North Lanarkshire Council, in association with Motherwell FC, Alzheimer’s Scotland and NHS Lanarkshire is launching a free fun-filled ‘Remember Well’ football memories programme at Firpark Stadium on 7 October.
Our national game holds fond memories for football fans of all generations, and sharing experiences of a particular moment of football history is special to supporters the world over.
Fans are being encouraged to come along and support the innovative memories programme, which aims to use our strong football heritage to improve the lives of people with dementia in North Lanarkshire.
People with dementia may also remember their first game, favourite player, favourite goal and everyone loves to share those experiences.
And supporters are being encouraged to bring along any football memorabilia such as programmes, football tops, press cuttings or their own pictures so the club can take a copy for their archives in exchange for a free ticket for a future match.
Councillor Sam Love, Convener of Housing and Social Work Services with North Lanarkshire Council, explained: “Through this programme, we can help raise awareness about dementia and hopefully help support those people experiencing the condition to lead a fuller and more enjoyable life.
“Motherwell is also aiming to be the first Dementia Friendly Town Centre in Scotland and the council and its partners are working hard with local businesses to make a commitment to supporting people with dementia. We as a council are determined to support people with dementia and help them remain a part of their community.”
The project involves training volunteers to spend time with people with dementia who have an interest in football, talking about the teams and matches of the past and working with visual images to stimulate memories.
Football has been used effectively to support people with dementia in other areas, but uniquely the North Lanarkshire project will involve young people as volunteers. By mixing young and old, the project hopes to encourage cross-generational discussion and learning to benefit both the people with dementia and the young volunteers.
Fans attending ‘Remember Well’ will:
- Meet former Motherwell legends and have your picture taken with them around the stadium including in the first team dressing room, the dug out, by the pitch side or with some historic silverware;
- Go on free stadium tours;
- Watch historic footage from big games over the decades and hear from the players involved, and
- Take part in competitions and games.
And for football trivia fans, a Quizball event, featuring questions from yesteryear and former playing legends is taking place at Firpark on Friday 28 September as part of the project and supporters are being invited along to be part of the audience.
Norrie Gallagher, Alzheimer’s Scotland Volunteer for Remember Well said: “We all know that Scots are passionate about football. We also know that football can be an incredibly powerful tool in helping to trigger other memories.
“So when we bring football nostalgia to those with dementia it often has amazing results. Photos of a game can help people to remember where they went for a pint before, where they watched it and in some cases even conversations that took place during the game. We can’t wait to start sharing favourite football memories with fans in North Lanarkshire.”
Supporters can also volunteer to get involved with ‘Remember Well’, and benefit from either free access to matches, free MFC Community Trust kit and most importantly a chance to make a difference to someone else’s life.
Colin Sloey, Executive Director of NHS Lanarkshire’s North Lanarkshire Community Health Partnership explained: “All the partners involved in the treatment of dementia are committed to improving the diagnosis, care and support for people with dementia as well as their carers.
“We are grateful to the Motherwell FC for this support, as well as Comic Relief for its financial support and Alzheimer Scotland who have all helped make this programme possible”.
There are an estimated 84,000 people with dementia in Scotland with around 4,400 people in North Lanarkshire affected by the condition and that number is only expected to increase in the coming years.
Leanne Dempster, Chief Executive of Motherwell Football Club said, Motherwell FC are determined to be Scotland’s Premier Community Club. We believe in the power of football to reach, involve and inspire communities. We are delighted to be at the heart of the ‘Remember Well’ Football Memories Programme. We are a club with a proud 125 year history. It is an honor that these memories are being used to raise awareness and improve the lives of people with dementia.”
The features and big names keep coming…
