Can Design Solve Social Problems? 02/11/08
Published in Fast Company Magazine, November 2008, by Alice Rawsthorn
Extract
When Liz Demontford’s husband died, her world fell apart. “I was at a loss,” recalls the retiree, who lives in Peckham, an impoverished part of London. “Our finances were in a mess, and I didn’t know what to do with my time.” Enter the Peckham Circle, a prototype nonprofit set up to aid local seniors. It arranged for Demontford to see a financial adviser and to join a gardening project, where she made new friends. She was also given a Webcam to keep in touch with her son and his family, who live in Australia. “I didn’t think I’d use it, but now I’m hooked,” she says. “I can see my grandson growing up.”
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