A COMMUNITY project to help people living with dementia and fight social isolation has been launched.

Residents from Shotley Bridge, Benfieldside, Blackhill and Bridgehill held a recent meeting at Blackhill Baptist Church Hall, near Consett, to take the first steps to becoming ‘Dementia Friendly’.

The communities are working with the Alzheimer’s Society after securing funding from local county councillors Stephen Robinson and Peter Oliver.

The money will be used to help create an inclusive environment for people with dementia.

This will involve businesses making adjustments to their premises to encourage dementia clients and their carers to use them.

Andrew Ball, from the Alzheimer’s Society, told around 50 people at the launch event how even small changes can lead to big improvements in the well-being of people with dementia.

He said: “If we all work together we can build a community where people with dementia and their carers don’t feel excluded.

“Businesses, by making relatively minor adjustments to their premises and improving their signage, really can make a difference.

“We have the funding to support these changes.

“All we need now is for the community to get on board and judging by the number of people at the launch it’s clear the will is there.”

PC Mark Lumsden, community cohesion officer with Durham Constabulary, spoke about the Herbert Protocol, a national scheme that encourages carers to compile useful information that could prove crucial in the event of someone going missing, adding: “It’s about gathering potentially useful information.”

Project chairman John O’Connor, said: “I’m delighted with the turn out for the launch. We couldn’t have wished for a better start.”