In 2022, Uthink launched our Football Reminiscence Sessions in day centres and care homes across Edinburgh.
Our aim is to deliver fun and stimulating sessions to our elderly participants on their dementia journey.
We have found that Football is often responsible for evoking some of life's fondest memories.
Weather it's attending matches with your Dad and siblings, playing with friends, or watching history being made on TV. As the national sport, football has affected everyone in one way or another.
Through our use of memorabilia, cards, programs, music, and conversation, we give participants the opportunity to relive some wonderful memories, sights, and sounds from times in their past that have been locked away for years, forgotten memories.
The results are amazing. From debates of the greatest players, to singing songs from their favourite chants on the terracing.
As our service grows, we aim to deliver days out to stadiums for official tours. Attend matches. And even introduce walking football sessions. Improving social isolation, simulation, and both physical and mental health.
"We don't stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing”
Colouring in the grey areas
At the latter end of 2022, we introduced our reminiscing art sessions with our guys recalling memories of footballers from days gone by and taking part in stencil art sessions, they recalled times of afternoons spent on the terraces watching their teams and favourite plays scoring magnificent goals or putting in bone crunching tackles.
So, in 2023 we would like to take this a step further with the introduction of our, 'Hall of Fame art'. Using the Uthink Creative spaces we will support our elderly members to create a piece of art of their sporting heroes.
Then framing the artwork to showcase. Creating a monthly Hall of Fame for each centre of care home.
Uthink will provide a wide selection of legendary sporting figures images for our groups to colour in or paint.
Bringing to life the stories they've been retelling.
Each image will also contain a list of the individuals' professional accomplishments. Making it easy to determine who the person is.
The artwork will hopefully develop confidence, pride and a sense of achievement in what the participants have accomplished.