Table Tennis Scotland awarded £45,000 to become dementia friendly
Table Tennis Scotland is receiving £35,000 from the Life Changes Trust and £10,000 from Sportscotland to become dementia friendly.
Table Tennis Scotland successfully ran two pilot projects in Dundee and Haddington for over 50’s with dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
As a result, they are now launching a new initiative called ‘Community Table Tennis’ which aims to give people all over Scotland the opportunity to play the sport in their local area.
The £45,000 funding will be used to ensure that Community Table Tennis are dementia friendly from the outset.
Research has shown that table tennis is one of the best forms of exercise for brain health as it increases concentration and alertness.
Richard Yule, Chief Operating Officer, Table Tennis Scotland said “So many people played table tennis in their youth and now as they get older they find it is an activity they can still enjoy.
The combination of gentle exercise and plenty of socialising is the perfect mix. It is best summed up by a 95 year old participant in one of our pilot groups, who said ‘I haven’t laughed so much in years. It’s great fun.’
There are currently 23 over 50s groups across Scotland, ranging from Ayrshire to the Highlands, and the funding will enable Table Tennis Scotland to purchase enough equipment for around 50 further sites.
Anna Buchanan, Director of the Life Changes Trust dementia programme said, “We already know there are enormous benefits that come from community inclusive, health-based activities for people with dementia and also for their carers.
We are delighted that Table Tennis Scotland will be able to give more people with dementia in Scotland the chance to play, get active and stay connected.”
The funding is part of a second phase of Dementia Friendly Communities investment from Scottish charity, the Life Changes Trust. The Trust invested £3 million in 14 dementia friendly communities in 2015, the success of which has led to a further investment of £2 million.
