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.
LGBTQ+ History Month (February) is a time to recognise the contributions, resilience and lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people — past and present — and to reflect on how connection and visibility continue to matter.
Across Essex, there are many organisations, support groups and community spaces doing vital work to support LGBTQ+ people and allies. The Essex Map (www.essexmap.co.uk) brings these services together in one easy-to-use, searchable place.
🗺️ For individuals: The Essex Map helps people find local support, social groups and community services — whether they’re looking for connection, advice, or somewhere safe to belong.
🏢 For organisations: If you run or support an LGBTQ+ group, service or inclusive organisation, listing on the Essex Map is free and helps ensure your work is visible and accessible to those who need it.
This LGBTQ+ History Month, let’s continue to build stronger, more connected communities — and make sure no one in Essex feels they have to search alone.
Where Communities Are Built Lessons from the work of community engagement across Essex
My work in community engagement began with a simple realisation: many of the challenges
facing our communities are not caused by a lack of services, but by a lack of connection. I have
seen this repeatedly in schools, care homes and local neighbourhoods across Essex, and it
has shaped everything I have done since.
When I founded Get Started Art, it was to give people a way to express what they were
struggling to say. Children dealing with anxiety, adults experiencing isolation and older
residents losing confidence all responded to the same thing: being invited to participate rather
than be observed. Whether it was a child finding their voice through a paintbrush or a senior
rediscovering their spark, the principle remained the same. Engagement works when it is
human, consistent and rooted in place.
Alongside this creative work, my work through Freemasonry has provided the infrastructure to
listen and act at scale. Freemasonry offers one of the most established civic networks in the
country, local people meeting regularly and committed to service over generations, with
volunteering based on time, presence and personal responsibility rather than money alone.
Working with lodges and volunteers, I have been able to connect charities, councils, schools
and health partners in ways that reduce duplication and increase trust.
The results are visible in initiatives supporting children’s mental health, dementia awareness,
isolation and loneliness, community volunteering, and practical support for families in need,
all shaped by genuine local insight rather than top-down design. In every case, the focus has
been on early intervention, sustained presence and consistency rather than short-term activity.
In many cases, the most valuable contribution has not been funding, but time, consistency and
the willingness to show up.
One of the most striking lessons from this work is how much engagement helps those who give
as well as those who receive. I have watched volunteers regain purpose, confidence and
wellbeing simply by being part of something that mattered. This has reinforced my belief that
community engagement is not charity alone; it is prevention, resilience and leadership
combined.
What this work has shown me is that effective community engagement depends on presence.
Turning up. Listening. Staying. Change happens because people step forward in their own
communities, and leaders simply create the space, structure and support for that to happen.
My role has been to help join the dots and ensure good ideas become lasting action.
Community engagement is often spoken about as a policy aim. In reality, it is a shared
responsibility. When done properly, it improves wellbeing, strengthens trust and leaves
communities better equipped for the future.
Everything I have learned points to the same conclusion: strong communities are built when
people are invited to take part, and when leaders choose to lead from the front, not by control,
but by example, every day, in every community they serve.
About the Author:
David Barton BCAa FRSA is a civic leader and charity founder based in Essex. He founded Get
Started Art, an award-winning initiative that has delivered more than 1.5 million creative
wellbeing resources to schools, hospitals and care settings in the UK and internationally. He
currently serves as Provincial Community Engagement Lead for Essex Freemasons, where he
builds partnerships between charities, councils, health services and volunteers to deliver
practical, community-led support. His work focuses on the belief that presence, trust and
human connection are the foundations of lasting social change.
Chelmsford For You is proud to be supporting Time To Talk Day 2026, taking place on Thursday 5 February, by partnering with local charity Renew Counselling & Training and new café The Social to host Chelmsford’s very first Time To Talk Coffee Morning.
Time To Talk Day is a nationwide initiative dedicated to encouraging open conversations about mental health. It brings people together across communities, workplaces and organisations to start meaningful discussions, promote understanding, and inspire positive change.
Having open and honest conversations about mental health can be a powerful first step towards improving wellbeing. Talking helps break down stigma, builds confidence, and reassures people that they are not alone. By creating a culture where mental health is spoken about openly, more people feel able to reach out for support when they need it.
To mark this year’s Time To Talk Day, Chelmsford For You is inviting the local community to join them for a FREE, relaxed coffee morning at The Social, where the coffee is on us. The event will take place on Thursday 5 February, between 9am and 12pm (no booking required), offering a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental space for people to meet, chat and connect.
Members of the Renew Counselling & Training team, including trained counsellors, will be on hand to listen and talk, as well as share information about the services available to support mental health and wellbeing, should attendees wish to find out more.
In addition, representatives from The Glamour Room (located on Can Bridge Way) will also be attending, offering complimentary hand massages to encourage a moment of relaxation and “you time”.
Plus, Chelmsford based artist curiousgb shares his experience growing up in the closet, its impact on his mental health, and his journey to self-acceptance. For Time to Talk Day, he confronts the elephant in the room with a playful diorama.
Sara Tupper, Chief Executive of Chelmsford For You, said:
“Chelmsford is such a fantastic community when it comes to coming together and supporting one another. We’re proud to be recognising this year’s Time To Talk Day, promoting the importance of conversation and reminding people that in Chelmsford, you are not alone.”
Nikki Schuster, Chief Executive of Renew Counselling & Training, said:
“We’re so grateful to Chelmsford For You and the local businesses involved in Time to Talk Day
for supporting Renew. It’s always a privilege to have meaningful conversations, raise awareness
of the support available and build relationships that help keep our vital work going. It’s only
through the support of our community that we can continue to help people across Chelmsford,
regardless of age, background or financial circumstances”
A little more about Renew Counselling & Training
Renew Counselling & Training is a BACP-accredited mental health charity based in Essex, with
over 120 years of experience. The charity provides affordable and accessible counselling for
children, young people and adults, alongside professional counselling training. Renew’s
mission is to make high-quality mental health support available to anyone who needs it,
regardless of background or financial circumstances.
We want to inform our subscribers and supporters that the Essex Alliance newsletter will be temporarily paused while we work to resolve an issue with our domain, essexalliance.org.uk.
Our team are actively working to resolve this issue and expect to resume regular newsletter updates as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience and continued support during this time.
In the meantime, please continue to check our website and social media pages for updates and announcements, and we will notify subscribers immediately once the newsletter is back in circulation.
The consultation closes on 3 February 2026, so please take a few minutes today to make your voice heard.
Why Your Voice Matters
This strategy will shape how we work together across Essex to tackle health inequalities and improve outcomes for residents. Your insights are essential to ensure the strategy reflects the real needs and priorities of our communities.
What We’re Asking You
We want your views on the four key areas of the strategy, which will guide the Health and Wellbeing Board’s focus over the next three years, along with the priorities within each. Your feedback will help us confirm whether these are the right areas or highlight other pressing challenges we may have overlooked.
What’s in the Strategy
Our vision: All residents are enabled to achieve good health, in safe and thriving communities, with access to support when they need it.
To achieve this, the strategy focuses on four key areas:
Improving life chances for children and young people
Helping more people into and stay in work
Building healthy, resilient, and connected communities
Creating opportunities to improve health and reduce the impact of poor health
There are three emerging priorities against each of these, including improving mental health, reducing poverty, helping more people into work, creating healthy places, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
CARA is recruiting an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) to join their team. ISVAs provide vital emotional and practical support, as well as impartial information, to victims and survivors of sexual violence. This includes individuals who have reported to the police and those who are considering reporting.
The role of an ISVA includes:
Ensuring the voices of victims and survivors are heard
Supporting individuals to make choices that feel right for them
Accompanying clients to key appointments and court proceedings
Providing ongoing support after the legal process concludes, regardless of the outcome
For victims and survivors who are considering reporting to the police, ISVAs also:
Provide impartial information to support informed decision-making
Offer an overview of police processes and what to expect
Support individuals with their next steps
CARA provides an ISVA service to adults, young people and children who have experienced sexual violence across mid and North Essex, including Uttlesford.
Further information
To view the job description and person specification, please click here
Healthwatch Essex is delighted to be starting 2026 with an exciting opportunity to join their award-winning Carers Voices team.
They are currently recruiting a Carers Voices Officer to join the Information and Guidance Team.
This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about ensuring unpaid carers are heard and supported. The successful candidate will play a key role in reaching out to carers, engaging with them, and listening to their experiences to help shape and improve services.
You can find full details about the role and how to apply below:
Please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity with your networks and including it in any relevant circulars. The webpage can be accessed here: 👉 https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/get-involved
