A library book formed the basis for the sessions that stimulated the memories of people living with dementia and created a sense of community for carers and family members.

'Dress to Remember’ used photographs from the Book ‘Style in my DNA’ by Lorna Holder to stimulate the memory of people with dementia, and participants were encouraged to review their own family's photographic archives.

During the sessions, participants discussed the choice of clothing worn for a specific occasion once valued, such as family gatherings, weddings, christenings, birthdays, and graduation ceremonies.

Dress to Remember provided the basis for a wider-reaching and supportive outreach partnership programme, a good practise model for other local authorities and supplied an online archival exhibition for the library’s Heritage Service.

The workshops were attended by 119 participants from diverse backgrounds including people from from Iraq, the Philippines, and the Caribbean.

The book Style in my DNA by Lorna Holder was used to facilitate the ‘Dress to Remember’ sessions to help people living with dementia to revisit moments in their lives through dress.

The sessions supported people with dementia, their families and carers, and every attendee was given a long-term loan of Style in my DNA.

The project was conceived as a pilot for Brent Libraries, Arts and Heritage to deliver an outreach partnership programme for people living with dementia.

One participant said: “If you want to live long, make yourself happy”. He said that he attends these sessions because “they are like a medicine for me”.