Dee Curtis, Urban Cure CIC

Community Catalyst of the Year Award 2024

Dee Curtis has won the inaugural Community Catalyst of the Year Award, supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, including a £1,000 prize awarded at a special presentation at Eltham Palace on Tuesday 26 November 2024.

The award, supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, celebrates someone who goes above-and-beyond to promote the benefits of heritage crafts within their community, whether that be a local community or a community of interest. Typically, they will be committed to widening participation, and their way of working will create a groundswell of enthusiasm that brings others along with them.

Dee Curtis’ journey into community activism, and the founding of Urban Cure CIC, began with a career in the garment trade in the 1980s. Despite being told she lacked qualifications for fashion design, her resilience led her to various roles in the industry, including garment presser, pattern cutter and designer.

The work of Urban Cure in Southend-on-Sea provides hands-on skills to local young people and valuable respite activity for carers. The success of the project is paving the way for further initiatives, demonstrating the practical and therapeutic benefits of engaging with heritage crafts.