PRESS RELEASE 7th March 2017


Keys to my Memory: A Photography Exhibition

A new, intergenerational photography exhibition, capturing intimate dialogues between strangers of different generations, is taking placeon Thursday 9thMarch (18:00-19:30)at Abbot’s Woodretirement living developmentin Chester (CH2 2DX).

The exhibition, called‘Keys to My Memory’, was produced byfour second-year Photography students from the University of Chester (Lorna Elwin, Abi Miller, Beth Grimes-Thomas and Tim Newman), and features images of older people alongside everyday objects with particular significance to their lives.

Lorna Elwin explains the inspiration behind the project:

“We’d just completed a piece of work about our heroes and, by coincidence, had all chosen our grandparents. This made us curious to find out more about the lives of older people we didn’t already know, by inviting them to talk to us about (and then be photographed with) a special item that held a memorable story for them.”

Tim Newman adds: “We couldn’t believe how willing everyone was to talk to us, really open up and share their memories and tales behind old paintings, photos, recipes, items of clothing and childhood treasures.”

Chris McMahon, Social Prescribing Manager at Brightlife and organiser of the exhibition, says:“Reminiscence activities are so important as people get older - they help people stay connected to their past while reinforcing their sense of self, which is vital for their wellbeing.

“The students spent hours chatting to and listening to older people attending Brightlife events, creating a level of trust whereby the older people felt comfortable to open up and share precious memories. We have been so impressed by the compassion, maturity and respect the students have demonstrated, not to mention their wonderful photography skills!”

Dr Tracy Piper-Wright, Senior Lecturer in Photography, University of Chester adds "Keys to my Memory”is an inspiring cross-generational project and we are really proud of the effort that the students have put into forging a relationship with the older people they have met and the work they have produced as a result.Working with Brightlife has been a great way for the students to engage with the wider community in Chester and to use their creative skills in the real world, and we’re very grateful for the opportunity to work with them."

The exhibitionat Abbot’s Woodwill be accompanied by a tea party, hosted by the students. After the exhibition, the photographs will be displayed on the Brightlife website, at

For more press information or high res images from the exhibition, please contact Cath Logan at or call 01606 884444

Notes to Editors

  • ‘Keys to My Memory’ is a stand-alone project; a collaboration between Brightlife and four volunteer students from the University of Chester Photography department to help highlight and promote the value of intergenerational relationships.
  • Brightlife is a partnership led by Age UK Cheshire (Registered Charity Number 1091608). Ithas been awarded £5m as part of the Big Lottery’s Fulfilling Lives, Ageing Better fund, which has given a total of £82m to 14 areas throughout England in order to improve the lives of older people.
  • The Brightlife partnership includes: Age UK Cheshire, Older People’s Network, Cheshire West and Chester Council, West Cheshire CCG, Vale Royal CCG, Cheshire and Warrington Social Enterprise Partnership, Chester Voluntary Action, Deafness Support Network, Rural Community Services, Sanctuary Housing and West Cheshire Inter Faith Forum.
  • Brightlife is being evaluated locally by the University of Chester (The Centre for Ageing Studies)
  • Over the next five years, Brightlife aims to work closely with older people to identify, design and implement a wide range of innovative solutions to address loneliness and isolation across Cheshire West and Chester.
  • Nationally, over 1 million older people say they are always or often feel lonely, and two-fifths say the television is their main form of company. With the numbers of older people aged 65 or over in the UK predicted to rise by nearly 50% in the next 20 years, loneliness is an urgent problem.