PUPILS visited Santa at Colne View Care Home as part of a national initiative to raise awareness of dementia.

The children in year four at Richard de Clare school have been visiting the residents at Colne View to build relationships with the residents.

Last Thursday they returned for a festive treat where the children had the opportunity to meet Santa with the residents.

This is part of the Archie project, an initiative to help educate the younger generation about dementia as well as build connections within the community.

The idea behind the visit was that seeing the children meeting Santa would trigger residents Christmas memories.

Many people who are living with dementia find it easier to remember memories from many years ago compared to what they did earlier on that day.

Miss Elizabeth Shaw is the teacher for the year four class who visited last Thursday.

She said: "Since September the children have visited a few times to build relationships with the residents.

"They have been to an exercise class where the children joined in with what the residents were doing.

"They have been to the Empire Theatre and watched The Wizard of Oz with them and sang the Archie song."

In the new year the class will be making a life collage of memories for the residents at Colne View.