Archers actor supports Dukes Dementia events

Fundraising for The Dukes pioneering work for people with dementia has received a boost from The Archers!

Local actor, Helen Longworth has recently returned to the popular radio drama series to play Hannah Riley after a ten year break.

At Christmas, she played Aladdin’s mum in the Lancaster theatre’s Christmas production and she regularly returns to The Dukes to provide interval entertainment for A Life More Ordinary film screenings.

To help support this important Dukes project, Helen ran a 10k race in Morecambe recently and raised more than £1,000.

A Life More Ordinary is a programme of special film screenings and creative sessions designed not only for people with dementia but also for their family and friends.

Such has been its success that the programme has now been rolled out to 15 venues nationwide from Liverpool to Cambridge and in May, The Dukes hosted the national Creative Adventures In Dementia festival.

Helen said: “I am thrilled at raising so much sponsorship although it’s very sad that almost everyone who donated knew someone who was affected by dementia.”

A Life More Ordinary has also been successfully accepted onto the Tesco Bags of Help scheme during July and August.

Bags of Help is Tesco’s local community grant scheme  where the money raised by the sale of carrier bags is used to fund thousands of local projects nationwide.

Tesco shoppers in Lancaster and Carnforth will be given a token with every transaction and encouraged to vote for the local project they would like to see receive funding using the voting unit in store.

The Dukes is encouraging shoppers to vote for A Life More Ordinary when they visit Tesco in Lancaster or Carnforth.

For further details about The Dukes A Life More Ordinary project, visit www.dukes-lancaster.org/alifemoreordinary