfully supported a group of Chopwell residents to create books based on their lives and memories, we call this deeply personal journey our LifeBooks initiative. The popular LifeBooks offer has always been ready to adapt to the needs of our participants, however during lockdown we faced the challenge of taking it totally virtual.
Terry has kindly allowed Digital Voice to share his journey through LifeBooks so that we can demonstrate just how special and important it has been to him (and so many others) on a very personal level. However, Terry’s voice will also help us to explain the wider benefits of LifeBooks to our communities through digital inclusion and our shared history. Digital Voice are proud to let you in on how we managed this project right up until the beautiful moment when we could finally all meet in person to share the finished product, something our participants can treasure and pass on to their loved ones.
Terry is in his 70s and has lived in Chopwell his whole life. Digital Voice were able to provide Terry with an iPad and essential socially distanced training, which importantly for him and his wellbeing and understanding was still able to be attended in person, following our careful risk assessment and safety procedures. This essential contact, communication and support enabled him to join our weekly zoom sessions which were exciting challenge as the technology was very new to him, but he quickly grew in confidence and skill, especially as he had access to our team’s technical support and encouragement throughout.
The zoom sessions were full of memories and laughter, Terry was really happy to have the opportunity to discuss his childhood. We cannot overestimate just how important the chance for a good chat between friends is, especially when they have been separated due to the pandemic. Terry shared a wonderful story about his ‘circle of adventure’ as a child and how he used the whole village as a playground. This told us so much about him as a person but also about the rich history and geography of the local community that will now be recorded as a permanent record of the real Chopwell.
As well as learning about video calling, Terry was mentored in how to use the iPad to its full potential, including accessing emails and conducting research. This greatly extended his ability to add depth to his stories but also enabled us to exchange information and images essential to the creation of the books over a 6-week process.
Beyond simply the development stage, Digital Voice always ensures participants were included in every step of the editing process. The virtual LifeBooks sessions were no different and Terry was able to review and select the design and layout of his book, including choosing his own title, cover and colour scheme prior to printing (participants also receive a digital version of their book).
Once we had the completed books, we were able to arrange a socially distanced outdoor presentation with a small group of participants, including Terry. Digital Voice were excited to work in collaboration with the Friends of Chopwell Park to enable a strawberry tea afternoon in this ideal setting. This gave people like Terry a much welcome opportunity to safely socialise and celebrate the positivity and successes of the LifeBooks project. Terry wished to share that “this project has been a great incentive to our village and myself in general. Thanking everyone who has been involved”
To read more about our LifeBooks project see our Mariposa care home case study – Briardene and Sovereign Lodge Care Homes
