BRAISHFIELD Ukulele Music Society is continuing its regular sing-along sessions for people with dementia.

The sessions were inspired by the BBC programme Our Dementia Choir, with the society making it a regular occurrence after trialling them a year ago.

The dementia singing sessions are free of charge and are usually held at the Church Rooms on the third Monday of every month.

The sessions begin at 2.30pm and last for an hour. They are then followed by tea and biscuits, as well as the chance to chat with the players and other attendees.

Song sheets are available to all attendees and everyone is invited to join in, with songs going back to the 1960s and beyond.

The next singalongs are scheduled for April 15, May 20 and June 17.

More information can be found by emailing dementiasingalong@gmail.com.

Also known as BUMS, Braishfield Ukulele Musical Society was founded in 2012. It performs in local pubs, village events, care homes, societies and clubs to audiences of various sizes, from a few dozen to more than 100 people.

Anyone interested in joining the group can find out more on its website.

‘Our Dementia Choir’ began as part of a documentary created for BBC1 in 2018.

The two-part series saw actress Vicky McClure discover how music can help battle dementia, inspired by caring for her grandmother, who died in 2015.

The music helped calm her down and helped bring back her personality.

Vicky formed a choir of people all living with dementia in her hometown of Nottingham to see whether music can make a measurable difference in their lives.

Joining forces with some of the country’s leading experts, the choir took part in ground-breaking scientific studies to measure their emotional and physical responses to singing over three months of regular sessions, proving that people living with dementia can still achieve something.

The choir has had such an immeasurably positive effect that its members have continued to meet since the first show aired, the choir's website said.