DEMENTIA charity organisation Good Deeds Trust has officially launched its Buddy's Guardian Angels project.

The project is aimed at supporting people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and also help their families and carers.

Founded by councillors Mark and Karen Aldred, after Mark's father was diagnosed with dementia, the project aims to provide dementia and Alzheimer's sufferers with two free 'Guardian Angel' devices.

The devices, made by Connect Tech, come in the form of a wristband, keyring, zipper tag and badge and allow members of the public to use their phones in a contactless method to scan the device.

The 'Tap Your Phone To Get Them Home' method will then give them the name and an emergency contact number of the person who is in need of help.

On Friday, to round off Dementia Awareness Week, founders Karen and Mark Aldred, Leigh fire and police service, the Lord Lieutenant of Manchester, Leigh Parish Clergy, the Mayor of Wigan, MP Andy Burnham, Aviva and Stagecoach as well as officials from Greater Manchester Transport were all in attendance at Leigh Fire Station to launch the project.

Cllr Karen Aldred said: "The official launch was to get the devices and the charity out in to the public eye.

"We have given out over 20 devices so far which have gone across the borough and our aim is to give people suffering with dementia or Alzheimers two free devices of their choice each - whichever they feel most comfortable with.

"The idea is that they don't take them off and we are just trying to make them as safe as they possibly can be and give them the independence to go out.

"We initially thought it would take us six years to get them across the borough, but we are ahead of schedule and I think we will be able to do it in 18 months to two years now."

The Good Deeds Trust is working in partnership with Wigan Council Adult Services and Leigh Fire Service.

Karen said: "We want Wigan borough to be the flagship for the project and then we want to roll it out across Greater Manchester.

"If we can just get that one distressed person home then it has all been worth it."

The Good Deeds Trust hold a dementia cafe every third Friday in a month at Atherton Library.

The Guardian Angels devices can also be bought for £5 or £4 from Train Locks Smith in Prospect House, Bolton Road in Atherton.