Football to remember in Rezola. Do you remember that play?

Thanks to the involvement of the Real Sociedad Foundation and the Spanish Federation of Veteran Footballers' Associations (FEAFV) and the Association of Former Players of the Real Sociedad and as a result of the collaboration agreement between the Real Sociedad Foundation and Matia Fundazioa, a reminiscence programme is being carried out in our Rezola centre around football, in which the objectives are to improve memory, provide opportunities for creativity, increase socialisation, increase self-esteem, well-being... in the elderly and their families.

We have been holding weekly sessions for a month now and will be going on an outing to Anoeta and the Royal Society Museum. Bixio Gorriz, Mitxel Loinaz and Andoni Ayarza or Jose Mª Martinez will be attending weekly.

The sessions take place in an enjoyable way, in a climate of trust, with constant laughter, remembering and expressing what the people who are participating in the workshop (who have a significant cognitive impairment) do not otherwise express, interacting with each other, the behavioural problems disappear, people who never want to participate in other activities at the centre participate...

According to the workers who are participating in the programme (Idoia Larrumbide, Josetxo Miranda and Marijo Gárate), the experience is being wonderful for them, for some of their families who are participating and for the workers.

“They have prepared a life story of each participant with the photos brought by their relatives linked to football, and it is being very enriching for everyone. As an anecdote: they make a weekly cheer with the result of the match of the Real Sociedad of the week, and although they understand a lot of football between all... They have not got any result until last week! Last week was the first hit! Luckily there are more weeks to go... We will keep on counting. Who wants to bet on the next result?”