Using the biography and images below

If I have agreed to speak at your event please copy and paste the relevant text provided. Feel free to alter, edit or delete the copy provided in order to tailor it to your own conference, event or workshop.

James Norris – Speakers Biography (short version – 300 words)

James is the founder of MyWishes and the Digital Legacy Association. He also holds the post as the Digital Research Fellow at Michael Sobell Hospice (London)

Over the last 13 years James has developed and explored the use of technology to help improve end of life communication, planning and care.

In 2015 he launched the Digital Legacy Association CIC at Hospice UK’s annual conference to support professionals and the general public in areas relating to digital assets planning and digital legacy. The Digital Legacy Association argues that ‘planning for death digitally should form a holistic approach to advance care planning’.

MyWishes takes both a public health approach and a digital first approach to advance care planning. It educates and empowers society to document their future health and wider wishes. Its content, structure and design has been developed to help introduce care planning to society at an early stage and normalise this behaviour by incorporating it alongside other better known tasks (will writing, funeral planning, bucket lists etc). MyWishes only works with the NHS, local councils and the charity sector. It is free for all to use. MyWishes has been ‘hyperlocalised’ to help support different regions’ unique, health ecosystems. The Wellbeing Hub for example, is only available for MyWishes users who live in the Hillingdon Borough of London.

James continues to consult various governmental and non-governmental organisations across the globe in areas relating to death and the internet. He provides thought leadership in areas relating to death, bereavement, technology and the internet on TV, online, print and in scientific journals. Appearances and publications range from BBC Breakfast and the BBC’s Morning Live to the New Scientist and Vice magazine. James has also held the post as the Design Research Fellow at the Velindre Cancer Centre (Cardiff) for the last six years.

James Norris – Speakers Biography (long version – 456 words)

James Norris is the founder of the Digital Legacy Association and MyWishes.

James has consulted various governmental and non-governmental organisations across the globe in areas relating to death and the internet. He also sits on various technology, legal and social care related boards. James often contributes and provides thought leadership in areas relating to death, bereavement, technology and the internet on TV, online, print and in scientific journals. Appearances and publications range from BBC Breakfast, the Channel 4 News, the New Scientist, the Royal College of Physicians and the British Medical Journal to the Queen Latifah Show, Vice magazine and Jon Richardson’s Ultimate Worrier. James’ book contributions include ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ by Rosalind Bradley and ‘Outside the Box’ by Liz Rothschild. He graduated from the Institute of Palliative Medicine’s and St Christopher’s Hospice Fellowship programme in 2021 and their Master Class in 2022. He holds a post as the Digital Research Fellow at Michael Sobell Hospice (London) and as the Design Research Fellow at the Velindre Cancer Centre (Wales).

Digital Legacy Association is the global association dedicated to improving awareness and standards in areas relating to digital asset planning and digital legacy safeguarding. They highlight the importance of making plans for our digital lives to help ensure that each person’s preferences for their digital lives are adhered to.

The Digital Legacy Association supports end of life, palliative care, social care, healthcare, legal, celebrant and funeral professionals in areas relating to death and the internet. They advance professionals practice through education, training, campaigning, events and developing best practice frameworks. The Digital Legacy Association organise the annual Digital Legacy Conference to further disseminate information and celebrate innovation within this area. The Digital Legacy Conference has taken place at UCL Partners, St Joseph’s Hospice, Siena College (USA) and at the European Association of Palliative Care World Congress (Germany). It took place online in 2021 as part of EAPC 2021 and features as part of the EAPC 2023 programme (Netherlands).

MyWishes is an end of life planning software that empowers the general public to document and share their end of life preferences. MyWishes has evolved from the digital legacy planning service formerly known as ‘DeadSocial’ into a holistic platform evoking thought, planning and storytelling.

MyWishes utilises non-medicalised approaches to help make planning less daunting and approachable. The platform highlights the positive things that can occur when our wishes are documented and shared. By integrating playful features MyWishes makes this often hard to address area accessible and engaging to the masses.

MyWishes was developed with guidance, feedback and direction provided by members of NHS England, NHS Wales, The Law Society, The National Association of Funeral Directors, Hospice UK, Together for Short Lives and an array of technology companies.

Profile photos (2024)

Please ‘right click’ and click on the save/download option of the photo you would like to use. This will save a copy of the photo onto the device that you are using.