SOUTHAMPTON has become one of the first places in the UK to host a unique family workshop for those affected by dementia.

As part of National Dementia Awareness Week, which starts on May 19, the roadshow of free workshops is coming to the city, offering help and advice to those living with the condition or caring for a loved one with it.

Hosted by Home Instead Senior Care, the groundbreaking sessions are supported by Southampton Age UK and University Hospital Southampton, as well as the Alzheimer’s Society.

They will be taking place across the city, with the first at the Heartbeat Education Centre, at Southampton General Hospital, on May 20 from 2pm.

Others will be held at Woolston Community Centre on Tuesday, May 21, from 1pm, at Manston Court, in Lordshill, on Friday, May 24, from 10am and at Freemantle and Shirley Community Centre, also on May 24, from 7pm.

 Luisa Castle, the owner of Home Instead Senior Care, said: “The Home Instead family workshops will help people to identify the typical signs of dementia and gain a better understanding of the disease.

“It will also offer family carers and others in the community effective techniques to help them live well with dementia.

“The workshops will not just be limited to family members, they are available to local people living and working in the community, in fact, they will be accessible to anyone who may interact with someone with dementia.”

For more information about the workshops, call 01489 559007.