Share your life story
22/11/2006
Help the Aged is offering the chance to chronicle, update and share your life stories online with meRemembered, a new easy-to-use reminiscing and networking site.
Visitors to www.helptheaged.org.uk can access the online reminiscing and networking site meRemembered and help generate a minimum £2 donation to the charity by registering this way.
Once signed-up, registrants will receive step-by-step advice on how to master the technology of uploading their memories online – using text, pictures and video/audio clips, access a messaging service, and use the search facility to browse for old acquaintances or those with a shared interest on the database.
Within each of the Life Categories you’ll find relevant and helpful prompts and questions. In addition, you can link your site with family and friends and post announcements such as a special event.
Bereaved users can create an online ‘memorial’ to record the life of a loved one, and all profiles can be formatted as a pdf file and printed out to keep as hard copy.
Alison McCormack, Head of New Media for Help the Aged says: “The internet offers fantastic opportunities for people of different ages to communicate and is an ideal way of older people staying in touch with younger generations of their family and sharing their life history with them.
“Sharing life histories and knowledge is a great way to bridge the gap between different generations and start a communication that can enrich the lives of everyone involved.”
"Royle Family" actress Liz Smith was the first to upload her life story.
Her earliest memory? "I wasn't very old. In fact I wasn't even walking. But my earliest memory is of being pushed across our lino floor in the kitchen in an enamel bowl and squealing with delight. A scarf would be tied around the bowl, I'd sit in it and it would then be hurled around the room like a fairground ride. I loved it."
And her fondest memory? "Sitting by an open fire having long talks with my grandfather. I would be about four or five. He gave me some great advice. He used to say ' there is an answer to everything in life - you only have to look for it’. I adored him and even at that early age we would share a glass of beer together."