As people live longer, pension pots shrink and more families find themselves caring not only for their own children but also parents and grandparents, some sort of communal living seems inevitable for all of us. This represents a huge sea change in how we live in the UK. For people born after the Second
Much of the discussion around housing for older people centres around the notion of independent living. But while being able to stay at home is the aspiration of many, what if independence is not the right goal? We may not want to rely on others for our care but few of us relish being
A year ago, the emerging independent living market was grappling with the dual challenges of raising awareness of the products available to help people live independently and convincing consumers of the benefits of products which often had negative associations. This time last year there seemed to be 4 models: 1. “Trip- Advisor” style consumer-led rating
Fantastic to see that Hanna Mawbey, one of our Designing for the Future alumni, has been chosen to be part of the Nesta artists showcase. Hanna Mawbey recently graduated from the University of Brighton 3D Materials Practice MDes course and is beginning her career as a designer working in the field of inclusive design
We are thrilled that The Future Perfect Company has been featured on the The Living Map of Innovators which is a Nesta aging project. Looks interesting (and not just because we are featured!) For more details, click on The Living Map of Innovators
2013 is turning out to be another busy year! As well as running the Designing for the Future competition with the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton, I have been invited to judge the RSA Student Design Awards and in particular the category, The Good Journey. The Good Journey brief, sponsored by NCR, challenges students to make
As we are about to launch our "Designing for the Future" student design competition for the fourth year, I thought it was a good time to give an update on the progress of some of our alumni : Harry Trimble - Harry was the first winner of the Competition back in 2010 with his
Fantastic to hear that Julie Robinson, founder of Move It or Lose It! exercise DVDs has won a National Diversity Award. The Awards celebrate the achievements of grass-root communities tackling the issues in today's society. Julie picked up the Entrepreneurial Award for Excellence in the Age category. Julie Robinson is a specialist teacher of exercise for
Three years into the latest chief executive's reign, Marks & Spencer has once again reported poor Christmas trading figures, reigniting the debate about the decline of this great British institution. Marks & Spencer, M&S, Marks, Marks & Sparks, St Michael's - call it what you will, this retailer has anchored our high streets for much of
A couple of weeks ago the RSPCA started a campaign to encourage more older people to consider getting a pet not only for companionship but because of the potential health benefits. Pets are often an excellent source of companionship. They can act as a support system for older people without any family or close
