The Ken Barnes Charity Football Tournament
On Friday 30th August 2019, a team from Bowman Riley will be competing in The Ken Barnes charity football tournament at Harrogate Town Football Club’s stadium. The event is in aid of North Yorkshire charity, Dementia Forward. The charity supports dementia sufferers and their families, helping them to cope with their diagnosis of dementia by providing activity sessions and counselling.
The Ken Barnes Tournament has been arranged in order to specifically highlight Early Onset Dementia. Dementia is often considered to be a disease that affects older generations but the tournament aims to alter this perception. Dementia Forward runs an activity group for younger dementia sufferers, one of these sufferers is Ken Barnes, whom the tournament is named after. Ken was diagnosed with Early Onset Dementia aged 53 and he and his wife Linda have been trying to raise awareness ever since.
Ken’s son James Barnes is an architect at Bowman Riley, who has come through our Academy. James will be playing for the Dementia Forward team alongside his colleagues Lee Stansfield, Matthew Jones, Nikoleta Christopoulou, Lewis Eley, David Hodgson, George Marshall, Reece Smith and Brandon Strike.
Thanks to The Alternative School for funding the playing kits.