SPECIALIST nurses, medics and health charities are urging shoppers to get behind in a major campaign to promote Southampton as a dementia friendly city.

As the region gears up for a national week of awareness surrounding the condition, health experts have announced a series of activities at West Quay shopping centre next Thursday.

The day is being run by Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who say there are more than 2,000 people over 65 in the city who are affected by the condition – with numbers likely to soar with the ageing population.

The event marks Dementia Awareness Week, a seven-day initiative launched yesterday and spearheaded by the Alzheimer’s Society.

A host of other activities are also planned throughout the city during the week.

The event at WestQuay is a chance for people to find out more about the illness, learn how leading businesses and organisations are tailoring their services towards dementia patients and find out about support groups offering services in the city.

CCG chairwoman Dr Sue Robinson, also a local GP, said: “We want Southampton to be a dementia-friendly city.

“Everyone is welcome and local people can come along and ask questions about dementia, find out more about the services in the city, “A diagnosis of dementia can be scary, for you or someone you know or care for, but we want people to know that there is support available in the city.”

Jon Brookes, community manager from Hammerson plc, which owns the shopping centre, said the company has made a host of ‘dementia-friendly’ adaptations to the centre including improving the acoustics to reduce background noise and improving lighting and signs to toilets and disabled facilities and providing specialist training to staff.

He said: “It is great to be teaming up with the health service and the great organisations who support those with dementia in Southampton. We are committed to making WestQuay accessible for all visitors and we are making changes to the centre to ensure it is a welcoming environment for those with dementia.”

Admiral Nurses and Memory Advisors and will teach people how to cope with illness and the small things other can do to make a difference.

There will be a Dementia Friend awareness session between 12-1pm and a Singing for the Brain class from 2-3.30pm, There is also a Memory Cafe at Sunrise Senior Living and the chance to pose for photographs at the Saints Foundation photo booth.

People can contact the Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or visit alzheimers.org.uk or dementiafriends.org.uk.