A partnership between the Hellenic Basketball Federation - a leading sports organisation in Greece - and REMIND-Alzheimer Chalkida - an organisation supporting people with dementia and their families - is "game-changing"! Brain health is a field closely linked with mental health, in which there is rapid development of scientific knowledge regarding the factors that can contribute to the maintenance and improvement of health and functionality at every stage of life, with wider social impact on quality of life.
Οn the occasion of the Greek Women's National Basketball Team match, in the city of Chalkida during November 2023, the Hellenic Basketball Federation and REMIND-Alzheimer Chalkida developed a partnership, with the aim of raising brain and mental health awareness. Before and during the game, specialised staff informed the public about brain health and memory changes and distributed specially-designed material for students who attended, bringing the attention of the public to mental health issues and dispelling negative stereotypes. At the Agia Irini day centre in Chalkida, where people with memory changes attend physically and mentally empowering programmes, the whole week had a “festive” atmosphere too, on the occasion of one of the biggest sporting events in the city.
The day centre’s specialised staff had planned a series of themed activities that the beneficiaries enjoyed, including appropriate decoration for the occasion. As part of the game-changing cooperation, the Secretary General of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, Nikos Nikolopoulos, and the Head of women's basketball and member of the Hellenic Basketball Federation Board of Directors, Anne Konstantinidou, visited the Agia Irini centre, where they were informed about the programmes for older adults and caregivers and showed special interest. They donated ticket proceeds to help support older adults' physical exercise programmes for remote areas, as well as donating a national team t-shirt with the athletes' signatures. REMIND-Alzheimer Chalkida would like to warmly thank the Hellenic Basketball Federation, representatives Mr Nikolopoulos and Mrs Konstantinidou, and congratulate their initiative to actively support the elderly with an emphasis on mental health. This is the first step of a more impactful partnership!
