In 2015, AFC Community Trust was awarded funds from the Life Changes Trust to support Dementia Friendly Communities across the North East of Scotland. AFCCT has been delivering dementia friendly sessions since receiving the award, and now offer a range of wellbeing activities for over 65’s, all of which are dementia friendly. Activities such as Health Walks, TechnoGym, Walking Football, and AFC in the Park have been a huge success.

Dons keeper Scott Brown has recently been engaged as an ambassador of our Dementia Friendly programme to help raise awareness of the issue while also boosting the profile of the work carried out by AFCCT. Scott has visited a few groups and has seen first-hand the positive impact the work of AFCCT has on older people, those on their dementia journey, and the carers also. The group has enjoyed interacting with Scott and this adds value to the sessions and helps make the work done by AFCCT that extra bit special for the communities in the North East.

Another initiative to benefit from an AFC ambassador is our Footy Tea programme. This is now the third season of the Footy Tea programme delivered by AFCCT, and the second season of the Breakfast Club, all funded by Tartan Army Children's Charity (TACC), with over 30 young people from Seaton Primary taking part in the programme. The children receive one hour of football coaching, followed by a healthy meal at the stadium cooked for by the Aberdeen FC chef, and also football coaching followed by Breakfast at the stadium, the young people are not only learning football skills, but life skills.

Throughout the programme the group get to meet players, are invited to special events at the stadium, and also get the chance to show off their skills at half time of an Aberdeen FC game during the season.

David Smith, AFCCT Senior Community Projects Officer added; “Having Paul Quinn as an ambassador reinforces key messages for the group – he talks about how hard he has worked to achieve what he has so far, he knows the challenges often young people face at school, and he is a real positive role model for the young people.

“Paul will be dropping in on the group at ASV, or in the canteen, now and then to say hello and to offer any support to the programme he can.”