National Sporting Heritage Day – 30 September 2026
Sport has a way of connecting us to the past. A favourite team. A memorable match. A familiar ground. The people we watched with, played alongside or talked about sport with for years afterwards.
For many people, sporting memories are an important part of who they are. And living with dementia doesn’t mean those memories, interests and passions disappear.
That’s why National Sporting Heritage Day on 30 September gives us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate something we’ve seen time and again through our Green Letter Days: how sport can bring people together, create new experiences and open the door to adventure.
With support from Sport England, we’ve been able to offer a programme of free, dementia-inclusive sporting experiences for people living with dementia and their carers and families.
And, true to the Dementia Adventure ethos, these experiences aren’t just about the sport. They’re about getting outside, enjoying new places, connecting with other people and experiencing the world together.
Bringing sporting memories to life
Our Green Letter Days have included a range of cricket and golf experiences, designed to be accessible to people with different abilities and interests.
For care homes, our Care Home Based Accessible Cricket sessions bring the game directly to residents, creating opportunities to get involved, have fun and share memories in a familiar setting.
We’ve also taken people out to some of the country’s most iconic cricket grounds, including Lord’s Cricket Ground, Essex County Cricket Ground and Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
There is something special about being at a live sporting event.
The atmosphere. The anticipation. The sound of the crowd. The feeling of being part of something.
And being outside adds another dimension. Whether sitting in the stands, exploring the grounds, walking between activities or having a go at Walking Cricket, there’s an opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the outdoors alongside the excitement of the game.
For some of our guests, these days have brought back memories of cricket they have enjoyed throughout their lives.
For others, they have been an opportunity to discover something new.
And sometimes, both happen at once.
It’s not just about watching
One of the joys of our cricket days is that people don’t always have to sit on the sidelines.
Where possible, we’ve included opportunities to take part in Walking Cricket, making the experience active and accessible for different abilities.
Picking up a bat, throwing a ball or simply having a go can change the experience completely.
It becomes something you are doing, rather than simply something you are watching.
And that’s important to us.
At Dementia Adventure, we believe people living with dementia should have opportunities to participate, explore and experience adventure, whatever their ability or circumstances.
Sport can be a wonderful way to do that.
Golf, fresh air and shared experiences
Our Sport England-funded Green Letter Days have also included golf days for people of all abilities.
Again, the golf is only part of the experience.
There is the opportunity to spend time outdoors, enjoy the surroundings, meet other people and share a new experience with a partner, family member or carer.
For someone who has played golf throughout their life, it might reconnect them with something familiar.
For someone else, it could be their first opportunity to pick up a club.
Either way, being outside and active can provide space for conversation, laughter and connection.
And sometimes the best part of an adventure isn’t what you planned to do. It’s the unexpected moments along the way.
The power of doing things together
Perhaps the most important thing we’ve learned through Green Letter Days is that connection doesn’t have to be complicated.
- It can happen while watching a match.
- It can happen over a cup of tea between activities.
- It can happen while walking around a sporting venue or enjoying the fresh air.
- It can happen when someone says, "I remember coming here years ago."
- It can happen when a carer sees the person they support enjoying something they love.
- And it can happen between people who have never met before but discover they have something in common.
These shared experiences matter.
Dementia can sometimes make it harder to maintain connections with activities, places and communities that have been important throughout someone’s life. Creating opportunities to continue doing those things can help people stay connected to who they are and to the people around them.
From reminiscence to new memories
National Sporting Heritage Day is naturally a time to look back.
But while reminiscence is an important part of our work, we’re also interested in what comes next.
What new memories can we create?
A trip to Lord’s might bring back memories of watching cricket with family – but it can also become a new story to tell.
A Walking Cricket session might remind someone of playing sport years ago – while giving them the chance to enjoy the game in a different way today.
A golf day might reconnect someone with an old passion – or introduce them to something they’ve never tried before.
That’s the spirit of adventure.
It’s about being open to new experiences, spending time outside and discovering what is still possible.
Celebrating what’s possible
We’re incredibly grateful to Sport England for supporting our Green Letter Days and helping us create more opportunities for people living with dementia and their carers and families to enjoy inclusive sporting experiences.
From care homes to iconic sporting grounds, from watching live cricket to having a go at Walking Cricket, and from golf courses to simply enjoying time outdoors, these days have shown us just how powerful shared experiences can be.
- Sport gives us memories.
- The outdoors gives us space to explore.
- And bringing people together gives us the opportunity to create something new.
That’s what we love about Green Letter Days.
As we celebrate National Sporting Heritage Day, we’re celebrating not only the sporting memories that have shaped people’s lives, but the new memories being created today.
Because living with dementia shouldn’t mean life gets smaller.
There should always be opportunities to get outside, try something new, connect with others and experience adventure.
Stay connected for Green Letter Days 2027
We’re already looking ahead to what’s next.
If you’d like to hear about upcoming Green Letter Days in 2027, along with the latest news, activities, events and opportunities from Dementia Adventure, sign up to our newsletter.
We’d love to keep you in the loop — and perhaps see you on an adventure in 2027.
