£30,000 Boost for Essex Dementia Charity

catering to different stages of dementia, the charity’s ‘Every Day Counts’ and ‘Oasis’ groups are available across Bradwell, Braintree, Chelmsford, and Sandon Chelmsford.

I am delighted that we are able to support the fantastic work Essex Dementia Care delivers on a daily basis. “As an organisation, we are committed to supporting the essential work delivered by charities and community groups in the communities we serve that make a positive difference to people’s lives every day.

for Business Culture category. Group CEO Mark Heasman won the Leadership Award for Business Culture.

Essex-based health and social care organisation, Provide Community, has given a £30,000 grant to Essex Dementia Care.

Since its inception in 2006, Essex Dementia Care has gone on to help thousands of people living with dementia maintain an active and social lifestyle. After establishing an open dialogue about dementia, the group of founders met with Senior representatives from Essex County Council and agreed that an independent community was required to support those living with dementia.

The charity offers specialised one to one services tailored to each individual’s personality and needs, enabling them to maintain a sense of well-being and independence for as long as possible. Operating across two different groups

Kelly Bleasdale, Senior Manager for the charity said: “We are so grateful that Essex Dementia Care was chosen to receive this grant. Part of the funding will go towards our Care Manager’s salary, who plays a pivotal role in ensuring that our clients receive the best, most personalised activity-based dementia care available.

“We were delighted when we were advised that we had been successful. This grant will go a long way in ensuring that our clients and loved ones continue to receive the activity-based support they need to remain independent and maintain a good quality of life.”

The grant gifted to Essex Dementia Care was part of a new year bumper pot of funding from Provide Community, in which three Essex charities received a share from a pot of £70,000.

Provide Community’s Nicola Yarnall said, “As the Chair of the Council of Governors, representing our members,

About Provide Community Interest Company (Provide Community)

Established in 2011, Provide Community is a social enterprise group working within NHS and community care settings, and delivers social care support at home. Provide Community also owns Provide Digital and Provide Wellbeing. The organisation is predominantly based across the East of England and Essex, but it does run services across the country.

Provide Community is registered with the CQC and is compliant with all of the Essential Standards of Safety and Quality. It was certified as an ‘Outstanding’ provider by the CQC in its latest inspection (2019).

The organisation has also received a number of awards, including ‘Highly Commended’ at the 2021 HSJ Awards in the Primary Care Networks, GP or Community Provider of the Year category. Provide Community was also a double award winner at the 2022 Business Culture Awards, winning the Best Public/Not-For-Profit Organisation

Mercury Theatre Announces Full Cast For New Production Of They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!

Mercury Theatre today announces the full cast for their upcoming production They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!, Deborah McAndrews’ adaptation of Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s Sottopaga? Non si paga!.

Mercury Theatre Creative Director Ryan McBryde directs Joseph Alessi (Jack), Olatunji Ayofe (Lewis), Laura Doddington (Anthea), Tesni Kujore (Maggie) and Marc Pickering (Constable/ Sergeant/Undertaker/ Pops). The production opens on 22 March, with previews from 17 March, and runs until 31 March.

Creative Director Ryan McBryde today said: “We’ve assembled a crack squad of comic actors to breathe life into Dario Fo’s wild farce that not only shows you how to survive on a diet of dog food and bird seed but also guarantees a great night out. As supermarkets report a desperate shoplifting boom, this classic comedy about a spur of the moment looting feels more prescient than ever.”

Mercury Theatre presents THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON’T PAY!

An adaptation of Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s play Sottopaga? Non si paga!

Written by Deborah McAndrew

Director: Ryan McBryde; Designer: Zoë Hurwitz; Lighting Designer: Robbie Butler;

Sound Designer: Mark Meville; Casting Director: Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG

17 – 31 March 2023

Press Night: Wednesday 22 March at 7:30pm

The cost of living is out of control –and so is Anthea. Sick of scrimping and scraping to pay her energy bills, she starts a riot in the local supermarket resulting in a group of raging housewives looting the building.

Now, with a pile of freshly “liberated” groceries, Anthea and her best friend

Maggie embark on a ludicrous, laugha-minute adventure, trying to keep their law-abiding husbands in the dark whilst staying two steps ahead of the crime squad.

They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! is the work of Dario Fo, Nobel Laureate and the master of farce, and his wife, Franca Rame. Deborah McAndrew’s whip-smart adaptation mixes political satire, hilarious plot twists and wisecracking dialogue to create a thrilling play about the lengths people will go to when they’re desperate.

The theatre is a collecting point for Colchester Food Bank and will be holding collections after all performances.

Provide Community operates as a Community Interest Company (CIC), dedicated to reinvesting its profits back into the communities it serves. With a vision to transform lives through care, innovation, and compassion, the company has a growing portfolio of businesses committed to offering continuing improvement, accessibility, and quality of services with a vision to transform lives through care, creativity, and compassion. An example is Provide Digital, creating intelligent digital solutions for better health experiences.

As an employee-owned enterprise, Provide Community’s workforce of over 1200 colleagues is represented by a Chair of Governors and is responsible for making key business decisions. These decisions include the workforce nominating local causes to benefit from funding and donation initiatives. To date, the company has donated over £3.5 million to charities, education and community organisations.

Provide Community is also one of three organisations that make up Mid and South Essex Community Collaborative (MSECC), which has been nationally recognised as a regional exemplar for its sharing of best practice, collaboration and innovation to improve the quality and efficiency of health and social care services.

Mercury Theatre Listings

Balkerne Gate, Colchester CO1 1PT Box Office: www.mercurytheatre.co.uk 01206 573948

RUN REBEL

25 February – 4 March 2023

Press night: Thursday 2 March at 7pm

Age guidance: 11+

THEY DON’T PAY? WE WON’T PAY!

17 – 31 March 2023

Press night: Wednesday 22 March at 7:30pm

Age guidance: 12+

THE INSTRUMENTALS

30 May – 3 June

Studio Theatre

Age guidance: 4+

UNBELIEVABLE

28 July – 26 August 2023

Age guidance: 9+