Healthwatch Essex are delighted to announce that the Expressions of Trauma exhibition, hosted by our Trauma Ambassador Group, will be running at The Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre from 20th – 29th June 2025.
This instalment of the exhibition coincides with the Harwich Festival of the Arts – 10 days of live music, theatre, art, comedy, workshops, dance and more. Find out more about the festival here.
A mixed media collection of works, Expressions of Trauma features artwork illustrating personal experiences of trauma by giving an insight into how people use creative outlets to express themselves during difficult times. People from across Essex with lived experience of trauma have come together to collaborate on this exhibition, which aims to raise awareness and understanding of trauma and its significant effects.
Allie Watson, from the Healthwatch Essex Trauma Ambassador Group, explains how important she finds using creative outlets:
‘Art has been lifesaving on many occasions in helping me cope with my trauma. Art helps me to express things that I find very difficult to put into words. It is a fundamental part of my life now to keep myself well and is something I turn to in crisis.’
Please be aware that this exhibition includes art covering sensitive themes including bereavement, abuse, chronic pain and forced adoption, among others. It may be triggering for some individuals. We advise that it may not be suitable for those under the age of 18, and that those below that age who do visit be accompanied by an adult.
The exhibition is open between 10am and 4pm 20th-29th June 2025 at Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre, Main Road, Harwich, CO12 4AJ. It is closed on Sundays.
Sharon Westfield de Cortez Information & Guidance Manager Healthwatch Essex
Author: Emily Smith
Posted:
Categories: Events, News
The Affordable Food Network Coordinator will support and oversee the development of the Affordable Food Network (made up of social or community supermarkets and other affordable food initiatives in Essex), providing centralised support to social supermarkets and other affordable food initiatives. The coordinator will work as part of a countywide team to develop and embed a culture of peer support, peer learning, and network capability, ensuring the network’s sustainability and impact.
Our friends at Mid and North East Essex Mind are recruiting!
They’re looking for a passionate and experienced Service Manager to help lead their North East Essex Sanctuary — a vital out-of-hours mental health support service.
In this role, you’ll:
✔️ Support and manage a dedicated frontline team ✔️ Oversee daily service operations ✔️ Work closely with local partners to ensure people in crisis get the right support
If you’ve managed mental health or crisis services and care about making a real difference, this could be the role for you.
Creative You, Creative Client – A Renew Workshop for Counsellors
We’re excited to announce a new workshop designed to help counsellors explore the power of creativity in their practice. Creative You, Creative Client is a one-day introduction to how creativity can enhance therapeutic practice.
This workshop will give you a deeper understanding of your own creative potential and offer practical tools for encouraging creativity in clients. We’ll explore why creativity is essential in therapy, address common barriers to creative expression, and share simple techniques you can start using with clients right away.
Who is this for? Counsellors and trainee counsellors from all modalities interested in developing their own and their clients’ creativity When? 10am – 4pm, Saturday 7th June 2025 Where? Renew Counselling and Training, Sadlers House, 2 Legg Street, Chelmsford CM1 1AH Price: £125.00 (please note a £50 deposit is required to secure your place) Enquiries:michelleallen@renew.org.uk | 01245 264348
Are you passionate about creating a society where every older person lives a happy, connected, and dignified life?
Age Well East is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader to join us as our next Chair of Trustees. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact across one of the UK’s most populous and diverse counties.
As Chair, you will:
Provide strategic leadership to guide the next phase of our development.
Act as line manager to the CEO, supporting and challenging to drive excellence.
Champion good governance and help us grow our reach and impact.
We’re looking for someone who shares our commitment to empowering people to age well, with the experience and insight to lead a passionate and dedicated Board.
The expected time commitment is around 2–3 days per month, aggregated across the month to support flexibility. Board meetings are held quarterly (mostly via video call), with additional engagement as needed.
To ensure a smooth handover, the successful candidate will be invited to Co-Chair alongside our current Chair, Nick Avery. The length of this transition period is flexible and will be tailored to the new Chair’s preference, with full transition expected by early 2026 at the latest.
Empower yourself with the essential skills to support and advocate for vulnerable clients in our comprehensive 4 hour course on Supporting Vulnerable Clients. This course is designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and techniques needed to navigate complex situations containing , vulnerability, trauma, communication styles, and more.
Moving beyond theory, this course offers participants hands-on skills practice and immersive activities to deepen their understanding of trauma and trauma responses. Join us in this engaging virtual session to elevate your ability to make a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable clients.
Professionals learn to deliver disappointing news with sensitivity, navigating emotional responses such as anger, upset, and blame. Techniques for gracefully concluding conversations are explored, ensuring that participants leave with the skills to handle even the most challenging client interactions.
Whilst this course is designed for Immigration Advisors, Solicitors and those working with clients in a range of capacities, this is an open course to individuals with experiences in alternative fields and available to those with an interest in attending.
The Compassionate Colchester Network is thrilled to confirm that our next Meetup is being hosted by RAMA at RAMA House, 31 Elm Lane, Colchester on Friday 6th June, and we hope that you can join us?
🫶 Compassionate Community Meetups are an opportunityto be part of a special group of people, places and projects who are helping build networks of support for others experiencing life’s biggest challenges.
🌞 We will start with a cuppa at 10am and intro’s from RAMA and The Cinnamon Trust, who will share how they are supporting local communities and collaborating with community ambassadors.
👟 A group wellbeing walk will start at 11am for those who wish to participate.
❤️ These really are fantastic events that bring communities together, and we encourage you to invite others who can bring kindness and compassion to Colchester.
The NHS in Hertfordshire and West Essex is making a short video to help health and care staff better understand how to give older people more choice when it comes to their healthcare options — especially for those who may be living with frailty. For example, some older patients can be taken to hospital and not offered other care options. We want to change that by showing how care can be more personal, more flexible, and closer to home.
This is a great chance to:
Tell your story.
Explain the importance of shared decision making.
Make a real difference to how care is delivered.
We’re looking for people aged 65+ from all walks of life who have recently used NHS services to share their experiences on camera.
We would love to film in a location that works best for you, whether this is in your home or in your local community.
Chelmsford Star Co-op is calling on volunteers to participate in the Big Co-op Clean Up at Central Park, Chelmsford.This community-driven event aims to bring together residents, families, and local groups to help keep our cherished green spaces clean and vibrant.
Date & Time: Friday 27th June 2025: 2pm – 3.30pm
Location: Central Park, Chelmsford
Meeting Point: Meet at the gazebo at Bell Meadow CM2 0PD
Please wear sturdy footwear.
Volunteers will be provided with all necessary equipment, including litter pickers, gloves, high-visibility vests, and bin bags. Please bring your own if you can.
Why volunteer?
Make a Visible Impact: Your efforts will contribute to a cleaner, more inviting park for everyone to enjoy.
Community Engagement: Meet like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a difference in Chelmsford.
🎉 Carers Week: 9–15 June 🎉 To mark Carers Week, Essex County Council and partners are hosting daily bite-size webinarsto help professionals identify carers early and signpost them to the right support.
📍 Open to all front-line professionals and services across Essex 🖥️ Hosted on Microsoft Teams
🔍 Each session covers a key area:
9 June – Support for young carers
10 June – Support for adult carers
11 June – Supporting carers of people with dementia
12 June – Advocacy supportfor carers
13 June – Employer supportfor working carers
Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and improve outcomes for carers in your community.
This instalment of the exhibition coincides with the Harwich Festival of the Arts – 10 days of live music, theatre, art, comedy, workshops, dance and more. Find out more about the festival 
