Health & Wellbeing
Good Company
Reimagining Dementia Care through Creativity: The Good Company Programme.
The Good Company Programme
Launched in autumn 2023, Good Company was a pioneering model of dementia care that blended professional arts practice with social connection and person-centred support. Delivered in Brentwood and Rayleigh, Essex, the project brought together cultural and community partners including Sinfonia Viva, Age Exchange, Green Candle Dance, Orchestras Live, Brentwood Theatre, The Mill Arts & Events Centre, Brentwood Borough Council, and Rochford District Council.
Funded by the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by organisations such as The Alzheimer’s Society, Good Company offered a creative, non-clinical approach to dementia support. Focused on inclusion, wellbeing, and self-expression, the project provided uplifting, meaningful experiences for people living with dementia and their family carers—demonstrating the power of the arts to enhance lives and strengthen communities.
Purpose and Aims
Good Company was developed with a clear set of aims:
- Enhance confidence, wellbeing, and mental health in people living with dementia.
- Strengthen carer/cared-for relationships through shared experiences.
- Reduce social isolation and dependency on formal care.
- Expand access to high-quality creative opportunities for vulnerable people.
- Support independent living and post-hospital discharge through preventative care.
- Develop the skills of local artists, carers, and volunteers in dementia-aware practice.
- Promote the cultural rejuvenation of Brentwood Theatre as a civic space.
- Create a replicable model of integrated health, arts, and community care.
Creative Approach
At the heart of Good Company was “company” itself – shared time, experiences, and relationships. Participants connected through meaningful activities such as music, dance, and reminiscence, offering far more than socialising: it enabled real emotional engagement, humour, storytelling, and mutual understanding.
Artists led each session with sensitivity, managing the group dynamic and responding flexibly to individual energy levels, moods, and needs. People participated without judgement, allowing confidence to grow naturally and enabling individuals to try new things they once believed were beyond them.
Trust and camaraderie developed gradually over the eight weeks, with participants showing increased confidence, fuller participation, and developing friendships. These personal transformations were the “magic” of Good Company.
Delivery and Activities
Over 19 months, Good Company involved five blocks of eight-week creative sessions, engaging 76 participants through music, dance, and reminiscence arts. Led by professional artists and supported by trained assistants and volunteers, the programme combined high-quality creative activity with compassionate pastoral care.
Each session was shaped around the memories, interests, and experiences of participants—many living with dementia or caring for someone who is. Activities included:
- Group percussion and improvised musical duets
- Collaborative songwriting based on personal stories
- Reminiscence arts using themed objects (e.g. hats, food, cinema, childhood)
- Story-sharing and photo discussions
- Movement activities like ball games, stretching, partner dancing, and folk dance
This responsive and person-centred approach fostered joy, confidence, and connection—supporting emotional wellbeing and deep individual engagement.
Outcomes and Impact
“I feel happy with myself and more positive about my future.” – Participant with dementia
“It’s made me realise that there can be a good quality of life with dementia.” – Carer
Good Company delivered clear, measurable benefits for people living with dementia and their carers:
- Consistent wellbeing gains were recorded through weekly mood-check charts, showing significant emotional uplift after each session—and a cumulative increase over each 8-week block.
- Participants reported greater confidence, improved relationships, and a stronger sense of independence, with many carers noting reduced stress and a delayed need for formal care.
- People living with dementia saw the greatest gains in optimism, self-belief, and cheerfulness, with group connection playing a vital role in reducing isolation.
- 100% reported a positive impact on mental wellbeing (avg. 8.9/10)
- 94% said it improved their quality of life (avg. 9.0/10)
- 88% experienced improved physical wellbeing (avg. 8.9/10)
- Additional outcomes: increased cheerfulness (88%), stronger connection and love (81%), boosted confidence (69%)
Independent analysis of programme data from Blocks 1–4 estimated that for every £1 invested in Good Company, £3.11 of social value was created. This means the project delivered more than triple its cost in wider social benefits—such as improved mental and physical wellbeing, increased independence, and stronger community connection.
In total, the programme is estimated to have generated £616,092.20 in social value, demonstrating a highly effective and impactful use of public and partner funding.
A Journey To The Unknown
Written by Good Company – March 2024
A journey to the unknown
A journey to the unknown
We must go now
Or we’ll change our minds
Let’s journey together to pastures new
Dreaming of blue skies and being with you
Adventure and sunshine will help us through
It’s so important to be with you
To be with you
