A Question of Shinty | |
13 September 2015 The Shinty Memories project will host a new quiz called “A Question of Shinty” in the Argyllshire Gathering Halls, Oban on Friday 18 September 2015. The new quiz will test the memories of shinty players and fans alike. Hugh Dan MacLennan is the Quizmaster and the event takes place at 7.30pm on the eve of the 2015 SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final between Kyles Athletic and Lovat at Mossfield. Entries are invited from teams of three or four and the quiz which will take the form of multiple choice questions based on archive shinty material. There will be about ten rounds in the competition with a trophy and prizes being supplied by Alzheimer Scotland's Memories Shinty Club. Confirming the details of the quiz, Michael White of Alzheimer Scotland said, “We have been delighted with the explosion of interest in the Shinty Memories project which is in many ways leading the field in this type of work. The response has been fantastic in terms of support and donations, and our recent veterans’ match at Caberfeidh was a huge success. We hope that this novel way of getting everyone ready for the Camanachd Cup Final will be an attractive proposition for people who want to make a weekend of it - starting on the Friday night.” The teams entering the quiz can be based on genuine shinty clubs or may be specially formed for the evening itself – from women’s groups, veterans or anyone else who has some knowledge on the history of shinty. A maximum of four team members is allowed. An entry fee of £5 per team is being taken on the night to cover the costs, and also as a donation towards the work of the Memories Shinty Club. Team entries should be sent to Michael White at mwhite@alzscot.org and further information will be issued in due course. Specially commissioned mugs marking Lovat’s first appearance in an SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final in over 60 years will be on sale on the Friday evening. The mugs are priced at £5 with all the proceeds being donated to Alzheimer Scotland. Lovat face Kyles Athletic in the SSE Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final at Mossfield on Saturday 19 September 2015. Ironically Lovat also faced Kyles Athletic in their last “Scottish” Final appearance back in 1953. Memories Shinty Club, the first on-line virtual shinty club, is a collaborative partnership between the Camanachd Association and Alzheimer Scotland in which the sport’s archives and other resources are being used to help people living with dementia. Shinty Memories cards are used in local community groups and an extremely successful Facebook and Twitter presence consistently receives more “Likes” than the corresponding sites for Football and Rugby. Modelled on the previously trialled and very successful project involving football, the plan is to build sets of resources to be used to help people with dementia improve their recall, communication skills, self-esteem and confidence. The project team offers training to support groups. The Shinty Memories project is based at Hampden Park in Glasgow and managed by Michael White of Alzheimer Scotland. Memories Shinty Club is run by trained volunteers and each group is supported by local fund-raising or sponsorship. Sessions usually last between 60 minutes and 80 minutes and there is always a break at “half-time” for refreshments. Teas and coffees are provided. A trained volunteer will lead the shinty session and a professional with specific knowledge of memory problems is always part of the team. The Memories Shinty Club is being supported by a number of current and former players and officials, including John MacKenzie (Scotland and Newtonmore). He said, “The shinty community knows of many people who have dementia. We have so much we can contribute by talking to people and triggering memories through our photographs and memorabilia. Sharing our memories is so important.” Volunteers are always welcome and donations can be made through the Alzheimer Scotland website at www.alzscot.org |