Sporting Memories Foundation is encouraging everyone talk sport

With the suspension of over 120 Sporting Memories community
Clubs for older people in England, Wales and Scotland due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the Sporting Memories Foundation is encouraging everyone, no matter
where they are, to talk about sport.

Sporting Memories Co-founder Chris Wilkins says: “We all
know someone who loves to talk about sport. Talking about sport is bedrock of
our community Clubs for older people. It’s a powerful, emotive and often joyous
topic that engages people on all levels. We use sport to tackle social
isolation and improve physical and cognitive well-being and resilience.

“Now that so many of us are isolated from our loved ones and friends, we want to encourage as many people as possible to talk about sport. To engage by whatever means they can with their family and friends of all ages, spark lively conversations and bring up all those positive memories. That’s why we have launched a new campaign: #TalkAboutSport. We want to demonstrate to as many people as possible the health, wellbeing and social benefits of talking about sport.

Sporting Memories is developing resources and activities
that can be used at home, online or over the telephone. With quizzes, puzzles,
a weekly sports publication and video guidance already made available, there is
plenty more to follow. The organisation’s staff and volunteers are working hard
to turn their ideas into reality.

Chris added: “Some of these resources are already used in
our Clubs, others will be brand new.  Of
course there are challenges: many of those we work with have limited options to
access activities online. However, this is where we hope a wider
#TalkAboutSport message can help. By highlighting that sport is a wonderful way
of sparking conversation and by providing guidance and resources to go
alongside this, people will find ways to engage. We will give people a taste of
what happens at our Clubs and show them how to bring this into the home and
over the telephone.”

Sporting Memories is encouraging people to sign up on its
website to a new digital version of the Sporting Pink – a weekly publication
produced by the organisation. Usually only available to its Clubs, the
Foundation hopes that by making it more widely available, families and friends
will use it with older people to spark sporting conversations.

“We have set up an Activities area on our website,
www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com, and will be adding to this and our other
online channels over the coming days and weeks.”