NEW ways of helping people living with dementia have been created in North Yorkshire, from a Cafe in a Box to robotic cats.

The lockdown has meant meet-ups and events have had to be cancelled. To help, volunteers and staff at Dementia Forward, who normally run 15 pop-up sessions a week with up to 50 people at eac,h have created Cafe in a Box with the help of cash from the Stronger Community Fund.

These are tailored to each person including puzzles, jokes, books and tips for activities for carers. There's also teabags and biscuits donated by Betty's and Taylors of Harrogate.

And thanks to the Knaresborough Rotary Club, Dementia Forward has an even more futuristic way to help people living with dementia, with its fleet of robotic cats.

The robots are a similar weight to a cat and interact in a lifelike way, creating a calming effect, which has helped many people and their carers. The helpline is 03300 578592.