Reviving memories of 1966 to help those living with dementia

MEMORIES of the 1966 World Cup will be collected and shared by people living in care homes and those with dementia as part of a new partnership between a North Yorkshire-based charity and a Leeds university.
England captain Bobby Moore holds aloft the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy as he sits on the shoulders of his teammates after the 1966 World Cup final.England captain Bobby Moore holds aloft the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy as he sits on the shoulders of his teammates after the 1966 World Cup final.
England captain Bobby Moore holds aloft the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy as he sits on the shoulders of his teammates after the 1966 World Cup final.

Researchers from Leeds Beckett University will work with the Sporting Memories Network, which uses the power of reminisce to help combat the debilitating effects of dementia, depression and loneliness, on the Memories of 1966 project.

It will celebrate the glory and legacy of England’s win 50 years later and will culminate in an exhibition housed at The National Football Museum later this year.

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On Wednesday, as part of Dementia Awareness Week, older people living in care homes and people with dementia will take part in an event at Leeds Beckett’s Headingley Campus.

The project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, focuses on collecting the memories of players, fans and ordinary people affected by the famous World Cup win. The Leeds Beckett event is an opportunity for older people living around Leeds to share their own experiences of when heroic England captain Bobby Moore joyfully lifted aloft the Jules Rimet trophy.

Co-founder and director of the Sporting Memories Network, Tony Jameson-Allen, said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Leeds Beckett University and look forward to strengthening our relationship over the coming months. At Sporting Memories we believe in the power of reminiscing to help combat the debilitating effects of dementia, depression and loneliness and we applaud the work of Professor Claire Surr and her team at Leeds Beckett in the critical research they are currently undertaking.

“Through the Memories of 1966 event at Leeds Beckett we hope to engage older people in sharing their experiences of life in Leeds in ’66. Not only their recollections of the football, but the culture, fashion, transport and music of the sixties. These will be added to the official memories archive and will be used in our work across generations.”

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Claire Surr, Professor of Dementia Studies at Leeds Beckett, added: “Our partnership with the Sporting Memories Network offers some exciting opportunities for both organisations to work together more closely to support positive lives for people living with dementia. The work of the Sporting Memories Network resonates with many existing areas of research expertise here at Leeds Beckett and we look forward to engaging in collaborative research and project work. The event this week will kick off our partnership with some fun activities grounded in the valuable work the Sporting Memories Network does in communities.”