£1,495 Raised for Dementia NI Through Cricket Ireland Partnership

We are delighted to share that £1,495 has been raised for Dementia NI through our partnership with Cricket Ireland during the Ireland Men v India international series in Belfast.

The partnership brought together Cricket Ireland, players and supporters to raise both vital funds and awareness for people living with dementia across Northern Ireland.

Funds were raised through matchday collections during the Ireland Men v India series, as well as an auction of player-worn and signed shirts through Cricket Ireland’s MatchWornShirt initiative.

Supporting people living with dementia

The money raised will help Dementia NI continue providing its life-changing services, empowering people living with dementia to live well, have their voices heard and drive positive change across Northern Ireland.

Our Empowerment Groups, which operate throughout Northern Ireland, provide opportunities for people living with dementia to connect with others, share their experiences and influence positive change. Members also play an important role in raising awareness and challenging the stigma surrounding dementia.

The need for dementia support continues to grow. Around 25,000 people are currently living with dementia in Northern Ireland, with this figure expected to rise to approximately 43,000 by 2040.

Bringing people together through cricket

The partnership was also an opportunity to encourage conversations about dementia and challenge perceptions within local communities.

Dementia NI member Walter Montgomery, who lives with Alzheimer’s disease, was invited to attend a Cricket Ireland practice day at Stormont, where he met players and was able to share memories from his years playing and umpiring cricket.

Walter said:

“Cricket has played such an important part in my life since I was a wee boy. I can remember the matches I played, the days I umpired, the grounds, the scores and even some of the good, bad and ugly moments!”

He described the experience of meeting the players, wearing his official umpire gear again and watching the match with his son Kyle as a “wonderful experience”.

Walter added:

“I think it’s great that Cricket Ireland are supporting Dementia NI and I hope sharing my story will help people to understand that, even when someone is living with dementia, the memories and things they love can still be there.”

A heartfelt thank you

We are incredibly grateful to Cricket Ireland, its players, volunteers and supporters for choosing to support Dementia NI and for helping to shine a spotlight on dementia across Northern Ireland.

Ireland opening batter Ross Adair said:

“I’d like to sincerely thank everyone at Dementia NI for the fantastic work they do supporting people living with dementia, as well as all the supporters who donated during the India series and took part in the MatchWornShirt auction.”

He added that the generosity shown throughout the campaign had been “incredible” and that he was delighted the partnership had helped raise both funds and awareness.

Karen Kerr, Head of Engagement at Dementia NI, said:

“We were delighted to partner with Cricket Ireland during the Ireland Men v India series and are incredibly grateful to the team and supporters for raising funds through matchday activities and the auction of player-signed shirts. Their generosity will help us continue to empower people living with dementia through our life-changing services, while raising awareness, challenging perceptions, and building greater understanding of dementia across our communities.”

Thank you to everyone who donated, took part in the auction, attended the matches or helped make this partnership such a success. Your support will help us continue empowering people living with dementia to live well and have their voices heard.