Northeast Essex Charity to Expand Dementia Support Services

Age Well East, which offers a variety of support services to the elderly across Northeast Essex, has recently received a £20,000 grant from Provide Community to help expand its dementia support offering.

First opened in 1950 to improve the welfare of elderly people after the war, Age Well East offers a range of projects and services to support local communities, including legal advice, social clubs and computer courses. Its team of over 223 volunteers reach out to vulnerable members of the community to help reduce isolation and keep people safe.

As a Community Interest Company (CIC) responsible for the delivery of health and social care services across Essex and East Anglia, Provide Community reinvests its surplus to benefit the communities it serves. The healthcare organisation, therefore, works closely with Essex Community Foundation (ECF) each year to shortlist several charities that have applied for additional funding. Age Well East applied for a grant to help expand its support services, having experienced a 68% increase for advice services since the pandemic.

Emma Barrow, Trust and Foundations Fundraiser at Age Well East, said; “We are extremely grateful to Provide Community for the generous amount of funding. It means a great deal to Age Well East and means that we can offer even more support to vulnerable people in our community and really make a difference to those facing poverty, loneliness and emotional distress”.

With over 940,000 people living with dementia in the UK, the support offered by Age Well East is essential to many families struggling to look after a loved one. The charity is currently helping 835 elderly people across Northeast Essex, primarily in coastal and rural areas where access to specialist support is limited.

Emma continues, “Our services empower those most in need within our community, and this financial support means we can continue providing our life-changing services and support.”

Elizabeth Delaney, Governor and Marketing Manager at Provide Community said: “It’s brilliant seeing the grant go to such a vital service, Age Well East does such fantastic work supporting the vulnerable members of our community.

“Mental health and tackling isolation is a huge issue, and people forget that it’s just as important to provide support not just for mental health as well as physical health. Without Age Well East, the elderly wouldn’t have access to life-changing assistance.”