Heritage Enrichment Project to support Dementia Awareness

Sixteen sixth form students took part in an heritage project to capture the memories of residents in Rossendale to support the work of Dementia Friends Rossendale.

Students interviewed cricket legends including two former Bacup Cricket Club Captains, Neal Wilkinson and Phil Lord, former player Gerard Cahill, Club Historian Chris Farnworth, long-standing supporter Charlie Parkinson and former League Chairman of Rawtenstall Cricket Club Bert Hanson.

Information gleaned from these, among other interviews, provided a springboard for researching history for posters on the themes of sport, education, transport and family/social life which will be used both as means to spark memories and also a sense of well-being for people living with dementia as well as providing a record fo social history.

Students were supported in the project by Dementia Friendly Rossendale, Together Housing and the Lancashire Cricket League's heritage project.  

Brian Heywood, manager of the Lancashire League's heritage project said:  "The students had no idea that cricket has, for decades, been integral to the lives of so many people in Rossendale, or that matches were such family occasions.  They were amazed that some of the best cricketers in the world, such as Everton Weekes, Vijay Hazare and George Tribe, had represented their local clubs."  He continued:  "One of our project partners is the Sporting Memories Foundation, the national leader in helping people living with dementia by accessing their sporting memories."

Saima Mubeen of Together Housing said:  "The knowledge, experience and memorabilia that the cricket project has provided has been a great resource, and the access to local sporting 'legends' has given the students invaluable, first-hand experience."  

Brian Topping, Chairman of Dementia Friendly Rossendale summed up the work of the students:  "The students are a credit to the school, a credit to the team within which they worked and a credit to themselves."

Students presented their work to an audience of governors, invited guests and the Mayor of Rossendale, Cllr Colin Crawforth.