2026-11-11 · BBC News
Brand was born and brought up in the area, attending Grays School, now known as the Hathaway Academy.
In 2013, he opened the Thurrock Mind charity shop in Grays.
In 2022, he campaigned to save the Thameside Theatre over concerns it would be sold off by cash-strapped Thurrock Council.
Coates said: "There is something about celebrity, money, power, control. assertive