Wembley Stadium Becomes First National Stadium To Be Dementia Friendly

The Football Association (FA) has backed landmark guidance developed by charity for all stadiums and sports grounds, with likes of Premier League and Racecourse Association pledging commitment.

The Football Association (FA) has worked with its official charity partner, Al zheimer’s Society, to put in place a series of improvements to the iconic Wembley Stadium, changing the game for fans with dementia.

Making Wembley dementia friendly
After an audit of the stadium by people affected by dementia, who were invited to attend two matchdays and provide feedback, several supporting measures have been put in place to improve accessibility and increase understanding and knowledge of dementia.

Measures include bespoke training to public-facing staff like matchday stewards, information on ticketing receipts and the Wembley Stadium website and increased visibility of current services available, such as its dedicated lifts and accessible shuttle service.

Wembley is the first stadium in the UK to become dementia friendly, as part of The FA’s partnership with Alzheimer’s Society.

As well as becoming the first national stadium to become dementia friendly, The FA is backing Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friendly Sports Clubs and Venues guide. The new guidance is designed for grounds and stadiums of all sizes, to help make sure all fans are supported, understood and know where to get help on gamedays.

The landmark guidance has already resulted in The Premier League and The Racecourse Association all pledging their commitment to become dementia friendly.

Alzheimer’s Society CEO, Kate Lee, said: ‘Passion for sport stays with people long after a dementia diagnosis, so these improvements to one of the world’s most iconic football stadiums, in a national first, is set to be another legacy of our fantastic partnership with The FA and will make a massive difference to thousands of fans up and down the country.’

We want to see all sports showing their commitment to giving fans with dementia a smooth journey from sofa to stands and we’re really pleased to see our landmark guidance be so well received by organisations across multiple sports.

We hope our guidance helps foster a more inclusive, accessible and welcoming environment for sports fans with dementia, so they can continue to be at the heart of the action.