- Select sponsors Forget Me Not FC
- Walking football club for people living with dementia
- Run by the Uxbridge Amblers
- Backed by Select Fleet Solutions, Eton
A walking football club for people with dementia is putting a smile on the faces of sufferers and their carers - and it’s now helping more people than ever.
The Uxbridge Amblers Walking Football Club is based out of Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex, west London.
Since 2019 - with the financial backing of the Eton branch of Select Car Leasing - Uxbridge Amblers has run Forget Me Not FC, a community project that proves cognitive loss is no barrier to enjoying the beautiful game.
Mick Geraghty, General Secretary of the Uxbridge Amblers, says Forget Me Not FC’s ranks have swollen to around 35 members in 2025.
Those with living dementia and their carers meet each week at Rectory Park, Northolt, for a fun activity session that typically involves dribbling, kicking and even a special version of crossbar challenge.
And coach Mick, an experienced UEFA B Licence holder with Middlesex FAm (pictured above), says walking football can trigger joy-inducing moments of clarity for those living with dementia that have a lasting impact.
He explains: “When it comes to caring for people with dementia, two of the key words we use are ‘memory’ and ‘emotion’.
“Depending on what stage of dementia they’re experiencing, people will often come to the walking football session, they’ll have a great time, they’ll love having the ball at their feet, they’ll talk about the various clubs they played for back in the day… and then they’ll go home and forget they’ve even been out of the house.
“But - and this is the crucial bit - they’ll still be happy several hours later. The emotion stays with them a lot longer than the memory does.
“And that’s what Forget Me Not FC is all about, making people feel happy and putting a smile on their faces.”
The sessions themselves last for around 40 minutes and combine both physical and cognitive activities.
Mick, a 70-year-old retired former food service director, adds: “We typically see players and their carers working in pairs with a ball. We do lots of walking with the ball, dribbling in and out of cones, we look at spatial awareness and colour recognition, we do throwing and catching games, and we ask them to kick a ball so that it stops on a line ten yards away from them. We also have a little competition at the end where they try to throw a ball at a crossbar.
“After that, we go into the cafe area, have a drink and a biscuit or some cake, and listen to some music.”
Forget Me Not FC also offers crucial social opportunities for people living with dementia as well as their friends and family, from dementia discos to the annual Christmas lunch.
The festive bashes in particular offer a real lifeline, providing social support at a time when those living with dementia might have contact with other people.
There are also dementia-friendly match day experiences at local clubs like QPR FC and Hayes & Yeading United FC.
Many of those social events are directly funded by Select Car Leasing Eton - which specialises in lease vehicles for fleets and businesses.
Ian Wilson, Principal at Select Fleet Solutions, said: “Football touches so many lives and has such a lasting impact that the joy of having a ball at your feet never diminishes, even if you’re suffering with dementia.
“That’s why we’re delighted to be able to support Forget Me Not FC and the incredible work undertaken by Mick and the Uxbridge Amblers.
“The dementia walking football sessions are clearly beneficial to the players themselves, but they also provide much-needed respite for those who care for people living with dementia, and that’s perhaps even more important.”
Besides Forget Me Not FC, Uxbridge Amblers boasts around 75 members, aged between 50 and 80 years old, who play recreationally. Those who wish to can also compete in the Middlesex FA Walking Football League.
Walking football is one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports, with more than 1,000 clubs now established in the UK.
Mick, who sits on the FA’s National Advisory group for walking football, says that while some veteran players might see it as a bit of a ‘joke’, it’s still a fast-paced, technical game that soon wins over any detractors.
He explains: “As soon as you play, you’ll be converted. The game is played at a slower pace but it’s still technical and rewarding.
“For us, walking football is about enjoying some exercise, socialising, and making new friends. It’s also about making sure people aren’t isolated in their communities, particularly for those who may have suffered the loss of a partner.
“We’ve welcomed many people who didn’t know what to do with themselves before they found walking football, and the game has now been a lifeline for them.”
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