Football memories used to help dementia sufferers

FOOTBALL memories are being revived to improve the lives of people with dementia.

A new city group is using old photographs, matchday programmes and ticket stubs to assist people with memory problems.

Monthly meetings will be held at the Dementia Resource Centre in Strothers Lane — with four people attending the first session.

They are open to football fans and ex-players suffering from the neurological condition.

Organiser Kenny Wright, a dementia worker at Alzheimer Scotland, said: "We have photos and what we call reminiscence material all related to the eras they remember the most.

"It is supposed to get conversation going, trigger memories and allow the participants to tell their stories."

The project is supported by Caley Thistle manager Terry Butcher and other high-profile figures in the sport such as Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Scotland coach Craig Levein.

The scheme is also backed by the Professional Footballers Association Scotland, the Highland League and the Scottish League Managers and Coaches Association.

Mr Wright is keen for more people to join the group and appealed for memorabilia to be donated — especially items which can be photocopied and shared with similar groups.

These help the group remember players, goals and incidents from the past.

Due to the passion associated with the popular sport, discussions can lead to arguments and debate, as well as humour and banter.

"It can be quite rewarding for those involved," said Mr Wright, who is part of the charity’s Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey community mental health team.

"It is quite amazing the details that they can remember and we have had some really good response so far."

The initiative follows the success of pilot projects in Falkirk, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, where the charity noticed men with memory problems had an impressive recall of football from their younger days.

It has since developed into a nationwide scheme with a hub at Hampden Park, where the Scottish Football Museum works with the charity.

There are more than 84,000 people in Scotland with dementia, the equivalent of every spectator at football games across the country on an average weekend.

Nearly 4000 people in the Inverness area have the condition, a figure which is expected to double over the next generation.

People in the groups are encouraged to make a memory book, combining personal and family photos with images from their time as players and supporters.

There is also an element of competition with the groups placed into a Scottish Football Memories League, which has regional sections and allows them to visit each other for further discussions.

Funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery helped establish the Inverness group at the new £100,000 centre, which opened in August.

Anyone wanting to get involved in the group or find out more should contact Kenny Wright on 07788 286254.

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Donations can be made through the website at: www.footballmemories.org.uk

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