Liverpool legends were out in force at Anfield last week for the launch of a collaboration between the LFC Foundation and an interactive app aimed at helping fans living with dementia.
Part of the National Museums Liverpool’s award-winning House of Memories programme, the My House of Memories app is designed to spark conversations between people living with dementia and their families through images, video and audio.
Now, a range of Liverpool FC-related media have been added to the app so that users can include them in their digital scrapbook and recall memorable moments.
Memories of cup wins, Melwood, European trips and more were curated by John Barnes, John Aldridge and Becky Easton, who were joined at Anfield by fellow former Alan Kennedy and Phil Thompson for the launch of the app package, which has been part-funded by the LFC Foundation.
Barnes told This Is Anfield: “Everybody’s aware of dementia because everyone has somebody in the family who has suffered from it.
“When House of Memories decided to get involved with Liverpool I was more than happy to help because I understand how important it is from a social point of view.
“This is a societal issue and if we can give people in the community who suffer a voice and come up with solutions to help them, that’s what we want to do.
“And the House of Memories app is fantastic in sparking a cognitive response from something as simple as the 1965 cup final or John Barnes scoring a goal.”
Former club captain Phil Thompson added: “Dementia is a massive part of our lives, there won’t be too many families who haven’t suffered through it.
“It’s such a difficult time not just for the person themselves, either, but for the family as a whole and how they deal with it.
“If the app jolts the memory of one person to remember the good times we had – and we had many – and give them joy then it’s wonderful.”
Carol Rogers, director of House of Memories, said: “If you’ve grown up with any passion like football, those long-term memories stay with us longer than what we did yesterday.
“When you’re diagnosed with dementia, the bit of the brain that stores long-term memories works better than the memories of what you’re doing in the short term.
“So for people living with dementia who are passionate about football and LFC, this app will really connect with them and give them a lot of pleasure.
“It’s packed full of the history of the club, the archives that fans have, and I think it’s going to be a really wonderful moment for those with dementia to sit around with family or carers and talk about memories and experiences.”
The app package called ‘Liverpool Football Club Memories’ is available to download via the My House of Memories app. Download the app now via the Apple Store and Google Play, or download it here.
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