On Wednesday 13th July, the Leading Greater Essex (LGE) programme welcomed participants to only it’s second in-person meeting since 2019. Held at the high tech (and air conditioned) Civic Hub in Epping, the event was a high energy series of discussions, group conversations and thought-provoking theories that enhanced the group and the individual learning of all involved.
Led by our LGE consultants; Stephen Moss and Monica Harding from PSTA, and Jeff Masters from Collaborate, the day started with an energising icebreaker asking individuals to act as either High Status or Low Status individuals, and to act accordingly as they introduced themselves to others in the room. An interesting dynamic formed and highlighted how different conversations arise based on the body language, and perceived status of an individual – a key observation for our future system leaders.
Our Leading Greater Essex participants are roughly half-way through the programme and becoming fully emersed in their System Challenges. These are real challenges identified by Essex Partners as having cross sector significance, with no easy solution. The primary purpose of the system challenges is to offer individual participants the opportunity to apply their learning and to work collectively in groups of eight to consider these complex public policy challenges.
Examples of our 2022 System Challenges:
· How can we improve health and care outcomes for Veterans across Mid and South Essex?
· How could we create a long-term, system-wide approach to addressing health inequalities in our coastal communities?
· How are the Levelling Up projects going to be measured to ensure success across Greater Essex and what does success look like?
Before the end of the in-person session, the facilitators shared some useful thinking on the importance of understanding the impact of pressures on behaviour. The group felt that managing your energy, and not your time, is something that everyone can all benefit from, and shared this article from the Harvard Business Review with Essex Future News: ‘Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time’.
The next step for our participants is to delve deeper into the challenges they have chosen and begin to identify potential solutions before they present back to sponsors and Essex Partners at a celebration event on the 4th November.
Essex County Council has published the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for the first time on the Essex Open Data platform.
The JSNA summarises information from several different data sources, to provide an assessment of the current and future health and wellbeing needs of the county’s communities.
All the data used in the reports is available in the form of interactive dashboards, enabling anyone to pull out the insights of most interest to them on topics such as:
· Health outcomes of the local population (including mental health), for example length and quality of life
· Health behaviours, such as diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption
· Communities’ access to care and the quality of life
· Wider social and economic factors, such as income and education, that affect our mental and physical health
· Insights into the local physical environment that impact on our health.
You can explore the JSNA for yourself by clicking here! The JSNA itself is an ongoing, iterative process presented as a suite of resources, interactive reports, briefings, downloadable reports, and datasets, that will be updated regularly as new analysis and insight becomes available. By designing the JSNA in this way we hope that it will be a ‘live’ resource for organisations, and residents, across Essex.
The Essex Open Data portal is a rich source of information which, like the JSNA, can be used as an evidence base for local authorities, partners, voluntary and community groups to prepare bids and business cases. This evidence helps to ensure that our services are designed with the needs and views of the local population in mind.
Citizens Advice Essex, the consortium of local Citizens Advice serving Essex, Southend and Thurrock, has entered into a long-term partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to set up and deliver a new specialist advice service providing expert welfare benefits advice to people diagnosed with cancer and their families.
The service aims to support individuals holistically, to ensure the financial effect of their diagnosis is mitigated by ensuring all possible benefits are claimed, other sources of financial support accessed and that they are referred to other Citizens Advice or Macmillan services where appropriate.
We have 14 positions available across four roles – ranging from specialist casework, supervision and administrative support. To request download details or to apply please click on the links. For an informal discussion, please contact Martin Lord on 077422 31152 Or email martin.lord@citizensadviceessex.org.uk
The great majority of funding is applied to projects and groups within Essex: either directly or through national charities for specific Essex-based projects. Each application is considered by the Trustees collectively, and if approved, an appropriate donation is determined.
The Grants Administrators may arrange to visit potential recipients before or after any grant is awarded in order to establish any anticipated benefit, or to monitor its outcome.
The Trust does not award annual grants. At least 12 months must elapse before further applications may be made.
Applications for core funding, project-based initiatives, refurbishment of premises and also equipment costs may all be considered for awards.
We are always looking for people to tell us about their story and experiences but we also occasionally have opportunities to get more fully involved in shaping future services across Essex. These are open to you if you live or work in Essex and are keen to volunteer with us. You can give as much or as little of your time as you want, but any time you can give will make a difference.
From time to time we recruit for specific opportunities to represent voice of people in Essex as services are re-designed.
These roles can involve:
Attending meetings with NHS managers and clinical staff
Inputting to and challenging new proposals for services
Reviewing leaflets and information given out by the NHS
Engaging with other patients to feed their experiences back alongside your own
In the Year that Harlow turns 75 we are celebrating all that the Voluntary & Community Sector has to offer Harlow Residents.
Come and join us in The Water Gardens on Thursday 4th August between 11.00am and 3.00pm To book a stall or for more information, contact Kelly as per below.
Networking…Sharing experiences…Partnership working… E-bulletin…Strengthening the voice of the sector…Workshops… Discussion…Guest speakers…Training…News…Support…
The public and community serving organisations are invited to attend a Compassionate Communities Tendring network workshop, from 10-12 on Weds 13 July at the Friendship Room, Pier Avenue Baptist Church, 117 Pier Ave, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1NJ.
Compassionate Communities Tendring is a network for residents, organisations, groups, schools, healthcare services, service users and carers, that promotes and support kindness, compassion, and a collaborative approach to caring for one another at times of health crisis and personal loss.
Start-up workshops in Clacton and Harwich have provided an opportunity for people to share and learn about existing community assets and to discuss and identify local priorities that can improve care for those experiencing end of life and bereavement.
This workshop will focus on the creation of a shared action plan – including identifying a calendar of community events and activities that the network can collaboratively promote and support.
Everybody is welcome – the wider community representation that supports a Compassionate Community approach the better! Please just confirm if you would like to attend via CompassionateCommunities@sthelena.org.uk so that we can manage numbers.
Get help for your good cause, charity or community group
We can help you connect with businesses that have volunteer time, money or product surplus to donate. The first step is to create your free page and tell us what kind of help you need.
Neighbourly is an award-winning giving platform that helps businesses make a positive impact in their communities by donating volunteer time, money and surplus products, all in one place.
My Name is Les Nicoll I am a Community Builder for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.
As we finally begin getting back to near normal after these two awful years
I would like to restart
Network speed dating
Whilst some of you will remember these events from pre Covid
I realise that several will be very confused.
Network Speed dating is a Free, fun opportunity to catch up with old friends working in the community or build new community connections.
It is a great way for new team members to create their own contacts list, so even if it does not suit you, please forward to others in your team
I have for several years, arranged Network speed dating events across the county and have seen very many successful partnerships formed between organisations.
How does it work?
Speed Networking involves up to 25 or so people from Community support team’s charities or structured organisations.
Sitting in a line opposite to somebody else from the community, you get a total of Just 6 minutes to discuss your roles and work in the community at the same time. The person opposite is telling you of theirs.
After 6 minutes the bell goes (or a still strikingly handsome older Firefighter shouts, “Move on”)
At which point you move on to the next person until you have engaged with all people in the room
This creates the opportunity to make up to 24 new contacts or renew friendships with old contacts
There will be an hour at the end to develop any contacts or potential partnerships.
To ensure the informal atmosphere, there will of course be Tea/Coffee, breakfast and cakes
As I keep saying, I really want these events to be very informal and fun, knowing how committed we all are to our jobs I know lots of new partnerships will be made also each of us will get lots of sign posting opportunities going forward.
For the best results, one person from each organisation is ideal.
They can then pyramid the information down to others in their team.
Please let me know if you or a member of your team are interested.
This is a fun and Successful Networking event
The main point being that we meet many people from lots of different organisations,
If you would like book a place at this Free event, can you email me.
* Your name,
* organisation,
* e mail and contact telephone numbers plus permission to copy add to attendees listTo save Business cards I will try to develop a contact list so then all you need is a Highlighter to mark the people you need to follow up.
Feel free to bring along pull-ups or advertising boards to make the event seem more professional Please also could you help me by forwarding this e-mail to as many of your contacts that you feel might be interested.
We do need new blood so any charity, organisation or community support team would be very welcome.
Feedback shows that we have an average of 14 new worthwhile contacts.
And 3-4 renewal of old contacts from each event
Tendring Community speed Networking
Clacton Fire station, St Johns Road Clacton
18th July doors open 09.30am for 10.00am start
If you require any further information about this event, please feel free to give me a call on 07779129888