Caring for Carers Living Memory Project 

The Living Memory Project uses photographs to celebrate the lives of loved ones. The project has been commissioned to work with ten of our referred participants who want to tell their story of a loved one whom they currently care for or have cared for in the latter stage of their life. This includes stories from bereaved carers who have cared for loved ones who have now passed away.

We will work with you to record your loved ones life story and digitally scan a selection of their photographs. At the end of the process, you will receive a printed book of their story. You will also have the chance to share their story and photographs on the Living Memory website.

View the Living Memory Project poster.

Benefits of participating in the project 

Telling and sharing life stories around personal photographs is a powerful way to make sense of our lives and come to terms with some of the more significant elements of life, including loss, grief and bereavement. It is an opportunity to talk about and celebrate the life of another who may be at the end of life, or recently deceased. Telling and sharing life stories and photographs in this way allows you to create a lasting and meaningful testament about the life of another.

How the process works 

  • We will introduce ourselves to you, usually over the phone, and discuss the project and the process.
  • We will agree with you how we are going to make the recording – for example via phone, Zoom or in an appropriately socially-distant way.
  • We will agree on how to access selected photographs in order to scan them to go alongside the story.
  • The recording will be professionally transcribed and a copy returned to you.
  • We will work with you – most likely via the phone at this stage – to edit the transcript to create a summary version of the story alongside their photographs.
  • The process is highly collaborative.
  • A printed and digital PDF version of their story will be created and sent to you.
  • There will also be the option of sharing their story on the Living Memory website.

How to get involved

If you are currently signed-up to the Caring for Carers Bereavement & Wellbeing service and would like to get involved in the Living Memory Project to celebrate the life of your loved one, please call Geoff on 07850 176567 or email geoff@livingmemory.live.

Jimmy’s Story

The late Jimmy Currie from Birmingham was our Caring for Carers Champion. He was an advocate of the Bereavement & Wellbeing service after he signed-up to the program to help him cope with the loss of his wife, Doreen, who he had been caring for, for a number of years.

Jimmy, who was terminally ill at the time, took the opportunity to take part in the Living Memory Project to share not only Doreen’s story, but his own too. Talking through his memories helped him with his grieving process and the result is a keepsake that records personal stories and treasured photos that can be cherished and passed on to generations to come.

Take a look at Jimmy’s story on YouTube.