A beauty salon and spa in New Inn, Pontypool has become the first in Wales to receive the Dementia Friendly Community Award from the Alzheimer’s Society.

To achieve this accreditation, Beauty Oasis owner Sarah Henson and her staff undertook dementia friendly training and made changes to the salon to accommodate for clients choosing to visit for treatments who themselves have dementia.

Sarah Henson said: "“There is no reason whatsoever why people living with dementia and those that care for them should be put off visiting a salon and spa like ours for treatments and pampering sessions.

“We hope that being recognised as a dementia friendly establishment will give them the confidence that our salon is a safe and friendly place to enjoy treatments together, giving carers time to relax and unwind and offering some well-earned respite.

“I would thoroughly recommend other businesses find out more about what they need to do to become dementia friendly as sadly is it is a disease that currently affects over 850,000 people in the UK and is expected to exceed 1 million by 2025.

"We are committed to raising awareness of dementia whenever the question arise and keen to promote community groups and other organisations that can help those with the disease as well as their friends, families and carers.”

This is a second ‘first in Wales’ for the award-winning New Inn salon after it introduced a new oncology massage for clients who have or are recovering from cancer.

Sarah Henson said: "Our aim is to be a wholly inclusive beauty spa and salon where everyone will be welcomed. We also want to reach out to those who would love to visit but due to ill health might have previously been unable to or put off from doing so.”