Charity aims to collect one million memories to help the lonely

The Sporting Memories Network was co-founded by former North Yorkshire psychiatric nurse Tony Jameson-Allen and has ran projects across the region.

Its new campaign aims to gather one million memories of sport which will be used in its reminiscence sessions to help bring together people suffering from loneliness, depression or dementia.

It coincides with the development on a new app, Replay Sporting Memories, which allows users to access thousands of sporting memories and share their own.

Mr Tony Jameson-Allen said the charity had expanded vastly since its first project working in care homes in Leeds in 2011.

He said: “The response from the world of sport and TV has been incredible. Over the past three years the likes of Sir Steve Redgrave, Katherine Grainger, David Weir, David Coulthard and Bill Beaumont have shared their own magical memories and become supporters of the network.”

The app would allow people to access the “meaningful visual stimuli” already collected that can help people to feel connected to their family and communities, he added.

“It makes these memories instantly accessible, and it is easy to add and save your own collection of memories to replay later, reminisce with others, or create your very own vintage newspaper, Sporting Pink,” Mr Tony Jameson-Allen said. “We are also developing a therapeutic section to help carers and volunteers to trigger the memories of people living with dementia.”