Every Wednesday afternoon men and women living with dementia who like making things and working with tools get together at the Memory Shed in Corsham.

The weekly meetings allow people living with dementia and their family carers to work on practical projects supported by trained volunteers.

The group is a partnership between Alzheimer's Support and the Brunel Shed which already holds its own twice-weekly meetings at the Potley and Pockeridge Community Centre.

Kerry Rose, who organises the group said: “The Brunel Shed members have made us so welcome and we are now well into our second year and going strong.

“It’s a friendly group for both men and women and we make useful things that people want like bird boxes and feeders, welly boot stands and playground equipment.

“We made a giant jigsaw for Regis School in Corsham last year and it was great to see the things we had been involved with being used by the children.

“We have also repaired and revarnished chairs and restored a garden bench and our next project is miniature wooden puzzles for our own Alzheimer’s Support day clubs. So everything we make has a purpose.”

Club member Tony, who has early onset dementia, said: “I used to work with tools all the time for my job but had stopped. Now I have got all my tools out again at home and I am making things there too.”

Dave Moore, who volunteers with the group said: “People may forget a lot of things but when they pick up their tools they know what to do with them. The guys here have not lost these skills, they just need support to make use of them.”

The group received a start-up grant from Corsham Health and Wellbeing group and receives free supplies of wood from Jewsons in Devizes.

The Memory Shed is one of more than 40 community groups run by Alzheimer’s Support for people affected by dementia in Wiltshire. The charity also runs singing, movement and art groups, wildlife groups and gardening cafes, a network of memory cafes, discussion groups for people living with dementia and carer-only support groups. For more information see www.alzheimerswiltshire.org.uk