** A project for football fans with dementia and mobile outdoor classroom that teaches children about climate change have been awarded over £100,000 as part of the People’s Postcode Lottery’s Dream Fund. **

Edinburgh-based Alzheimer Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Football Association Museum Trust, will receive over £75,000 to establish a reminiscence project for football fans with dementia.

The programme will run across Scotland and will train volunteers to use historical football nostalgia to stimulate memories.

Alistair Fergusson from Alzheimer Scotland said: “We all know that Scots are passionate about football.

“We also know that football can be an incredibly powerful tool in helping to trigger other memories. So when we bring football nostalgia to those with dementia it often has amazing results.

“Our pilot project showed that photos of a game can help people to remember where they went for a pint before, where they watched it and in some cases even conversations that took place during the game.

“The impact these memories have can be quite emotional, for both the individual and their family.

“We are delighted that by securing £75,000 from the Dream Fund we can now expand this pilot fully into a permanent fixture at Hampden Park, where we will be able to help thousands of Scots suffering with dementia.”

The Ecology Centre, partnered with the Kingdom Housing Association, will also receive over £26,000 to create a mobile outdoor classroom, which will visit school pupils across Edinburgh.

The project will travel across the city to inspire pupils to learn about climate change and their local environment, using hands-on play in an outdoor setting.

Jo Bucci, Managing Director of People’s Postcode Lottery said they were “overwhelmed” by the winning projects.

She added: “We are proud that at a time when funding opportunities are becoming increasingly thin, we are, thanks to our growing number of players, able to offer another new opportunity for the sector.”

The winners were announced at People’s Postcode Lottery’s annual Charity Gala at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.