RIBBLE Valley Council has set up a working group to look at how the borough can work towards official dementia-friendly status.

The council has spearheaded a number of dementia-friendly initiatives in recent years and wants to become one of only a handful of official dementia-friendly boroughs and councils in the UK.

The council has hosted dementia awareness sessions, developed a network of ‘dementia friends’ able to assist people with the condition and trained its reception staff in dementia awareness.

Cllr Bridget Hilton, chairman of the council’s health and housing committee, said: "We have made significant progress in promoting community awareness of and support for people with dementia.

“The Alzheimer’s Society has outlined a number of key steps that need to be addressed in order to become officially recognised as a dementia-friendly community, some of which are either already in place, or can be addressed through existing partnerships.

"We will be looking at what steps we need to take to progress towards formal recognition, which may include staff training, access and building layouts, and dementia-friendly signage."