Nesfield Lodge are ‘Marching on Together’ at Elland Road!

If you’re a Leeds United fan, you’ll probably still be celebrating their recent win over Stoke City and the well-deserved promotion to Premier League. At Nesfield Lodge, they’re buzzing with even more excitement after visiting the infamous football grounds just one week before their winning game!   

Our dementia-friendly care home in Belle Isle is home to many Leeds fans, but none more than Dennis, who has been a lifelong fan of the club since he was a child. When Dennis was filmed singing the infamous ‘Marching on Together’ chant earlier this year, he was completely unaware that he was about to become an internet sensation – but that’s exactly what happened after his video went viral on TikTok!

Seen by almost 33k people, the video quickly took off and was welcomed by many LUFC supporters, including one user saying ‘that makes me proud to be a Leeds fan – brilliant’ and others showing their admiration for his dedication to the team.

Shortly after the video became a success, residents and colleagues at our Leeds care home were offered a private tour of Elland Road from Leeds United Foundation, who are the official charity of Leeds United Football Club. They invited a whopping fifteen residents, plus colleagues and family members to the stadium, where they had the chance to see the changing rooms, media suite and even walk alongside the famous football grounds.

Joined by his family and friends, Dennis was able to enjoy the experience with his nearest and dearest, including his grandson, pictured below, who is almost as big of a Leeds fan as he is!

Fellow Leeds United fan and Home Manager, Laura, admits she jumped for joy when they received the invite. “We were honoured to be invited to Elland Road. Not only are a lot of the residents Leeds fans, many of our team are, too – it was a fantastic day for all involved!”

Amongst the residents who took part in the visit was Jean; an avid Leeds fan and lifelong supporter of football. “The trip brought back so many happy memories - I used to come to Elland Road as a little girl with my dad and uncle – it felt so nostalgic to return after all these years!”

Part of the Orchard Care Homes group, Nesfield Lodge Dementia Care Home have always created fun experiences for our residents, including an inclusive silent disco party and pride celebrations. Speaking to Laura, it became clear why her team always strive to organise special events for their much loved residents: “With many of our residents living with dementia, it’s important that they remain connected to their passions and hobbies, and for Dennis, Jean and so many others, football played a big role in their lives. Experiences like these bring such happiness to our people – they haven’t stopped talking about the visit since!”

Now that Leeds United are going up to the Premier League, we wonder whether our visit to the stadium was a good luck charm? Who knows – either way, our residents had an incredible time at Elland Road! A special thank you to Laura, Paige and the Leeds United Foundation for organising such a fun experience for our residents.

Rated ‘Good’ by CQC, Nesfield Lodge Dementia Care Home is a warm, welcoming home offering short-term respite care and residential dementia care to people in West Yorkshire. Why not get in touch to find out more?