Capturing golden moments

The photography workshop providing practical skills for the elderly

By Alice Ekwalla, project manager, Embrace UK

Embrace UK recently unveiled our four-week digital photobook workshop as part of our Golden Lives pilot.

Based at the Selby Centre, we have a mission to upskill, create memories, and tackle isolation and loneliness among the older generations whose daily lives have been badly affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

The photography programme for vulnerable people in the community aged over 55, was run in collaboration with Nishil Meggi, an IT specialist and amateur photographer from Empower Skills Services (ESS).

During the weekly sessions, the participants interacted digitally, sharing images as well as their emotions and experiences of how their lives have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

The photobook workshop offered the seven participants who took part the chance to learn a skill they may have not tried before, to make new friends and receive technical support.

Oluremi Abate, a participant of the photobook workshop said: “I have happy memories connected to the pictures that I took for the workshops – they helped me to go through this difficult time.

“Photography is a form of art that helps me to live in the present and enjoy spending my time doing something different, like learning about angles and composition. The workshop was a good initiative, and I would definitely recommend it to other people.”

The workshop also created an opportunity for the younger generation to contribute to the community. Zainab Mohsin, a media student at CONEL (The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London), assisted in interactive learning and facilitating the delivery of the weekly sessions as part of her work placement with ESS.

Zainab said the placement was “the opportunity to get a real insight into media marketing and content creation whilst providing practical and social support for elderly and vulnerable people during the pandemic.”

We are now looking to partner with other parties to raise funding that will allow us to continue the programme, which unfortunately was not extended because of a lack of funds. Raising the necessary monies would be for the benefit of our susceptible and vulnerable community.

For more information: embraceuk.org