NEWS RELEASE

Relive MOVE-ing memories with the launch of Sporting Memories Cafés in Chester and Winsford

#SportingMemories @ActiveCheshire @LoveBrightlife

12th March 2018:

The start of April brings exciting new opportunities to Chester and Winsford, with Active Cheshire launching four Sporting Memories café’s to help spark memories of past sporting experiences for those who suffer with dementia or memory loss.

The Sporting Memories Cafés are a Brightlife funded project to help reduce social isolation in people aged over 50 in Cheshire West and Chester.Thecafés use the power of sport to help people reminisce through photos, film, sound, and other familiar objects – tools often used to work with dementia patients whose short-term memory might be failing them.

For many dementia patients, it is challenging to find meaningful ways to connect and engage. This is particularly the case for older men who, despite being at lower risk of developing dementia compared to women, often struggle in more complex ways during treatment. Sporting Memories has already seen success in providing meaningful and powerful opportunities for older men and women to reminisce about something they have enjoyed throughout life.

“The Sporting Memories Network has already seen so much success that we couldnot wait to bring it to Cheshire. With help from Brightlife and local volunteers, people who struggle with memory can find a safe social space to talk about sport, something that invokes such passion for so many people old and young,” said Nont Iamkamphaeng, Strategic Lead for Mental Health at Active Cheshire, “It is a passion for sport that draws people in. But it’s talking about their life, sharing experiences, and rediscovering the camaraderie of sport that helps people rebuild the confidence to start talking about other things and developing new relationships.”

Active Cheshire welcome anyone who is aged 50+ to join the cafés, whether they suffer from memory loss or not. Attendees are encouraged to bring along old souvenirs or publications from past sporting events to be used within the groups.

The Sporting Memories Cafés are launching in April across Chester and Winsford and will run from the following locations.

Winsford:

  • New Images Youth Club, Nixon Drive, every Tuesday 11am – 12 noon

Chester:

  • Chester FC, Bumpers Lane, every Wednesday 11am – 12 noon
  • Wesley Church Centre, St John’s Street, every Thursday 11am – 12 noon
  • Hoole Community Centre, Westminster Road, every Friday 11am – 12 noon

To register your interest or for more information, please contact Sarah Tilling on 07720 592 784 or email .

-

------[ENDS]------

For more information please contact:

Sarah Tilling: | T: 07720 592 781

Duncan Setterington: | T: 07703 742 233

Note to Editor

About Active Cheshire

Active Cheshire is the lead body for physical activity and sport in Cheshire & Warrington. Since 1989 the organisation has been working across the sub-region to improve the provision of sport and physical activity opportunities. Since 2014 Active Cheshire has focused on changing behaviours to encourage embedding physical activity in to everyday life.

As an organisation Active Cheshire works across the whole of the market partnering with a diverse range of organisations ensuring a positive impact in all walks of life; ensuring people can get active at home, school, in the workplace and everywhere in between.

We want to make physical activity accessible to all by changing the way people think, by providing opportunities and helping people realise that any physical activity, not matter how small, is a success.

We help people take small steps to have a big impact on their quality of life.

About Brightlife Cheshire

  • “Sporting Memories is a Brightlife funded project to help reduce social isolation in people aged over 50 in Cheshire West and Chester.”
  • Brightlife is a partnership led by Age UK Cheshire (Registered Charity Number 1091608). Ithas been awarded £5m as part of the Big Lottery’s Fulfilling Lives, Ageing Better fund, which has given a total of £82m to 14 areas throughout England to improve the lives of people aged 50+.
  • The Brightlife partnership includes: Age UK Cheshire, Older People’s Network, Cheshire West and Chester Council, West Cheshire CCG, Vale Royal CCG, Cheshire and Warrington Social Enterprise Partnership, Chester Voluntary Action, Deafness Support Network, Rural Community Services, Sanctuary Housing and West Cheshire Inter Faith Forum.
  • Over the next five years, Brightlife aims to work closely with people aged 50+ to identify, design and implement a wide range of innovative solutions to address loneliness and isolation across Cheshire West and Chester.
  • Nationally, over 1 million older people say they are always or often feel lonely, and two-fifths say the television is their main form of company. With the numbers of older people aged 65 or over in the UK predicted to rise by nearly 50% in the next 20 years, loneliness is an urgent problem.