When Football Evokes Memories:
Malteser and Union Offer Stadium Tours for People With Dementia
It was a successful start. On Tuesday afternoon, ten people suffering from dementia and their companions got to experience the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in a very special way.
Together with the Berlin Malteser, Union are offering the special stadium tours for people with dementia through the foundation "UNION VEREINT. Schulter an Schulter".
Instead of a classic stadium tour, visitors can experience football with all their senses. They take a seat on the substitute bench, visit the dressing room, look out onto the pitch from the stands, hold a football in their hands, discover historical club exhibits, and sing well-known club songs together. The focus is not on goals or tactics, but on shared experiences and memories.
"Football connects generations and evokes emotions. This is exactly the power we want to harness to provide people with dementia sustainable experiences and to give relatives shared moments of remembrance," says dementia cultural work coordinator Lilly Parr from the Berlin Maltesers.
"Memories are created in the stadium that last a lifetime. This offer is exactly about that. It’s not about results or league positions, but about the feeling of being right in the middle of it again. We are very pleased that we can make this possible together with the Maltesers," said Christian Arbeit, chairman of the "UNION VEREINT. Schulter an Schulter" foundation.
The tours take place in a calm atmosphere, are consciously kept manageable, and are professionally supervised. They are explicitly aimed at people with dementia and their accompanying persons.
Further tours at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei will take place in the coming weeks in groups. Participation is possible for people with dementia and their companions; registrations are only intended for groups. Information about dates and registration can be found at the Berliner Malteser www.malteser-berlin.de/demenz
The stadium tours are part of the project “Mehr (er)leben”, which has been initiated by the Berliner Malteser. The aim is to raise awareness of cultural and recreational venues for the needs of people with dementia and to develop appropriate activities and offerings. This includes specifically designed tours in museums, castles, and now for the first time also in a football stadium. The project supports affected individuals in continuing to participate in social life and collecting positive experiences together with relatives. The project is funded by the Deutsche Fernsehlotterie as well as the Stiftung Berliner Sparkasse.
