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Football-linked activities can offer a powerful and familiar way to support people with dementia

New research from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) has identified how activities linked to football can support people living with dementia.

The study, published in the Journal of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, found that football-themed activities offer a powerful and culturally familiar way to reach and support adults with dementia, particularly older men.

Researchers carried out a review of football-themed or football-based programmes involving people living with dementia. These included walking football sessions and reminiscence therapy sessions, delivered through professional football clubs and charitable foundations.

The review found that participants in the activities showed improvements in mood, communication, social engagement, and a renewed sense of belonging. Carers also benefited from respite, peer support, and the emotional lift of seeing relatives more engaged.

The review found that most programmes were delivered through partnerships between football clubs, charitable foundations, dementia organisations, NHS teams, and volunteers. This multi‑agency model blends therapeutic expertise with the familiarity and community reach of football, creating more personalised and socially meaningful experiences.

Delivery of support through community clubs and organisations also helped to address inequities in dementia care, as football clubs are often situated in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. By offering support in places people already feel connected to, football‑based programmes were able to reach groups who were less likely to access traditional healthcare services.

The study was co-led by Dr Marie Poole from Newcastle University, who is a Dementia Research Fellow supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria, and Alex Hagan, a medical student at Newcastle University, who undertook an internship working with Dr Poole as part of his medical training.

Dr Poole said: “There is growing recognition of the importance of non-traditional providers of dementia care. Football‑based dementia support offers a practical, culturally grounded way to deliver person‑centred care and strengthen community support for people living with dementia and their families. Community-based football organisations have a unique opportunity to engage local health and social care providers, local communities, and underrepresented groups to profoundly enhance the wellbeing of both the individual and their family.”

Read a plain language summary of the research

Read the full research paper