Newcastle United's Memory Café reaches 3,000 people milestone

Created in 2019, the Memory Café has cemented its place as the region's biggest football drop-in session for those living with life-changing illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Using the power of football, the Memory Café welcomes former Newcastle United players such as fan favourites Bob Moncur, Malcom Macdonald and John Anderson to relive games and goals of years gone by, stimulating conversation amongst the group of attendees who meet once a month for the free sessions at St. James' Park.

Each monthly session supports fans with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, along with their families, with an average of 50 attendees joining the drop-in clinics which combine football and any additional referrals for medical assistance, should further support be required to those who attend.

Speaking on the growth of the Memory Café, former Newcastle United captain and club ambassador Bob Moncur said: "The Memory Café has built up a growing community of supporters who regularly attend and it's great to see how it supports people who suffer from memory loss.

"These horrible illnesses affect both the individual and all of their families and friends so it is important that the football club can offer this support to those who have followed the club all their lives and give something back to the community.

"Tommy Cassidy, who was a great teammate of mine in the '70s, a lovely man and a joker in the team, sadly suffers from memory loss and he is a regular at the Memory Café, which makes these sessions extra important to me because I see how they can help.

"I attend a lot of the sessions and I always tell people I have the best role at the football club because I get to meet supporters, help people and talk about football. It's lovely being able to support fans I congratulate everybody at the football club who work tirelessly to make the Memory Café become the success that it is today."

The football club continues to have ambitions of growth for the monthly Memory Café, offering support for fans who require the support for life changing memory loss illnesses. The Memory Café forms part of the club's promise to work with the community, supporting a number of inclusion projects through Newcastle United's United As One commitment. 

Each session is free to attend and people can register their interest by contacting the club on [email protected] or telephone via 0191 201 8407.