Don’t miss the Fundraising and Small Grants Workshop this Wednesday!
It’s vital training for Essex voluntary and community organisations on how to secure grants under £20k and write winning applications.
📆 Date: 24/11/2025
⏰ Time: 10:00 – 13:00
📍Location: Stanway Lakelands Centre, 2 Western Approach, Stanway, Colchester, C038DX
To find out more and secure your spot visit – https://lnkd.in/eh-6z9FT
This World Kindness Day (13th November), why not spread kindness in your local community?
🌍 Find volunteering opportunities
🤝 Connect with support organisations
💬 Join groups making a difference
All at The Essex Map: https://www.essexmap.co.uk/
Kindness is better when shared
Mind in West Essex offers a range of training workshops help you to manage your mental health and provide support to others – at work, home or in the community.
Complex Mental Health and Personality Disorders
📆 3 October, 12.30pm-3.30pm
📍 Uttlesford Community Hub, Dunmow
Understand complex mental health conditions and self-harm, explore stigma and learn how you can support recovery.
Info and tickets
Equity and Inclusion
📆 14 October, 10am-1pm
📍 Uttlesford Community Hub, Dunmow
Build an understanding of the importance of fairness and inclusivity in the workplace and wider society.
Info and tickets
Trauma & Recovery Awareness
📆 21 October, 9.30am-12.30pm
📍 Uttlesford Community Hub, Dunmow
Learn about brain development and how this impacts behaviour and life chances. This session is ideal for people who work in helping professions.
Info and tickets
The Mental Health Toolkit: The Essentials
📆 11 November, 9.30am-1pm
📍 Wellbeing Hub, Bush Fair, Harlow
The foundation for workplace wellbeing, introducing you to the Mental Health Continuum and the Emotional Needs & Resources approach.
Info and tickets
Suicide First Aid Lite
📆 26 November, 9.30am-1pm
📍 Uttlesford Community Hub, Dunmow
Gain skills to have a conversation with someone who may be thinking about suicide and signpost them to appropriate help using a first-aid approach.
Info and tickets
Qualified MHFAider® (4-day course, half-day sessions)
📆 1, 3, 8 and 10 December, 9am-1pm
📍 Uttlesford Community Hub, Dunmow
Train as a Mental Health First Aider, certified for 3 years with access to ongoing benefits like resources, learning and 24/7 support.
Info and tickets
You can find out more about all of our face-to-face and online workshops, as well as our self-help and e-learning courses, on the Training Academy website.
Mid and North East Essex Mind is bringing a series of free mental health training sessions to Braintree, Halstead, Witham, and surrounding villages over the next eight months.
These community-based courses are designed to help individuals strengthen their mental wellbeing, but the charity is also encouraging businesses and community groups to get in touch to arrange bespoke sessions. This could be particularly valuable for employers supporting staff, local organisations, or anyone looking to improve wellbeing in their community.
The sessions form part of the pioneering Mental Health Toolkit, developed by Mid and North East Essex Mind to help people understand their emotions and strengthen resilience.
Natalie Britt, Mental Health Education Lead, explains:
“We all feel different from one day to the next. Our mental wellbeing can be affected by so many things – whether we’ve had enough sleep, eaten well, or are experiencing pressures from work, relationships, or stress.
Through the ‘Mental Health Continuum’, we help people become more aware of their own feelings, understand others, and learn practical ways to manage emotions. We’ve already seen great results, and we’re excited to reach more people in the Braintree area.”
The training has been fully funded by Braintree District Council through the HM Government UK Shared Prosperity Fund, making it free for all participants.
In-person sessions across Braintree District:
11th September – Braintree Town Hall, Braintree
16th September – Team Kinetix, Witham
9th October – Queens Hall, Halstead
23rd October – The Plaza, Great Notley, Braintree
11th November – Team Kinetix, Witham
27th November – I-construct, Braintree
6th January – Braintree Town Hall, Braintree
20th January – The Plaza, Great Notley, Braintree
29th January – Team Kinetix, Witham
5th February – Queens Hall, Halstead
24th February – Online session
10th March – Online session
12th March – Braintree Town Hall, Braintree
Workshops run 9.30am–11am (Sleep Well, Work Well) followed by 11.30am–12.30pm (Keeping Calm):
4th September – Online
18th November – Online
7th January – Online
4th March – Online
For more details and to book your place, visit 👉 mnessexmind.org/training
Download the flyers here:
Are you a young mum or birthing person in Essex under the age of 25—or do you work with someone who is? We want to hear from you.
We’re running a short, anonymous survey to better understand the needs, experiences, and challenges faced by young mums and birthing people aged 16–25. The feedback gathered will help shape future peer support services, making sure they are relevant, meaningful, and designed around what matters most to you.
It only takes a couple of minutes to complete, and every response will make a real difference.
Becoming a parent at a young age can be both exciting and challenging. By sharing your experiences, you’ll help ensure that services in Essex provide the right kind of support, at the right time.
If you work with or know young mums and birthing people in Essex, we’d be so grateful if you could share the survey link—or the flyer—through your networks, during appointments, or on social media.
Together, we can make sure young parents across Essex feel supported and understood.
When: Second Monday of every month, 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Where: CVST, Imperial House, 22 Rosemary Road, Clacton, CO15 1NZ
Cost: £3 per person for refreshments
Contact: 01255 425692
The Sight Friendship Group is a welcoming social gathering for blind and visually impaired individuals, as well as their relatives and carers.
Meeting once a month, the group offers a relaxed and friendly space to enjoy a cuppa, share stories, and make connections — and yes, sometimes there’s even cake!
This monthly meet-up is a wonderful opportunity to:
Build friendships and share experiences
Connect with others who understand the challenges of sight loss
Enjoy a warm and supportive community atmosphere
The group is supported by Kinder Essex, Grassroots, Essex Sight, and CVST – Bringing Unity to Our Community.
Everyone is welcome — so if you or someone you know would enjoy an afternoon of good company, conversation, and refreshments, come along!
Looking for a friendly way to connect with others, enjoy nature, and get some gentle exercise?
Mind in West Essex invites you to join our Walk & Talk sessions held every Wednesday at 10:00 AM in the beautiful Waltham Abbey Gardens.
This weekly community event offers the perfect opportunity to take a gentle stroll among the stunning gardens while engaging in friendly conversation with others. Whether you’re looking to make new friends, enjoy fresh air, or simply take a mindful break from your week, Walk & Talk is here for you.
Event Details:
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 10:00 AM
Where: Waltham Abbey Gardens – meeting point: Waltham Abbey Church, Highbridge Street, EN9 1DG
Who: Everyone is welcome – no booking needed!
Why join?
Relax and unwind with a scenic walk
Meet new people from your local community
Boost your wellbeing through light exercise and conversation
So, lace up your walking shoes and come along – we’d love to see you there!
Organised by Mind in West Essex in partnership with Kinder Essex.
We’re pleased to invite your organisation to apply to become a delivery partner for the Place-Based Support Element of the Your Essex Community Programme – a coordinated effort to strengthen and empower the voluntary and community sector (VCS) across Essex.
As part of this offer, we’re seeking organisations with experience in delivering high-quality, locally relevant infrastructure support – such as training, mentoring, peer learning, network facilitation, and organisational development – to help grow skills and resilience across VCS groups.
This resource is designed to respond directly to the unique needs of each area. The priorities for each district and borough have been informed by local listening events, feedback from VCS organisations, and system insight. Applicants should demonstrate their understanding of the local landscape, and proposals must align with the identified Place Plan priorities which can be found in the attached guidance document.
We’re particularly interested in working with partners who:
How to Apply: Applications must be submitted via our online form here by Sunday 27th July, 11:59pm. The full Guidance for Applicants document can be found attached.
For any questions or support, please reach out to your local Active Essex Relationship Team
This summer, join Rhiannon Faith Company & Harlow Playhouse for a weekend of FREE, family-friendly fun celebrating care, kindness & community in the heart of Harlow. 💛
🗓️ Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 August
🕛 12–5PM
📍 Playhouse Square, Harlow CM20 1LS
Expect:
🎶 Live music
💃 Dance & shows
🍔 Delicious food
🤹♀️ Family activities
🎨 Creative workshops
💬 Community vibes
ALL FREE. ALL WELCOME. 💥
💻 Find out more: www.rhiannonfaith.com/care