Before AWOC mark 1 closed in 2019, one of the concepts we had been exploring was that of ‘alterkin’. Drawing on the circles of support model, and our own research with people ageing without children, we looked at what could be created that would offer... Continue reading

    Dear AWOC members and supporters, Looking back at 2017, one of the most remarkable thing for us is that AWOC is still here. We started the year with high hopes of receiving a grant from the Big Lottery Accelerating Ideas programme, a process... Continue reading

It’s now 3 years since the first blog about ageing without children which was later picked up by The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2014/apr/25/ageing-without-children-family-care In those 3 years we’ve learned a lot! People ageing without children includes more than just those who have never been parent through choice... Continue reading

Guest blog by Joy Anderson, member of AWOC facebook group Care and my own destiny was not something I thought about that much before the birth of AWOC although I had been acutely aware that not having children meant society and my family treated me... Continue reading

I didn’t watch Disptaches last night. The programme, an expose on abuse and poor practice in BUPA care homes, was another in a very long line of documentaries highlighting the appalling treatment of older people in some care homes. This should no longer be news... Continue reading

“I don’t expect/want my children to look after me” “Great! What plans have you made so they don’t have to?” I’ve not yet met an older person who told me they expected their children to look after them but as we see below, the reality... Continue reading

I have worked with & for older people for almost my entire working life (24 years & counting!). For the majority of those years, the impact of being without children in old age never occurred to me. Throughout my 20s as I worked as an... Continue reading

Along with things that go together like love and marriage and a horse and carriage, the words “friends and family” are permanently linked together in policy documents on health and social care. Last week on twitter, the wonderful John’s Campaign were discussing issues around the... Continue reading

“older people and their families”, “older people and their relatives”; in all the coverage of the so called dementia tax and the spotlight on social care, older people were entirely bracketed with their family or relatives. AWOC believes we all know what is meant when... Continue reading