The town is the sixth community in the county to sign up to an initiative by Age UK Norfolk, joining Aylsham, Wymondham, Swaffham, Diss and Wayland.

Its aim is to raise awareness and understanding of dementia so that people living with dementia and their carers are able to access the social life, businesses and amenities in their community and to live independently in their own homes for longer.

Shops and businesses attended a launch night at Wells Community Hospital, along with police and staff from Wells library and Heritage Housse day care centre.

Claire Gilbert, from the Norfolk and Suffolk Dementia Alliance, said there were more than 16,000 people living with the condition in the county.

Care minister and North Norfolk parliamentary candidate Norman Lamb said there were a number of ways communities could support people living with the condition.

Tina Neil from Age UK Norfolk outlined the training package and dementia-friendly community toolkit, which is available to businesses and organisations to help them ensure that customers living with dementia can use their services.

It includes a booklet with sections on understanding dementia and how to create a dementia-friendly environment in shops and other premises, by choosing then right colour scheme, fixtures and flooring.

Free training sessions for businesses are also available.

Liz Downing, development co-ordinator at Wells Community Hospital, said: 'We at Wells Hospital are delighted to be working with Age UK Norfolk and the people of Wells to create a dementia friendly community. It is a wonderful concept and anything that helps people with dementia and their carers continue to live as normal life as possible can only be a good thing both for them and the whole community.'

To find out more about making your business or community dementia-friendly, contact Jo Mountjoy-Dixon on 01603 785232 or email joanne.mountjoy-dixon@ageuknorfolk.org.uk.