INTU Merry Hill is becoming an inclusive and positive space as part of Dementia Action Week.

The Brierley Hill shopping centre is taking action to bring happiness to the lives of people living with dementia as the campaign runs until Sunday (May 27).

During the week, the centre will be transformed into dementia friendly spaces, hosting a range of interactive activities to bring joy to shoppers and raise awareness of the condition, including a mood-boosting choir session, an all-ages welcome knitting group and a social coffee morning.

In addition, volunteers from Alzheimer’s Society will be on site to run Dementia Friends sessions with 60 of intu Merry Hill’s staff.

Naomi Campbell, community development manager at the centre, said: “We’re passionate about bringing happiness to all our visitors and believe it’s incredibly important to ensure our centre can be enjoyed by everyone.

“In order to raise awareness of Dementia Action week, we want to provide genuine opportunities for our customers to come together and increase understanding of dementia, while tackling the exclusion it can cause by hosting this programme of events.

“We will also have a donation point at the customer services desk for those wishing to donate to Alzheimer’s Society and help support the important work they do.”

Since music has been shown to have a positive effect on people with dementia, as it can help patients recall happy memories and past emotions, the centre will be hosting a choir at 1pm on Monday (May 21).

On Wednesday (May 23), customers can get together for a mood-boosting knitting group between 11am and 4pm and learning new skills is also beneficial for people living with dementia as it raises self-esteem.

Friday (May 25) will see a coffee morning from 11am to 12pm at Eat Central where all can indulge in cakes, sip tea, and enjoy some music and dancing. Guests would be well advised to bring their dancing shoes, as physical activity can help improve and maintain a person's independence which is beneficial to carers too.

Georgie Davies, from Alzheimer’s Society, said “Dementia Action Week is all about uniting against dementia.

“Small actions that make a big difference is the theme of this year’s Dementia Action Week because, if we all do our bit, then we can make our communities more welcoming to people with dementia.

“This can be anything, from being more patient in queues to making sure a person with dementia is included in a conversation.

“It’s great to see intu Merry Hill’s involvement in the week and commitment to making Dementia Friends and encouraging greater awareness in their community. This awareness will have a significant impact on those living with dementia.”