Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, is launching a 1950s themed project for dementia patients today.
The initiative centres around replica aged mineworkers' homes from Marsden Road, South Shields, reimagining life for the region's retired miners in that era.
The Health and Wellbeing Team will run activities for people with long-term health conditions, aiding mental health and tackling loneliness.
Michelle Kindleysides, Beamish’s Head of Health and Wellbeing, said: "We’ve combined our knowledge of dementia friendly-design and accessibility with the architects, design and collections teams to create a space that looks historically accurate but is also functional, usable and safe for people with a range of health needs and impairments."
The project, including Clover Cottage, received a £10.9million boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2016.
Fund director Helen Featherstone said: "It’s fantastic to think that the aged miners’ homes will provide a supportive space for those with dementia and wider needs"
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