Patients on a ward in South Pembrokeshire Hospital can now take a trip down memory lane thanks the fundraising efforts of staff and the local community.

An old meeting room on Sunderland Ward has been transformed into a memory room, providing patients with dementia and frailty the perfect environment in which to relax and reminisce.

The room features objects and furnishings similar to those from a 1950s living room, including a traditional fireplace, old radios and stereogram.

This non-clinical room allows patients to have some relaxation time and a sense of normality. It’s also used as a meeting space for ward staff.

Staff organised a charity bed push, cake stall and raffle, raising a tremendous £1,900 which made the refurbishment possible.

Senior Sister Denise Davies said: “We are extremely grateful for all of the support and donations we’ve received to create our new memory room.

“I’d like to particularly thank Sister Tracy George and Staff Nurse Sarah Lucas who have been the driving force in this project, and volunteers Jonathan George and Darren Lucas who have given up a lot of their own time to decorate the room.

“It is wonderful to see the calming effect the room has on patients, visitors and staff alike.

“The surroundings and objects can help patients to recollect happy memories from their past, whether it’s from their own childhood or young adulthood, and has brought history alive for some of our younger members of staff.”

If you have any vintage objects or old photographs of Pembroke Dock that you’d like to donate to the ward, please contact Sister Davies on 01437 774012.

Dementia is an umbrella term which describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory, severe enough to reduce the person’s ability to perform everyday activities. If you’re worried about your or someone else’s memory, seek advice from your local surgery.