Community sports day held to raise awareness of dementia

Residents of the Julie Richardson enjoy an afternoon of sports organised by Banbury's Malayali community.

The day organised by members of the Indian Malayali Association involved activities for all ages and took place at the North Oxfordshire Academy School Sports ground.

Residents of the Julie Richardson Nursing Home were invited to enjoy the afternoon's activities and meet with members of the local Malayali community.

The Banbury IMA organised an array of sporting programmes for both children and adults, including sweet picking, ball throwing, and running races. Participants of all ages took part in traditional sports day activities like sack, lemon and spoon, and relay races, with the day culminating in a football match.

President of the Banbury IMA Jestin Joseph, said “This is the first time where we have conducted a programme involving residents of a nursing home, as such I am very proud of enabling this. The topic of dementia was brought to light and raised further awareness within our community. We all including the children were able to connect with the residents which was an extremely rewarding experience”.

Julie Richardson Nursing Home manager Jayanthi Antony thanked the IMA and their community for their commitment to the event. Antony said “The residents were enthusiastic throughout the day, encouraging all the children by cheering for them in their races. Many were able to reminisce on their youth by watching the children and the adults playing sports. Hearing the children cheer for each other and talking about tactics for the races brought several magical moments for the residents. The residents felt that they were part of the games and it allowed them to bond and feel involved in the happiness.

“This event has allowed a psychological benefit, stimulating them to enjoy the present moment. There were several magical moments shared throughout the day from the residents sharing the smiles of the winners of sports day to appreciating the picnic food served”.

The IMA is an organisation that helps people from the Kerala region of India settle in the UK.