Sporting Khalsa launch community-based dementia support programme
The club previously used a grant from the Trident Community Foundation, set up by Northern Premier League partners Pitching In, to set up a mental health programme, which has since grown in popularity.
They have now been successful in their latest motion, in which Lions focused on dementia awareness and the impact it has on those living and caring for people living with dementia.
Jas Batt, the club’s community doctor, hopes this project can replicate the success of their mental health campaign, with the aim of making a lasting impact in the area.
He said: “We worked very closely with the NHS and held a very insightful dementia awareness event on March 8th.
“It was great to have everyone in one room. That was one of the highlights, people connecting, networking and making sure we are raising awareness about dementia.
“We had excellent feedback from the Lord Mayor of Walsall, Rose Martin, who was in attendance and said she was genuinely surprised by what we are doing.
“We use the football club as a vehicle to bring people together and we have a duty of care to our community.”
The club hosted information booths, workshops and interactive sessions, including a virtual reality pod that gave users an insight into the challenges of living with dementia.
“That’s what everyone noticed,” Batt added. “They gave you headphones and goggles that gave you limited vision and spikes under your feet to make you feel tingly and then you had to do mundane chores.
“It really struck me personally, and everyone said it really surprised them that we probably take our own experiences for granted.
“It’s given us a reality check on life and also around dementia.”
The new project is not just about diagnosing dementia, Sporting Khalsa also wants to make a lasting impact in supporting and promoting groups for carers provided by Admiral Nurses from the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Batt continued, “We will not just focus on the person with dementia. We also look at maintenance.
“We don’t want it to be 12 months and then the whole thing collapses.
“We want this to last five or ten years so that it holds up well in terms of what we’re trying to achieve here.
“There is always something to do. Our responsibility will be to ensure the venue becomes dementia friendly, allows fans to access and participate in games, becomes a registered dementia friend and joins the Dementia Action Alliance group.”
Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, have launched a multi-million pound investment scheme called Pitching In, which aims to support and encourage grassroots sport. For more details go to: https://entaingroup.com/sustainability/pitching-in/