The Football, Friends & Memories event with Derbyshire FA and Alzheimer’s Society recently took place at the SMH Group Stadium, during Alzheimer’s Awareness Week.
The event was all about creating meaningful moments through football and music. Open to individuals living with dementia, carers, families and the wider community, bringing people together through football, music and shared memories.
Sing Along With Ellie is an award-winning community group and registered charity that supports people living with all aspects of Dementia through music and singing.
Ellie Fessey of Sing Along With Ellie
Ellie Fessey spoke about the experience of the group singing at the SMH Group Stadium, saying: “Everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It’s just about having fun and living well with music.
“We’re a very inclusive group, and it’s just about having fun through music and friendship. We meet every two weeks, and we’ve got five different groups, and we just sing and have fun, basically.
“We are open primarily for people living with dementia because music is an enabler for people to connect, feel secure and confident, which is wonderful. We also look after people and encourage people who have learning difficulties, socially isolated people.”
Also in attendance was former Derby County striker Martyn Waghorn, who is a Derbyshire FA ambassador. Speaking on the day, Waghorn commented: “It’s been lovely to come down, see all the stalls and see all the participation.
Continuing about how much dementia can affect somebody’s life, Waghorn added: “It has a massive effect on families and the wider community. Events like this really bring communities together. You see how important it is for people to come out, talk and share stories.”
