21 new ‘Reminiscence Workshops Through Football’, developed by FEAFV and LALIGA FOUNDATION, begin

The month of February will see the start of 21 ‘Reminiscence Workshops Through Football’, part of the second cycle of the season for a project now in its second consecutive year, jointly developed by the Spanish Federation of Veteran Footballers’ Associations (FEAFV) and FUNDACIÓN LALIGA. 

Following the participation of more than 360 people in 19 centres between September and January, the programme, designed to stimulate and recover memories from childhood, youth, and adulthood through football, will now expand to 21 new residences and specialised centres over the next 4 months. The initiative caters to elderly people, with or without cognitive impairment, brain damage, or mental health problems.

A total of 252 sessions, amounting to over 500 hours of training with senior citizens, blending educational activities in the residences themselves with various initiatives coordinated with the football clubs in each city. These include stadium tours, visits to first-team training sessions, and club museum visits. These additional activities, carried out in previous workshops, have created deeply emotional moments for participants and their families. 

More specifically, from February to June the project will continue its activities in the cities of Madrid, Irún, Vila-real, Cartagena, Oviedo, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Valencia, Vigo, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Málaga, Logroño, Pamplona, Badalona and El Campello, thus fulfilling the objective set at the beginning of the season to implement 40 workshops in the second year of the agreement between the organising bodies.

In the words of Juan Mari Zorriqueta, FEAFV President:  “After the 19 workshops conducted between September and January, we consider it a privilege for our Federation to continue collaborating with FUNDACIÓN LALIGA. Their institutional support and dedicated professionals help us fight this beautiful battle, helping people remember and feel, even as they struggle against their own fading memories”.

As Olga de la Fuente, Director of FUNDACIÓN LALIGA, stated: “This is an inspiring project that allows us to connect with our elders through football and their life stories, stimulating cognitive activity in a deeply rewarding and emotional way. We are grateful to the FEAFV for allowing us to be an active part of such an enriching and inspiring programme”. 

The ‘Reminiscence Workshops Through Football’ offer multiple memory benefits for older people. By reliving historical and personal moments related to football, participants activate areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory, helping to preserve cognitive functions and mental agility. The social interaction and sharing of experiences with other fans also contributes to improved recall, while creating an emotional atmosphere and camaraderie that strengthens emotional well-being. These workshops not only allow senior citizens to fondly remember their past, but also enhance their mental agility and their ability to connect past events with the present.