I have just finished running the last of our “Transitions into Later Life – re-storying Retirement” courses. It was a really life affirming experience for me with a lovely bunch of people who found the course though provoking and helpful as they plan for the next stage of their life.

It is a course we have been trialling over the last year or two, funded by Calouste Gulbenkian foundation who have been doing research into ways to improve people’s life experience through helping them focus on transition points. https://gulbenkian.pt/uk-branc…

Here in Leeds we worked with some fantastic trainers from the Centre for Ageing Better to develop a course based around the idea of telling stories about our lives, and using that to help us to answer questions. https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/publications/evaluation-pilot-projects-supporting-people-through-transition-retirement The individuals attending have relished being given some time to think about themselves, in a supportive atmosphere, with others who are at a similar stage of their own life story.

We hope to set up a series of courses for 2019 which will be open to anyone in Leeds looking at a life transition – from work to retirement, from one form of work to another, or those who are looking for a purpose in a changing world.

I’m pleased to say I am now working with a volunteer colleague who is fascinated by the idea of story, and using creativity to help people think about these complex issues. We want to adjust the way the courses run a little and they won’t be free, but we hope cost needn’t exclude people, so if you think you might be interested in this sort of activity – for yourself, for another or for a group – please do get in touch with me.

Jessica Duffy

Jessica@opforum.org.uk