A NEW dementia pub is being launched to rekindle happy memories for sufferers in East Lancashire.

Specialists health workers at The Harbour in Blackpool, which caters for local sufferers, have come up with the concept.

Part of Dementia Awareness Week, the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust scheme has been created in an enclosed garden area at the complex.

The completed non-alcoholic bar will have pumps, pump badges, cask taps, a dart board and ice buckets to make the experience as authentic and mentally stimulating as possible, with the intention being to prompt conversation, keep people engaged and stimulate memories.

Daryl Massey, an assistant practitioner in the centre’s dementia unit, said: “We’re going for a ‘back street boozer’ look and the aim is to help people with dementia improve their wellbeing. Going into a social environment would help them boost their individual confidence and self-esteem and reconnect with their past.

“We’re also hoping the pub will create an environment and opportunity for families to visit relatives and engage with staff.

“We’ve spoken to our patients and they’ve very supportive of the idea - we hope it will trigger fond memories.

“We’ve received quite a lot of goodies for the pub from members of the public, pubs and breweries, but could still do with a little bit more.

“It’s all about making the entire experience as realistic as possible.”

The pub will be used for reminiscence therapy, which, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, helps people connect between the past, the present and the future.