Being Human Festival 2020: Sporting Memories Cafe 

Being Human is the UK’s only national festival of the humanities. A celebration of humanities research through public engagement, it is led by the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, the UK’s national centre for the pursuit, support and promotion of research in the humanities, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.

In November each year the festival brings together universities, museums, galleries, archives, independent research organisations, community and commercial partners to make research in the humanities accessible to non-specialist audiences and demonstrate its relevance to our everyday lives. The festival can be found @BeingHumanFest on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Sporting Memories: Sharing Stories and Supporting Communities

In 2020 the Community Archives and Heritage Groups Scotland held an online webinar during the festival which centered on how archives can help those with dementia; Sporting Memories: Sharing Stories and Supporting Communities. The event was held on Friday the 13th of November 2020 from 10am – 1.20pm.

During the session we heard from speakers from the Highlands to the Borders on all manner of sports including football, cricket, curling, rugby and shinty. The event was an opportunity to hear about research in reminiscence therapy and to share memories. Our speaker programme was as follows:

Keynote Speaker:

Hugh Dan MacLellan – Hugh is a Scottish broadcaster, author and sporting academic with specific interest in the sport of shinty. A fluent Gaelic speaker, Hugh is chief presenter on BBC Alba’s quiz show Aibisidh on BBC Alba with co presenter Mary Anne McDonald. 

Following speakers:

Helen Pickles –  In the past Helen has worked with museum collections at the V&A Dundee, The British Museum and English Heritage. Her current role at the Highland Folk Museum includes working in collaboration with Badenoch Shinty Memories – a local sports reminiscence group.

Lorraine Young – A former Chief Social Work Officer for Angus and a Rotarian, Lorraine chose to commit her free time to creating and supporting the development of Golf Memories. Founder and Chair of the Carnoustie Golf Memories Group, launched in 2015, which is part of the overall Golf Memories Project, which in turn is part of the wider Sports Heritage Scotland network helping those living with dementia and memory loss. 

Murray Watson – Since 2013 Murray has been Convenor of Hawick Rugby Memories Club for reminiscence therapy which uses old rugby photos, DVDs, old programmes, and other memorabilia to stimulate memories in a friendly, social environment that benefits people with memory problems as well as providing company for those who live lonely and isolated lives.

Richard McBrearty – Richard is the Project Director at Football Memories Scotland and Curator of the Scottish Football Museum. He manages the national Football Memories project to develop and support football reminiscence sessions for people with Alzheimer’s and other memory problems

Professor Richard Haynes – Richard has been Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Media Sport since August 2013. With Stirling University Archivist, Karl Magee, Richard works closely with Team Scotland to conserve and publicly exhibit their archive. He also works with several sports organisations and museums.

Charlie Fairley – Charlie is the Senior Funding Officer at Life Changes Trust a charity that invests in and supports the empowerment and inclusion of three groups: young people with experience of being in care, people living with dementia and unpaid carers of those with dementia.

Michael White – Director at Screen Memories which started off as one year project to use film still images, memorabilia and selected film extracts to provide structured experiences to stimulate recall, boost self-esteem and confidence for people who are living with dementia and other memory problems. For 9 years Michael managed the national Football Memories project to develop and support football reminiscence sessions for people with Alzheimer’s and other memory problems.