People with dementia in Exeter enjoy old movie memorabilia

The sessions feature collectables from the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

Sessions in Exeter are giving people with dementia the chance to look at and discuss movie memorabilia as a way of helping to live with the condition.

The monthly memory days at the Sycamore Centre feature magazines and collectables from the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

The events are intended to improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia, and stimulate thoughts.

The sessions are recommended by Age UK to improve wellbeing.

Nikki Flynn, chief executive officer for Age UK in Exeter, said 42% of unplanned admissions to hospital were because of people living with dementia.

"It's the biggest cause of death in the UK," she said.

"So we are doing everything we can to enable people who have had a diagnosis of dementia to live their lives in the best way they possibly can, and cognitive stimulation feeds into that."

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum in Exeter has 90,000 artefacts relating to old films, some of which are being shared in the memory days.

Curator Phil Wickham said: "We've brought some of our material here from the museum and it's talking with older people about their memories, but also so that they can enjoy the moment and enjoy some of the things we have here."

Follow BBC News South West on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]