Tackling dementia and the power of our cricket memories

It is World Alzheimer’s Day on Saturday 21 September and I was pleased to note that Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) will partner with Alzheimer’s Society to raise awareness of dementia during the One Day International against Australia at Headingley.

According to the UK’s leading dementia charity, dementia ‘describes a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language and behaviour. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.’

The facts make for stark reading.

1 in 3 people born in the UK today will be diagnosed with dementia in their lifetime. 1.4 million people are expected to be living with dementia by 2040. It is the UK’s biggest killer, according to Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive, Kate Lee.

You will likely know someone with dementia. It is a condition I hear about a lot through friends and family and yet, overwhelmingly, it will be faced at home, often by those who are alone. I’ll be honest, the prospect of losing memories and your sense of self is absolutely terrifying.

But there is professional guidance, emotional support, treatments and a sense of hope for those in need.

Over the years, I’ve written about the role of the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation who have worked with Leeds Peer Support Service to form and grow what is Catch Up Club; using cricket as a vehicle to help those with dementia and their families on a visit to Headingley Stadium.

Discussing favourite players, matches, personal experiences and the history of the game is a great way to spark memories and help those who may not get a chance to socialise as much as they’d like.

I’ve seen this power and potential first-hand at Headingley by attending sessions and it feels as if cricket, from internationals to grassroots, is ideally placed to support those with dementia.

It will be fantastic to see the promotion of dementia through the ECB, YCCC and using the one-day international as a platform. As always, I guess what I’m really interested in is what happened after that?

When the season ends, the nights lengthen and Autumn then Winter rolls in. As they have been for all kinds of community and charitable causes (like the Warm Spaces initiative), cricket clubs could hold the key.

There will be those with dementia connected to every cricket club, in every village, town and city across Yorkshire and beyond. Something for the game to ponder and act on I hope.

I’ll leave you with a story.

Last weekend, I ventured off on foot to walk to my local cricket club to catch the first eleven in action. I saw an elderly woman looking a bit confused at a corner junction.

I smiled at her, considered stopping but didn’t. It’s a fine line between thoughtful and interfering. But I slowed and glanced back just in case.

She called out and I retraced my steps to help with directions into Bingley. Looking a bit uncertain, I offered to walk with her into town. It turned out her husband is in a care home with dementia and as we talked, stories tumbled out.

In her mid-Eighties, the chance to chat, to remember and to laugh was clearly being enjoyed. For both of us I ought say.

What stuck with me is that this woman’s memory was extraordinary; a fact not lost in the context of what she must deal with because of her husband.

Over half an hour, we extended our walk and parted company with more stories and smiles. Her ancestors built Beckfoot Bridge and this talkative octogenarian was off to see it after many years because we’d been discussing the local history of the town.

To learn more about Alzheimer’s Society, visit alzheimers.org.uk/sport