The ReminisCITY programme aims to create a dementia-safe environment for participants to enjoy social and physical activity, through the conduit of football and Manchester City.
Sessions promote active and engaged lifestyles in the face of the challenges dementia can bring, utilising the Club to invoke memories for participants and their caregivers, enabling them to engage in weekly reminiscence activities, whilst also creating peer support networks and groups.
CITC’s dedicated staff harness the power of football to create fun, engaging sessions which aim to stimulate memory, improve mood and promote social interaction for participants and their caregivers.
Sessions are held weekly at the Etihad Stadium and include a mix of activities such as reliving classic Manchester City matches, group discussions, stadium tours, walks, musical workshops and arts and crafts.
These activities not only provide entertainment but also stimulate memories and promote mental wellbeing.
One family member of a ReminisCITY participant said: “My father enjoyed his time at ReminisCity. This is a fabulous outreach programme organised by City in the Community.”
Another career who attended the session with a participant said: “I enjoy coming to the sessions myself, but I particularly enjoy seeing the person I attend with in sessions, because he’s recalling things that were obviously well buried.”
The programme has been running at the Etihad Stadium for three years, but now is going on the road! CITC staff will be bringing the sessions to a number of care homes across Greater Manchester.
Commenting on ReminisCITY on the road, Community Mentoring Manager, Jason El-Kaleh said: “CITC have been successful in securing funding from the Premier League Fans Fund to enhance the delivery of the ReminisCITY programme.
“This funding has allowed us to expand delivery, with the addition of our ‘ReminisCITY on the Road’ in-reach sessions.
“These sessions are delivered in specialist care homes across Greater Manchester and allow CITC staff the opportunity to deliver reminiscence workshops with individuals whose circumstances would make it difficult to attend our weekly sessions.
“This new approach to delivery will allow CITC to deliver programmes to more traditionally ‘hard-to-reach’ cohorts, with the aim of empowering healthier lives through football.”
Back in May, ReminisCITY participant, Michael, relived some of his favourite Manchester City memories, alongside former Man City player, Paul Dickov, as part of the four-in-a-row Premier League trophy lift.
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Talking about his experience and the ReminisCITY, sessions Michael said: “I’d just like to say a huge thank you to the Club and to City in the Community for what they’ve done. I just cannot believe I’ve been chosen. Just can’t believe it because I love this club to bits.
“Manchester City means everything to me, they’re my world. Because of the dementia, my memory is terrible now but attending City in the Community session and talking about the Club, little things come back.
“You start to remember so it really does help. If I wasn’t going every week my days would just be bad. City brightens you up.”
The programme works alongside the Alzheimer’s Society to provide advice and signposting information for participants and their caregivers.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease were the leading cause of death in England in 2022 (Office for National Statistics, May 2023).
Currently more than 30,000 people are living with a diagnosis of dementia in Greater Manchester in 2024 which is the highest rate for dementia diagnosis in the North West, and equates to £270 million annual spend on care and treatment (HealthInnovationMCR, 2024).
For more information on dementia and Alzheimer’s, please visit: https://www.dementiauk.org or https://www.alzheimers.org.uk.
If you would like to support CITC and its work, you can do so through the CITC Prize Draw which offers fans around the world* the opportunity to get their hands on signed player shirts, match tickets, cash prizes and much more each month for just £5 a ticket.
To enter the draw or find out more information, visit: www.mancity.com/citcprizedraw
City in the Community empowers healthier lives with city youth through football. To find out more, visit www.mancity.com/citc or follow @citcmancity.
*Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Qatar, Lebanon, and North Korea are the only excluded countries from the prize draw.
