Ken is Newcastle through and through, having grown up and still living in the city until this day.
He started engaging with Newcastle United Foundation’s (NUF) dementia walking football provision when the sessions at NUCASTLE were launched, with the loving support of his brother Keith. Ken and Keith love the sessions so much they are accessing other NUF walking football provision on other days, helping maintain Ken’s active lifestyle and increase his confidence.
He is also a regular attendee at the club’s Memory Café, hosted at St. James’ Park.

Anita, from Spennymoor, County Durham was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia in 2020, after years of being misdiagnosed due to her age.
Now, Anita is dedicated to spreading awareness of her journey so that others in a similar position don’t have to experience what she did and are able to receive a vital diagnosis - and the support it entitles them to.
She is an avid supporter of grassroots football, following her beloved Spennymoor Town home and away. She says being among the lads (as one of the few female hardcore Spennymoor fans) gives her a sense of belonging – the tight-knit group are all aware of her dementia, making sure to look out for her and give her any support she needs.

Michelle (Shelly) was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease back in 2020. She was only in her mid-fifties when she got the diagnosis. Shelly is a Norwich fan, as well as a follower of the men’s and women’s national teams, and she also enjoys reading and nature walks.
Shelly attends local dementia cafés and groups around Norwich, including Duncan’s Club, run by Norwich City’s Community Sports Foundation.

Howard was born in Liverpool and is a big Liverpool fan. He was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2021 following several mini strokes. Once Howard was diagnosed with dementia, he wasted no time in joining local groups and making friends with other people with dementia.
He now regularly attends two groups close to where he lives in Birmingham, one for African Caribbean elders, as well as a dementia café. Howard’s mother had Alzheimer’s disease with Howard and his family helping to care for her.

Baldev was born in Tanzania, moving to England in 1962. Baldev lives in London and is a staunch QPR fan. He still watches as much football as he can on television, and plays himself with Uxbridge Amblers Walking Football Club.
In 2014, Baldev was diagnosed with vascular dementia. Baldev and his wife Kulwant decided to join local groups in London following the diagnosis and continue regular visits, as well as having regular check-ins with their Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Adviser.

Steve is a passionate Leicester City fan and still loves going to games when he can – though his dementia makes attending more challenging, he still enjoys the feelings and emotions in a stadium.
He played regularly as a teen, once playing against Leicester and England legend Gary Lineker, and was also the manager of his son’s team from under-7 to under-17, winning two league titles along the way. Now, he regularly watches his grandsons play too.
Steve’s early-onset diagnosis journey was difficult, having originally been misdiagnosed with mental health issues, but he has since been involved in helping sports clubs and venues improve their dementia accessibility and even met Sir Geoff Hurst at the first Alzheimer’s Society International in 2022.

Raymond is a lover of music and football and a big Chelsea fan. He visits an Alzheimer’s Society day centre where he has two friends and they joke and chat about football. Raymond was born in Trinidad, but moved to the UK where he met his wife, Cynthia, in 1968.
He was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2017 when Cynthia noticed behavioral changes and that he was getting forgetful. Raymond is an advocate for the benefits of diagnosis and has taken part in lots of work for Alzheimer’s Society, including our brand activity ‘The Long Goodbye’ in 2023 where he appeared on social media and billboards.

Geraint Roberts has always been a massive sports fan and loved playing football when he was younger.
After struggling to see a GP during the pandemic and being told he was ‘too young’ to have dementia, Geraint was finally diagnosed with logopenic aphasia with Alzheimer’s disease in June 2022.
He lives with his wonderful wife Alison near Caerphilly in Wales and knows first hand the importance of teamwork, as he regularly attends a young person with dementia group, a Singing for the Brain group, a Music and Memories group, and a friendship group.

Nigel was diagnosed with mixed dementia in 2017 and is a regular participant in many corporate steering groups and website reviews coordinated by Alzheimer’s Society to help businesses improve their user experience for people living with dementia. He also helped Leicester City Council develop their dementia strategy.
A retired decorator, he and his wife Sandra are both heavily involved at Leicester City in the Community, taking part in Silver Foxes and other local activities. Nigel has also been involved in our bespoke training programme delivered to football clubs, talking about his experience of dementia and attending live football.

In a long career in the health and care sector, Gill worked in mental health for the NHS and as communications support for the Deaf in care homes.
Gill was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia during the pandemic whilst still in her 40s. During this time, she started online sessions to teach sign language to others with dementia and aphasia to help them communicate, knowing herself how isolating and frustrating it can be to struggle with verbal communication. The support group, originally meant as a one-off, is still running today.
Gill lives in Kent now, but grew up in Liverpool and is a lifelong supporter of the Reds like the rest of her family. She loves to reminisce about Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and the club’s famous European comebacks.