Dame Joan, appointed the Government’s voice for older people in 2008, was chairing a discussion panel, sponsored by Corinium Care.
It featured the family of the author Jennifer Worth who wrote the book upon which the TV series Call the Midwife was based, starring Jenny Agutter and Miranda Hart.
Corinium also sponsored a packed Literature Festival talk by Sandi Toksvig about her latest book, Valentine Grey, as well as her life as a comedian and broadcaster. The novel tells the story of a woman who went to fight in the Boer war, disguised as a man, in place of her cousin Reggie.
“With our roots firmly in Gloucestershire, we try to support local enterprise whenever we can, and we are therefore very proud to be associated with the Literature Festival,” said Managing Director of the live-in care agency Camilla Miles.
“It is also significant that Jennifer Worth wrote a final book about the importance of absolute dignity at the end of life which struck a chord with our values at Corinium Care.”
The Cheltenham Literature Festival is one of the largest in the UK and relies on sponsorship for its survival.