The Essex Alliance is sharing this funding opportunity on behalf of Essex County Council.
The Families First Neighbourhood Grants Programme (FFNGP) is a £2.5 million grant programme which will fund targeted early intervention support for children, young people and families. The programme is funded through the Department for Education’s Families First Partnership Policy.
Eligible organisations can apply for a grant from £15,000 up to £60,000.
All funding projects and programmes will run for 30 months (two and a half years). They are required to start 1 October 2026 and finish 31 March 2029.
Who Can Apply
Applications are invited from voluntary and community organisations and not-for-profit organisations, including:
voluntary and community sector enterprise (VCSE) organisations
registered charities
community interest companies (CICs)
not-for-profit organisations limited by guarantee
charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs)
community benefit societies or co-operative societies
What It Can Fund
The FFNGP will fund targeted early intervention projects and programmes that enable children and families to:
address challenges early
build resilience
achieve positive and sustainable outcomes
Applications can be focused on direct work with children (five years plus), young people, parents and carers or a combination of those through whole family support.
We will fund projects and programmes that are already active, or have recently been delivered, and are known to achieve good outcomes.
Where It Covers
The grants programme covers the 12 districts within our administrative area (excluding Southend and Thurrock).
For the purpose of the FFNGP, a neighbourhood means a clearly defined local area within Essex. This includes a:
housing estate
ward
village
town
Applicants must explain why a neighbourhood has been chosen and how the proposed activity responds to local need. Prioritisation will be given to applications which target areas where need and demand levels are greatest.
How to Apply
The application window is open from Thursday 9 July 2026 until Monday 17 August 2026.
The Essex Alliance is sharing this information on behalf of the Essex Water Safety Forum and the RNLI.
The UK is currently experiencing periods of extreme hot weather, resulting in a significant increase in visitor numbers to coastal areas and inland waterways. When air temperatures reach 25 degrees or above, the risks of drowning increases significantly. It is therefore important that residents and visitors are reminded of key safety messages, including supervising children around water, and understanding the risks associated with open water swimming and other water-based activities.
The Essex Water Safety Forum is calling on individuals, local businesses and organisations to support the RNLI Water Safety Ambassador Scheme – a vital initiative aimed at promoting water safety and saving lives across our county.
Is your business or organisation located near water? Do you spend time on or near areas of water? If so, you could help save lives by signing up to the RNLI Water Safety Local Ambassadors scheme and promoting key water safety messaging. You’ll receive information and resources to share with customers, members of the public, friends and family – whether it’s via a conversation, a poster on display, or on social media. You can help champion water safety and raise greater awareness within your local community.
To find out more and sign up, please visit the RNLI website.
Why It Matters:
Essex has one of the longest coastlines in the UK, making water safety a year-round priority
The RNLI Ambassador Scheme provides resources and training to help spread life-saving messages
What You Can Do:
Sign up to the RNLI Water Safety Ambassador Scheme
Share water safety messages in your communications
Encourage colleagues and partners to get involved
Let’s work together to make Essex safer for everyone – on the coast, by the rivers, and around our lakes.
The Essex Alliance is sharing this opportunity on behalf of Mind in West Essex.
Mind in West Essex have a few places remaining for their Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) training on July 29-30! 📆
The 2-day course will train you to provide first-level support and early intervention – whether it’s in your workplace, a volunteer role, or the community.
You’ll gain:
The knowledge, awareness and skills to spot signs of a person experiencing poor mental health;
The confidence to start a conversation and signpost a person to appropriate help;
The support to feel empowered and motivated to carry out the role.
After the course, you’ll be able to join England’s largest community of trained MHFAiders – gaining access to exclusive resources, ongoing learning, and 24/7 digital support.
The Essex Alliance is sharing this opportunity on behalf of Hamelin.
We’re seeking an experienced senior leader in health and care to join our Board of Trustees. This is a unique opportunity to use your expertise in quality, safety, safeguarding and governance to help shape the strategic direction of a charity dedicated to supporting autistic adults and people with learning disabilities.
As our Health and Care Trustee, you’ll provide independent oversight, chair our Care Committee and work alongside out board and Executive Team to ensure our services remain safe, person-centred and of the highest quality. If you’re passionate about making a meaningful difference and have senior leadership experience in health or care, we’d love to hear from you.
The Essex Alliance is sharing this on behalf of the Making It Count Project, a partnership between Essex County Council and the University of Essex.
In speaking with many community and voluntary sector organisations, a key challenge they face is evidencing the impact of their work. Many have told us that the issue is not counting activities, but demonstrating outcomes such as:
Increased confidence
Reduced isolation
Sense of belonging
Improved wellbeing
Long-term change
These outcomes matter deeply, but they can be difficult to measure consistently and meaningfully.
Addressing this challenge is at the heart of the Making It Count project– a partnership between the University of Essex and Essex County Council. This project aims to support Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE) organisations by creating a simple, practical toolkit to help them measure their impact. We are looking for VCSE organisations and community stakeholders in ESSEX to join us in developing this toolkit together.
There will be opportunities to contribute through:
Workshops
Feedback sessions
Reviewing draft approaches
Sharing challenges and priorities from practice
Whether you work in a food bank, community organisation, wellbeing service, social prescribing programme, volunteer-led project, or another community setting, your experience could help shape the future toolkit.
Are you delivering services in Essex and interested in getting involved? Contact us below.
The Essex Alliance is sharing this news on behalf of Essex County Council.
The Community Exchange is a FREE of charge platform connecting commercial businesses with voluntary services, social enterprises and community groups.
It acts a notice board for organisations to exchange:
volunteering time
materials or equipment
work placements
training and apprenticeship opportunities
careers support
Check out our Suppliers’ Offers to see what is on offer. Simply use the email address provided next to what you are interested in.
Or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, add what you need help with to our Wishing Wall. Just submit your answers to the below questions to Craig.Johnson@essex.gov.uk.
Mind in West Essex have added several new dates for their online Suicide Awareness workshops. The sessions are free for anyone who lives in Harlow, Uttlesford or Epping Forest (or £30 for people outside of West Essex).
This 2.5-hour workshop aims to give you the knowledge and confidence to have supportive conversations with people who are feeling suicidal, so they can access the help they need.
It covers everything from the law, language, statistics and stigma around suicide to risk factors, possible warning signs, having supportive conversations and available support and resources.
Alcohol Awareness Week takes place from 6–12 July 2026, providing an opportunity to get people thinking and talking about alcohol and the role it can play in our lives.
Organised by Alcohol Change UK, this year’s theme is ‘Alcohol and me’, encouraging us to take a few minutes to reflect on our own relationship with alcohol and consider how it may be affecting our health, wellbeing and everyday lives.
Alcohol can often feel like a normal part of many social occasions and everyday experiences, from celebrations and nights out to relaxing at home. Alcohol Awareness Week offers an opportunity to think about our drinking habits without judgement and to better understand the impact alcohol can have.
For some, this might mean learning more about alcohol and its effects. For others, it could involve cutting down, trying an alcohol-free alternative or seeking additional support.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and even small changes can be a positive step.
Finding support in Essex
If you, a friend or a family member are looking for support, there are organisations and community services available across Essex.
The Essex Map is a free online directory designed to help local residents discover community groups, charities, services and activities in their area.
By searching The Essex Map, you can explore local organisations and support services and find help available within your community.
Alcohol Awareness Week is an important reminder that it is okay to reflect on our relationship with alcohol, ask questions and seek support when we need it.
Taking the time to think about ‘Alcohol and me’ could be the first step towards making a positive change.
Join the Parents 1st UK team as a Marketing Assistant (Maternity Cover)
Location: Essex (home-based with occasional travel across Essex) Hours: 15 hours per week (hours can be worked flexibly, but must include Tuesdays and Thursdays)
We’re looking for a motivated Marketing Assistant to join the Parents 1st UK team. This is a fixed term contract to September 2027 to cover maternity leave.
If you’re creative, passionate about helping others, and have at least 1 years’ experience in marketing, then we’d love to hear from you!
We are seeking:
– An all-rounder – you must have experience of social media, paid ads, email marketing, copywriting and asset creation
– An individual with a high level of attention to detail and a positive can-do attitude
– A confident communicator with excellent IT skills
– Someone who is well organised and able to manage multiple projects at once
