Samantha Fairclough collected primary and secondary research data for her project. For primary data, she interviewed residents and staff at a retirement village, charity shop volunteers, bingo hall visitors, churchgoers, and elderly hairdresser clients. She also gathered secondary data from internet sources, including statistics showing that the population over age 65 in the UK is growing and projected to double by 2050, outpacing the number of children under age 16. Her sources included the Office for National Statistics and UK Parliament reports on the aging population.