Alloa Care Home Residents Take A Trip Down Memory Lane With A Visit To Hampden Park
At HC-One Scotland’s The Orchard Care Home in Tullibody, Alloa, there are many residents who are keen football enthusiasts, so colleagues contacted their local football club and were delighted to arrange a tour and visit from a local football historian.
Sandra Curl, Wellbeing Coordinator at the nursing and nursing dementia care home, has links to the Scottish Football Association, Stella Murphy, Administration Assistant at Football Memories Scotland, and reached out to see if something could be organised for the resident fans at The Orchard.
Amazingly Stella came back and organised a trip for three residents to Hampden Park, National Football Stadium of Scotland, in Glasgow for a stadium tour and visit to the museum, which took place on Tuesday 14th May.
The residents had lots of fun on their trip. Elsie scored a goal, and Stuart enjoyed the museum looking at the old legend’s pictures. Everyone had a stadium tour taking in the dressing rooms, press rooms then the pitch before the museum visit.
Sandra Curl, Wellbeing Coordinator commented:
“This was a huge success and we’re hoping to arrange another trip in the summer. Stella has also supported me with some football cards for reminiscing with our residents which has been a great topic for some of our group sessions and one-to-ones.”
Stella has also put The Orchard in touch with a local gentleman called, John Glencross who volunteers doing football memory sessions at the local Alloa Football Club. Glencross is a local Alloa historian who has written a book about the history of Alloa Athletic, which is found at The Alloa Athletic Football Memorabilia Exhibition. Glencross kindly visited The Orchard to meet residents and chat about the history of the football club.
Among those in attendance was John Simpson who was well known to Glencross due to his football and journalist career in the Alloa Advertiser. Simpson shared lots of pictures with the group from his football days.
Sandra added:
“The selection of wonderful pictures that John provided were made into a scrapbook, and he loves talking about it. It is fascinating to hear his stories.”
Glencross has since opened a Football memorabilia Museum in Alloa, and residents, families and colleagues are very much looking forward to visiting again soon as a trip out on the minibus.
That is not the only link The Orchard care home has to the football club. Resident Kathleen’s husband was the Director and Secretary of Alloa Football Club. She is delighted to be invited along to the club and has been enjoying looking at old pictures and recognising family members and friends.
Susan Gibson, Home Manager at The Orchard Care Home, remarked:
“It is amazing that we have links to the local football club within our home, both present and from decades ago. We are big football fans at The Orchard and feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to visit and have a tour of the club. We are very much looking forward to our next trip.”
