There is a growing awareness of football's important role in supporting people living with dementia and their families.
Football has a special place in the UK's culture, heritage, and identity. It is more than just a sport - it's a shared passion that unites communities. Football clubs are often uniquely placed to make a meaningful difference, particularly for those impacted by dementia.
In this blog, Dr Marie Poole, Senior Qualitative Researcher in Dementia Care at our Population and Health Sciences Institute and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and Cumbria Dementia Research Fellow, explores her work on post-diagnostic dementia care and what is so unique about football-based dementia support.
Contents
- The NUFC Memory Café: reaching an underserved community
- From local engagement to national impact
- The importance of collaboration
- What is unique about football-based dementia support?
- Evidencing the diverse benefits
- Further information
The NUFC Memory Café: reaching an underserved community
A core part of my research in improving dementia care is engaging with our local community to understand the challenges people face when trying to access much needed dementia care and support.
Just five minutes’ walk from Newcastle University (and located in one of the most disadvantaged areas of our city) is St James’ Park, the home of Newcastle United Football Club (NUFC). The club runs a monthly Memory Café, offering fans and locals a place to reminisce, find support, and enjoy camaraderie and friendship.
After attending the NUFC Memory Café, I was amazed and inspired to find out more! I was surprised to see how many people attended (and clearly very much enjoyed) the session at St James’ Park – particularly older men who often struggle to find or access dementia support, whether they’re living with the condition, or as a family carer.
From local engagement to national impact
I was awarded a Dementia Research Fellowship by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and Cumbria to explore novel approaches to post-diagnostic dementia support as well as an NIHR Three Schools Dementia Career Development Award.
This funding has enabled me to work with Newcastle United Football Club and their charitable foundation - the Newcastle United Foundation. I’ve been able to bring local people into our national dementia research programmes and build important links with leading national football and dementia organisations. These include the Premier League, the Professional Footballer’s Association (PFA), Scottish Professional Football League Trust (SPFLT), Black Footballers Partnership, Alzheimer’s Society, and Dementia UK.
Building these links has led to the development of new research opportunities and collaborations with industry partners to strengthen the delivery of dementia support through football.
The importance of collaboration
A key initiative I have been involved in is the Developing dementia initiatives workshops, organised by the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA). The workshops included representatives from Premier League and English Football League clubs as well as their charitable foundations, Alzheimer’s Society, and Dementia UK.
This approach has enabled the sharing of experiences and expertise from a range of initiatives to improve community dementia support and promote future service development and research at both local and national levels. It's a privilege to be involved in such an innovative area by promoting the value of evaluating these initiatives to build a strong evidence base around these novel approaches to dementia support and explore new opportunities for collaboration and future research.
Recognition of the need to grow evidence around the success of football-based dementia initiatives is highlighted in the collaborative approach of the Newcastle United Foundation team. They have welcomed me into their team right from the launch of their new dementia friendly walking football initiative in January this year, alongside my colleague Dr Alison Killen, Health Psychologist and Research Associate at Newcastle University. They are keen to demonstrate the benefits of their service to people living with dementia and their families in the local community, by involving staff and service users in their service evaluation. Health and Wellbeing Officer Thomas Graham said:
'Marie and Alison have played a significant role in supporting Newcastle United Foundation’s new dementia friendly walking football session from many aspects and without their input and support the success of the programme to date would not have been achieved.
'Everyone connected at Newcastle United Foundation is truly grateful for their input and looking forward to continuing to work together in the long-term.'
What is unique about football-based dementia support?
Football has a special place in our culture, heritage, and identity in the UK, and this is also true of many countries around the world.
As one of our national sports, football has the power to both divide and unite, and the institution of football has a trusted presence in the lives of many of us – like a religion or a calling - fostering enduring loyalty from birth through to death in a way that other major institutions and organisations struggle to achieve. As a result, clubs are uniquely placed to reach out and support people who struggle to access more traditional dementia services, such as those offered in hospitals and day centres.
'For him [husband], he needs more things like this, I think. You look forward to Wednesdays up here [Newcastle United Foundation]. If not… some days he’s just sitting there doing nothing.' - Family member of person living with dementia
Football clubs and their associated charitable foundations are at the heart of our local communities and are often located in areas facing disadvantage and need, made worse by problems such as the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Clubs and foundations have harnessed their community standing to engage with people facing disadvantage but have often focused on the needs of younger people and approaches to improve physical and mental health. There is now a growing awareness of the important role football plays for people living with dementia and their families. Organisations are responding to help meet the needs of older people in the community, of which a significant proportion will be affected by dementia – either as someone with a diagnosis, or as a family member or friend providing support.
'You’re using your mind as well as your feet, thinking about where you should be and… So it’s not just the actual kicking the ball, but it’s trying to use your head.' - Person living with dementia, Newcastle United Foundation Dementia Friendly Walking Football Initiative
Awareness of the benefits of involvement with sport for people living with dementia is growing, with increasing recognition of its physical, mental, and social benefits. Activities like reminiscence sessions, where people bond over shared memories, getting active through dementia friendly walking football or chair-based exercises, and taking part in singing, games, or social outings are proving valuable for wellbeing.
Leading dementia organisations are championing this approach. The Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Sport United Against Dementia’ campaign focuses on how sport-themed community initiatives can positively influence cognition, maintenance of identity, and quality of life while helping to raise awareness of dementia and reducing stigma.
Dementia UK has a designated Consultant Admiral Nurse for Sport and Dementia, who provides practical and emotional support for people living with dementia where there is also a relationship to sports. They also collaborate with the PFA to provide vital support to former professionals through the Brain Health Initiative and the Football Brain Health Fund virtual support and advice clinics.
Evidencing the diverse benefits
Many clubs and their charitable foundations offer a diverse range of initiatives for people living with dementia and their families – supporting both football fans and former professional footballers. This support is provided at local, national, and international levels.
The benefits of these initiatives are clear. They offer a new way to provide dementia services which support mental and physical wellbeing, foster communities of friendship and belonging to combat isolation and loneliness, and enable people to stay engaged in their local community through a shared, lifelong connection to the culture and identity of football.
Importantly, they are providing vital community dementia support which traditional providers increasingly do not have the resource to deliver. However, there is currently limited evidence to demonstrate the success of such initiatives. Establishing the relevance and potential of this provision remains essential.
The goal of my research is to build a more comprehensive picture of football-based dementia support in the UK and to develop best practice resources to help more football clubs offer this vital community support. Although this journey started in Newcastle, this research has the potential to benefit football fans living with dementia across the world.
Further information
- learn more about Dr Marie Poole and follow her on X
- read about the Developing Dementia Initiatives workshop
- explore our Population Health Sciences Institute and our Centre for Ageing and Inequalities
- learn more about the Newcastle United Foundation
- find out more about the Sports United Against Dementia campaign from the Alzheimer's Society
- former professional football players looking for support with dementia or other neurodegenerative conditions can contact the PFA on brainhealth@pfa.com or 0330 236 8859
- learn about the Dementia UK Admiral Nurse for Sports and Dementia
Header photo credit: John Anderson speaking at an NUFC Memory Café, Newcastle United 2024.
