Looking for a cosy weekend activity? Harlow Library are hosting Screentime Free Film Club every Saturday from 2pm – 4pm in the ACL Classrooms.
No need to book, and refreshments available at a small charge. Perfect for a relaxed Saturday afternoon.
Films showing include:
Saturday 28th February – Compañeros (1970)
Spaghetti Western with great Morricone soundtrack. Two men form an uneasy alliance rescue a pacifist professor and seize a fortune during the Mexican Revolution. English, 2hrs long.
Saturday 7th March – Belle de Jour (1967)
A wealthy yet emotionally repressed young housewife spends her afternoons secretly working in a high-class brothel. Gorgeous surreal film with costumes by Yves Saint Laurent. French with English subtitles, 1hr 40 mins long.
Saturday 14th March – Deep Red (1975)
An English pianist in Rome gets embroiled in a dangerous investigation after witnessing the brutal murder of a psychic, teaming up with a journalist to track down the serial killer. Italian with English subtitles, 2hrs long.
Saturday 21st March – The Smoking Fish (1977)
A cunning madam maintains control over her Caracas bordello, even as she manages, rotates and manipulates lovers and henchmen who vie for power with her operation. Spanish with English subtitles, 2hrs long.
Saturday 28th March – The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
In 19th-century Edinburgh, an anatomist purchases fresh corpses from the notorious grave-robbing duo Burke and Hare. English, 1hr 40 mins long.
Saturday 4th April – The Yellow Teddy Bears (1963)
British social drama, with scenes filmed in Harlow swimming pool and good 60s style music. A group of schoolgirls wear a badge to show off their experience with men; Linda, their leader, fears she may be pregnant. English, 1hr 30 mins long.
Saturday 11th April – The Vagabond, Part 1 (1951)
Bollywood musical with ‘heaven and hell’ showstopper. A slum-dwelling thief falls for a privileged lawyer but unbeknownst to him, the judge presiding over his case is his estranged father. Hindi with English subtitles, 2hr 50 – this film will be shown in parts across two weeks.
Saturday 18th April – The Vagabond, Part 2
📍 Location: Harlow Central Library 🆓 Entry: Free (no booking required) ☕ Extras: Snacks & soft drinks available for a small charge
For the full programme, including film descriptions, see here: Film Programme
Could you volunteer to make a difference of a lifetime? Help us to support parents through pregnancy, birth & beyond…
Join us for our Community Support volunteer training courses this April!
We have courses running in North and South Essex:
COMMUNITY SUPPORT VOLUNTEER TRAINING -NORTH ESSEX – APRIL 2026 When: Wednesdays 15, 22, 29 April and 6 May 2026, 10:00am-1:00pm Where: Morrisons Community Room, Morrisons Little Clacton, Centenary Way, Little Clacton, Essex, CO16 9SB
COMMUNITY SUPPORT VOLUNTEER TRAINING – SOUTH ESSEX – APRIL 2026 When: Wednesdays 15, 22, 29 April and 6 May 2026, 10:00am-1:00pm Where: in-person training, venue tbc
Having a baby should be an exciting life changing event for any parent. However, this is not the case for all parents – at the moment, we are experiencing a huge demand for emotional support pre- and post-birth from mothers, fathers and birthing people.
Peer support can be a lifeline for parents who are feeling vulnerable, anxious or isolated. Some friendly, informal and free peer support can make the difference of a lifetime. We are looking for kind, friendly individuals who have a listening ear, who are non-judgemental and who have experience and an understanding of the pressure of having a baby.
To help meet the demand for support for families across Essex, we’re looking for volunteers to help support new and expectant parents at our outreach events. We currently run regular outdoor walk and talk sessions, antenatal information sessions, coffee mornings, fitness and first aid courses and would like volunteers to assist our friendly team at these events. We are also looking for Facebook Ambassadors and support at other events organised or attended by the Parents 1st team.
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What does the training involve?
Our volunteer training course is 4 weeks of 3-hour in-person training sessions. You will need to attend all 4 weeks to complete the training.
We will cover important topics such as safeguarding, boundaries of the role, communication, confidentiality and listening skills.
Our approach is friendly and relaxed so that you enjoy the experience whilst also building your knowledge and skills. You will also be offered ongoing support and training. Most of all we want to equip you to be a confident volunteer.
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Why should I volunteer?
Join the Parents 1st award-winning volunteering team and help to make a real difference to expectant and new parents.
Empathy, kindness and a listening ear can make a real difference to someone navigating pregnancy and parenthood. By providing non-judgmental support, you can help a parent feel heard respected and help build their confidence. Volunteering with Parents 1st is flexible and rewarding, and you can choose how much time you can give.
During your training and time supporting parents in Essex, you will get to know other volunteers, learn new skills, make new friends and build your confidence.
Some of our volunteers progress to providing one-to-one peer support to families during pregnancy and after birth. The Community Support training is the first step in building the skills to become a one-to-one peer support volunteer and a requirement before you can book on to further training.
Volunteering can be an amazing experience, and here at Parents 1st UK we highly value the contribution that our volunteers give to the communities we serve. In return, we endeavour to give our volunteers a rewarding and enjoyable experience, with full training and regular supervision sessions to ensure they’re prepared and feel supported themselves.
How do I get involved?
Book onto one of our training courses! For full details, please visit the Parents 1st website:
We’re pleased to announce that the Essex Alliance newsletter is back!
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we worked to resolve the recent issue that temporarily interrupted our regular updates. We know how important the newsletter is for keeping our community informed, connected, and up to date with the latest news, events, and opportunities across Essex.
Our team has now fully resolved the issue, and we’re excited to resume sharing valuable updates with you.
We truly appreciate your continued support and patience while we worked behind the scenes to get everything back on track.
If you have any questions or would like to contribute to a future newsletter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via communications@essexalliance.org.uk
Essex VCSE Alliance Supporting Your Essex Community
We’re pleased to share that the Essex VCSE Alliance is now proudly supporting Your Essex Community.
The voluntary and community sector (VCS) plays a vital role in creating strong, resilient communities across Essex. From supporting residents to tackling local challenges and driving change, charities, community groups and social enterprises make a real difference every day.
To continue having that impact, organisations need the right support — and that’s where Your Essex Community comes in.
What is Your Essex Community?
Your Essex Community offers free support to all voluntary and community sector organisations in Essex. Its aim is to help the sector thrive by creating a more connected and collaborative environment.
It works with organisations to:
Minimise duplication
Maximise available resources
Make the best use of skills and community assets
Design and deliver solutions together
By strengthening connections and encouraging collaboration, it helps ensure the sector can continue meeting the needs of local communities.
Our Role
As the Essex VCSE Alliance, we’re proud to support this work — championing the sector’s voice, promoting partnership working, and helping organisations stay connected to wider opportunities and conversations.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more joined-up VCSE sector across Essex.
If you’re a charity, community group or social enterprise in Essex, we encourage you to find out more about the support available through Your Essex Community.
Find out more at www.youressexcommunity.org/welcome-your-essex-community
Essex Alliance is sharing the following programme on behalf of Headway Essex.
Headway Essex are about to run the next session of their ‘Brain Injury and Me’ programme in Colchester this March, and also deliver sessions throughout the year in other parts of Essex.
The programme has been designed to provide focused support to help get life back on track following a brain injury. It’s open to anyone at any stage after their injury — whether that’s weeks, months, or even many years later
These groups are run according to demand and take place on one day a week over 8 – 10 consecutive weeks. The course covers areas such as:
Effects of brain injury
Anatomy, physiology of the brain and managing fatigue
Identifying and managing attention deficit
Causes of memory failure and coping strategies that help
Emotions and behaviour
Occupation/work – getting back to work/volunteering or training after injury
When someone has an acquired brain injury, it affects not only them but also their family and friends. It can change everyday life and relationships in many ways.
A brain injury often happens suddenly and without warning. There’s no guidebook to show you what to do next. It can be hard to know where to find help, what support is available, or what to expect from health and financial services.
At the same time, it can bring a wide range of emotions for everyone involved.
These supportive learning sessions have been created to help adults adjusting to life after a brain injury, and the impact is truly heart-warming.
“I found the course absolutely amazing and wonderfully helpful in restoring my self-confidence. It also helped in allowing me to function in group work. It restored my sense of identity and accepting my new self. It helped me ‘fight through the fog.“
The weekly sessions are informal, but structured with planned topics, using presentations, discussions and handouts given at the end of each session. One of the most valued parts of the programme is the peer support — the friendships formed and the opportunity to share experiences with others who truly understand.
Brain Injury and Me runs over eight weekly sessions* between Friday 6th March, and Friday 1st May 2025 from 10am-1pm
*Please note there will be no session on Friday 3rd April due to it being the Easter Bank Holiday weekend
If you or someone you know could benefit, we’d love to welcome you.
Please reach out to us at 01206 845945 or email abisupport@headwayessex.org.uk.
Mind in Havering, Barking and Dagenham are pleased to announce Essex Summer Fest!
Taking place at Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch, on Saturday 11th July, the Essex Summer Fest promises live music, a bar, fun fair, silent disco and more!
For more information, go to www.essexsummerfest.com
BelievePerform is pleased to be working with Active Essex Foundation to deliver a bespoke version of their Thrive programme, designed specifically for VCSE sector organisations working with young people and grounded in the core principles of common low-level psychological therapy approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and positive psychology/mindset.
This programme is not intended to train attendees as therapists, rather it provides evidence-based tools and techniques derived from these common psychological therapy approaches that can be used to support young people aged 11 to 25 in building emotional resilience and practical skills to help them thrive.
Participants will receive some pre-reading/video that they will be expected to engage with ahead of the session, as well as content to access six short explainer videos, six practical tools, and six supporting infographics to reinforce and extend their learning after attending this workshop. Through this workshop, attendees will develop a foundational understanding of CBT and positive psychology theory and its practical applications.
They will learn how to apply some basic CBT-informed interventions in their work with young people to positively influence mental health and wellbeing. Participants will also gain deeper insight into common mental health challenges and the role they play in providing safe, informed support. Attendees will be supported to understand the importance of boundaries and in identifying appropriate referral pathways when further support is needed.
It will be expected that all attendees attend the full day to complete the training and to receive a certificate.
Children’s Mental Health Week (9–15 Feb) focuses on helping children feel safe, connected and supported — building a strong sense of belonging in schools, families and communities 💙
If you or someone you support is looking for local help across Essex, visit 👉 www.essexmap.co.uk
Essex Map is a free directory of services, groups and support for children, young people and families.
And if you run a service that supports wellbeing, make sure you’re listed so families can find you when they need it most.
Official, free resources are also available for schools, families and workplaces to help create nurturing environments.
This World Cancer Day, we recognise the impact that cancer has on individuals, families, and communities — not just medically, but emotionally, socially and practically.
Support comes in many forms: from specialist services and peer groups, to local organisations offering guidance, wellbeing activities and community connection.
It’s a free, searchable directory of local support services across Essex — including cancer support groups, counselling services, wellbeing activities and more — designed to make it easier for people to find the right support at the right time.
🗺️ For residents:
Whether you’re living with cancer, supporting someone who is, or looking for local wellbeing resources, visit www.essexmap.co.ukto explore support near you.
🏢 For organisations:
If your cancer support service or community group isn’t on the Essex Map yet, please consider adding your listing — it’s free and helps people connect with the support they need. Email: communications@essexalliance.org.uk
Support starts with information, connection and community — and no one should have to find their way alone.
