Mental health service expands in honour of Charlie Watkins
16th October 2019
‘Chat with Charlie’, an online one-on-one platform which provides confidential support for students, has launched at Writtle University College in Chelmsford following its success at the University of Essex.
The online service runs seven days a week, with students being able to log in and talk to a counsellor between 6pm and 10pm in the evening.
‘Chat with Charlie’ is funded by the Charlie Watkins Foundation, which was set up by Harry Watkins in memory of his twin brother, Essex-born Charlie Watkins. Charlie took his own life in March 2017 at the age of 22.
On the expansion, Harry Watkins said: “We are absolutely thrilled to see Chat with Charlie expand to Writtle University College.
“Helping just one student would have made it all worth it – but to hear it’s helped many more is a phenomenal achievement.
“We’re in conversation with other establishments across the UK about expanding even further. We’re so proud of this legacy we have created for Charlie.”
Chief Executive of Mid and North East Essex Mind, James McQuiggan, said: “We’re ecstatic that Chat with Charlie has been such a success and we are immensely proud to be a part of the team behind it.
“Being away from home for the first time can be particularly daunting for students and we hope this platform can provide some comfort while they are doing their studies.”
Donations to support the Chat with Charlie initiative, delivered by Mid and North East Essex Mind can be made through Essex Community Foundation which manages the Charlie Watkins Foundation.
Jo Macaulay, Head of Communications at ECF said: “We are pleased to work with the Watkins Family and in Charlie’s memory, help young people at a time when they may need extra support.”
To find out more about this service, or if you are a student looking to access the service, please visit: https://mnessexmind.org/how-we-can-help/help-for-adults/counselling/chat-with-charlie/
For more information on the Charlie Watkins Foundation, please visit:
https://www.cwfoundation.co.uk/
Mersea Homes supports kids lunch club
15th October 2019
The MakeLunch project, run by Churches Together in Myland, which is based at the Mile End Methodist Church, provides cooked food during the school holidays for local families who are eligible for free school meals during term time.
The project also offers a range of free activities, including crafts, outdoor games and face painting.
The much-needed grant for a new oven has been awarded by the Mersea Homes Charitable Fund set up by the property development firm in 2010 with the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
To date the fund has distributed grants totalling £30,000 to support local voluntary and community organisations in Essex.
Lynsey Heslegrave, who runs the lunch club and is the Baptist Minister at Churches Together in Myland, said: “We are so grateful for the grant from the Mersea Homes Charitable Fund as we desperately needed a larger and more efficient oven to help meet a growing demand.
“We cook hot and healthy meals every Thursday in the school summer holidays and during some other holidays for children and their parents or carers.
“This helps to support them through what can be a very difficult time of the year both financially and emotionally.
“When we first started providing meals in 2017, we had around 10 to 15 people attending the lunches. This past Summer we had 40 people through our doors every week.”
Stuart Cock, managing director of Mersea Homes, said: “We were very pleased to buy a new oven for the lunch club as we know that so many local families will benefit from the meals and the activities that are also provided.”
ECF supports a wide range of community and voluntary activities across Essex. For more information, visit call 01245 356018.
Homeless man rebuilds his life
21st June 2019
An ex-soldier who suffered post-traumatic-stress, developed a drug addiction, became homeless and spent time in prison, has turned his life around with the help of the Chelmsford-based charity CHESS.
Napthali Burke, 37, who is known as Nap, says he is certain that CHESS saved his life and helped him to get on a positive path.
He is among the many people celebrating a milestone for CHESS, which has officially opened its new centre on New London Road, Chelmsford, bringing all its services under one roof.
The charity, which has been operating for 24 years, offers help and support to homeless by providing temporary accommodation, counselling and training.
Since 2001, CHESS has benefited from grants totalling nearly £90,000 awarded from the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Nap said: “When I left the Army I was a shadow of my former self and I developed what I now recognise as post-traumatic stress disorder. To avoid dealing with my emotions, I kept busy and was constantly out partying. Mixing with a bad crowd, sparked my addiction with drugs and alcohol. I was told to leave my family home and to fuel my addictions, I began to steal.”
Nap never took more than he needed to fuel his addiction, so each time he was caught, he received a short-term prison sentence. This meant that he was not eligible for support when he was released and as a consequence, each time he returned to living on the street.
“I eventually resigned myself to the fact that I was going to die” said Nap. “I knew that if I had to stay on the street any longer, I would either be killed or kill myself, just to put an end to it.”
Whilst serving his 19th and last sentence, this time in HM Prison Chelmsford, there was a job fair in the canteen. Nap only decided to go at the last moment, just as the stands were packing down to leave.
CHESS was there to recruit for Wingspan, their social enterprise that provides employment opportunities for ex-offenders, doing ground maintenance, minor building, painting, decorating and cleaning.
Rob Saggs, Executive Director of CHESS said, “When you speak with someone who has been homeless and are now on a positive path, all of them talk about one pivotal moment that changed their lives.
“This moment does not always come when they are offered help, but instead when they make a conscious choice to pursue change. As the job fair was ending, Nap suddenly realised that he didn’t want to miss the opportunity and almost demanded to be interviewed. It was his strength of character that is responsible for the positive path he is on now.
When Nap’s release date came about, CHESS met him at the prison gates, taking him to one of their temporary accommodations. Nap said: “Having the support of CHESS not only gave me somewhere to stay straight out of prison, but also gave me a job, which changed everything.”
Two years later, Nap is thriving thanks to the support he has received and the choices he continues to make. He is now in private accommodation, works for Wingspan and is studying two evenings a week to become a qualified electrician.
Caroline Taylor, chief executive of ECF said: “We are pleased to support CHESS and their clients. Nap is just one example of the 113 people they gave accommodation to in the last year, and the countless more they have helped. We wish them well in their new premises and look forward to continuing our support of their vital work.”
Teledyne e2v keeps support for local charities moving
2nd May 2019
Excitement is in the air at the Tabor Centre in Braintree following the good news that funding has been given for a new wheelchair-accessible vehicle to transport people with disabilities to and from the centre.
The grant of £1,885 for the new vehicle has come from a fund set up by the Chelmsford-based global manufacturer Teledyne e2v with the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF.)
Anthea Cooper, CEO of the Tabor Centre, which provides day care and activities for adults of all ages with physical disabilities, said : “We are delighted that we have been able to order the new 17-seater vehicle which has a tail lift, making it suitable for people who can’t transfer out of their wheelchairs.
“Having reliable transport is such an invaluable part of the work we do. Most of our members can’t access public transport, as they are either in wheelchairs or have severe mobility problems. This means that they have to be picked up and taken home by our specially adapted vehicles. We also provide transport for days out and for our members who have to attend hospital appointments.
“The two vehicles we have been using are about seven years old. They were becoming very unreliable and we were facing ever-increasing repair bills. Having a new vehicle means that we can continue to bring our members in to the centre in a comfortable way. Their day starts as soon as they get on board and there is always a very happy atmosphere.
“The centre has moved on and developed so much with the support that ECF has given us over the years. We are so grateful for the latest grant they have been able to give us which came from the Teledyne e2v Foundation.”
Other recent grants from the firm’s charitable fund with ECF include £3,500 to help provide extra facilities for a newly-built scout hut, which acts as a community hub on the Melbourne Estate in Chelmsford and £3,000 to support and extend a befriending scheme run by Age Concern Colchester to combat social isolation suffered by older people, who often have nobody left in their lives.
Jon Kemp, chairperson of Teledyne e2v’s charities committee, said: “We are passionate about giving back to our community and we have chosen to be strategic in our approach to charitable giving by setting up the endowed Teledyne e2v Foundation with ECF in 2006.
By working with ECF we are introduced to a wide range of local voluntary and community organisations that we otherwise would not know about. Applications are assessed by ECF and a shortlist is presented to our charities committee, made up of members of staff, so they can be involved in the decision-making process.
“It is a very rewarding partnership and we are often able to see at first hand the positive results that our grant making has had by visiting the charities and organisations who have received funding.
“We are committed to growing our fund with ECF so that each year we can build on what we have already achieved and award more grants to help local people.”
Since 2006, the Teledyne e2v Foundation has awarded grants to local charities totalling over £77,000.
Teledyne e2v is one of the largest private employers in Essex with around 850 highly skilled staff in Chelmsford as well as operations around the world. They develop technology that enables a range of applications including the diagnosis and treatment of illness, life science research and Space exploration.
Supporting rural communities
15th March 2019
The way of life in rural areas of Essex has changed dramatically in recent years and people of all ages have been affected by cuts in services, lack of facilities and social isolation.
Improving the lives of those living in these parts of the county has been a major challenge, but grants given by the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF) have helped residents make a real difference in their communities.
ECF has supported a wide range of projects in rural Essex, including transport schemes, community shops and pubs, community agents, mobile pre-schools, outreach advice schemes and village hall improvement projects.
Many of the grants given to Essex-based charities and community groups from the 150 funds currently managed by ECF are helping to make life better for people in rural areas.
The Essex Rural Fund was set up with ECF in 2011 by The Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE). To date, a total of £60,000 has been awarded from the fund to support rural projects.
Nick Shuttleworth, RCCE’s executive director, said: “Many Essex villages present a picture of tranquillity which masks the poor access to services and isolation experienced by many rural people today.
“We decided to join forces with Essex Community Foundation to create the Essex Rural Fund to help local groups find their own answers to these problems”.
Bradwell-on-Sea community shop is among the rural initiatives given financial support from the Essex Rural Fund and other funds managed by ECF.
Brian Main, chairman of Bradwell-on-Sea Community Shop Association said: “The grants have underpinned the entire shop refurbishment project to the benefit of the whole village, visitors and tourists. We are so grateful to ECF for their continuing support.”
The shop stocks a wide range of goods and provides post office services as well as a “coffee and chat” room where local crafts can be displayed. Access has been improved at the shop and a small outdoor seating area has been created. The latest grant from ECF for the shop has been spent on a new storage building to replace a dilapidated leaky shed.
The Essex Rural Fund was also involved in providing a grant of £7,000 to the Citizens Advice Bureau in Uttlesford. The money enabled them to employ a specialist adviser to help people with disabilities to access benefits and includes a home visiting service for people who are unable to travel to the CAB’s offices. The demand for this service is increasing each year and it is hoped that it can be expanded across Essex.
Another grant, awarded from ECF’s Acorn Fund, is ensuring that local food is not going to waste by helping a community fridge project in Halstead to get off the ground.
A grant of £900 paid for a fridge where residents, local supermarkets and restaurants can leave surplus food which can be picked up by anyone in the community, free of charge.
The idea behind the scheme is to tackle the problem of food waste and the fridge is proving to be a very popular addition to the town. A team of volunteers monitor the fridge and keep it clean.
Sarah Greatorex, a trustee for Halstead Community Fridge Trust which runs the project said: “We were so grateful for the grant from ECF, as we didn’t have the money to buy a fridge to start the project. It is being used by the whole community, not just by people who are struggling financially or are homeless.”
Caroline Taylor, chief executive of ECF said: “The focus of our work is to improve the lives of people in Essex and we are delighted that the grants we have been able to award through various funds we manage, including the Essex Rural Fund, are helping to achieve this aim.
“People in rural areas in our county have shown great resilience and resourcefulness and through our grantmaking we will continue to give them vital support.”
Chelmsford supports its cultural community
4th October 2018
A grant of £8,000 has given a vital boost to a project that helps women who do not have English as their first language to integrate into their communities.
The grant has been given by the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF) so that free drop-in English language sessions, run entirely by volunteers, can continue to run three times a week.
The cross-cultural group ‘English for Women’, meets at the Chelmsford YMCA, on Victoria Road, and has classes to suit all abilities, including a beginners’ group for those who speak very little to no English.
Volunteers also offer a supervised play area for children, so that the women can focus on learning.
The project first began in 2015 to help three women from Afghanistan. It now teaches over 100 women from more than 30 nationalities.
Most members are from Chelmsford, but some travel from Witham, Brentwood, Billericay, Maldon and Braintree to take part.
One woman who has benefitted from the group sessions said:
“I have learnt a lot of new words and that has given me more confidence. I also learnt a lot about British culture, history and law.
“I had a problem with my health and thanks to this class, I was able to explain what my problem was to my doctor”.
Susannah Owen, leader of the project, said: “Over the last few years I have seen these classes help so many women to improve their English and forge invaluable friendships.
“Learning to speak English not only helps the women to feel more confident, it also makes a considerable impact on their families’ lives, helping them to integrate with the local community and be less isolated.
“Having the ability to have simple, yet important conversations with their children’s teachers and doctors is hugely empowering. Everyone should be able to participate in their community and access local services free of concern that they won’t be understood.”
English for Women welcomes all women of any culture, religion or nationality. The sessions run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday mornings during school term-time. There are also sessions for men.