Welcome to this episode of the Full Stop podcast, where we’re joined by our guests John and Ben to explore the complexities of being a childless aunt, uncle, or godparent. Together, we reflect on how these roles offer meaningful ways to nurture, support, and build a legacy when one is childless not by choice.

Please note that we do cover what it’s like not to have these roles as one of our presenters does not have this caring role, and it might be a challenging listen for some of our audience so you may wish to skip this. (Members of our online community can carry on the discussion in our safe space).

In this conversation, Michael shares personal experiences with his parents' dementia and the importance of having legal documents in place, such as power of attorney and enduring guardianship. Sarah shared her experiences with end of life training and we stress the need to continue the conversation and explore ways to create a movement around end-of-life planning for the childless community.

Patricia Faulks set up her blog, Lilley and Me, during Covid lockdowns to share the story of ageing alone with childlessness and the challenges that brings including learning how to use her computer and Zoom calls. Denise Jackson returns to the podcast to talk about bias around money saving having challenged UK money expert Martin Lewis to tackle solo households.

Patricia and Denise cover so much ground here that applies not just to childless people but to those who are creating online environments and apps as we discuss digital exclusion. They also discuss bias and exclusion around power of attorney, the cost of living crisis, human rights and make a call for more support and awareness.