Over £530,000 has been awarded to 10 local charities

26th August 2021

Home-Start Essex and Southend in Sight are among 10 local voluntary organisations to receive a share of £530,000, awarded from the Mid & South Essex Community Partnership Grants Programme.

The Programme has been administered locally by the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF), working with the Mid & South Essex Hospitals Charity, Mid and South Essex Health Care Partnership and NHS Charities Together.

Grants of between £30,000 and £80,000 are being awarded to help communities that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, giving a much-needed boost to local charities in this challenging time, and whose work is helping to reduce the demand on NHS services.

The funded organisations support local residents, including children and young people, older people, families, those with disabilities, homeless people and carers.

Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at ECF, said: “Working together with our partners means that the money generously donated during the NHS Charities Together COVID-19 Appeal has the greatest impact.

“The grants awarded will support a diverse range of community groups that are making a difference to the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds in mid and South Essex. The organisations to receive grants are:

• BOSP Brighter Opportunities for Special People, in Basildon, have been funded to provide counselling and a respite service for children with disabilities and life limiting illnesses, who are unable to attend school during the pandemic
• CARA Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse offer counselling to survivors of sexual violence across mid and south Essex
• Dial South Essex have received funding to support disabled people of all ages, their carers and families
• Home-Start Essex are being supported to provide mental health and wellbeing support to expectant and new parents or parents with pre-school children
• SNAP have been funded for their family support service informing and empowering parents with special needs or disabled children across South Essex
• South Essex Advocacy Services have been supported to fund the extension for the ‘Hospital to Home’ service, including older people with significant support needs in Basildon, Rochford and Southend
• Southend In Sight are working in a partnership called Essex Vision to improve and increase the support offered to visually impaired people
• Yellow Door Youth Hub have received funding to provide counselling, mentoring, and social activities for young people, aged 11 to 25, on Canvey Island
• CHESS have been funded to help people across Chelmsford, Braintree, Maldon and Rochford who are homeless or rough sleepers
• Southend Carers’ Forum engage with local unpaid carers with a focus on underrepresented groups including young carers, those from Black, Asian, Minority Ethic communities and male carers

Alan Tobias OBE, Chair of Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity, said: “I have passed on my congratulations to the successful organisations and I wished them well with their planned work. I am really pleased we have been able to deliver the programme and look forward to seeing the organisations work in partnership with the community of Mid & South Essex.”

Professor Mike Thorne CBE, Chair of Mid and South Essex Health & Care Partnership said: “I am delighted such a varied group of local organisations in Mid and South Essex will be able to support and help make a difference to the lives of those in our communities that have been impacted most by the pandemic, thanks to our community grants programme funded by NHS Charities Together.”

“Essex Vision”, four local sight loss charities, are working together to address the needs of the visually impaired community who have been affected by COVID-19.  They will use the grant to provide outreach, wellbeing activities, information and support, helping to reduce isolation and increase confidence as we come out of the pandemic.

Lucy Martin, Chief Executive of Southend in Sight, on behalf of Essex Vision and the four charities said: “We are all thrilled to be working together across Mid & South Essex to help visually impaired people build their confidence as society begins to open up.

“It has been particularly difficult for many to navigate their way through the pandemic and as small local charities we can now provide the much needed one to one support to help those most in need.”

For more information about applying to ECF for a grant, click here.

Community bus service returns

10th August 2021

A community bus scheme for people living in rural areas of Epping and Harlow is back up and running after nearly a year of offering an adapted service.

The charity, Epping Forest & Harlow Community Transport (EHCT), helps local people who are unable to use conventional public transport, including the elderly, those who are disabled or people who are rurally isolated.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic their fleet of 18 mini-buses made around 8,000 door-to-door service journeys each month, but they had to adapt their offering in March 2020 when the country went into lockdown.

Angela Canham, manager of EHCT, said: “Although we were unable to operate as usual, we knew that our clients still needed our support.

“We applied for a grant from Essex Community Foundation and were awarded £13,175 from their Essex Coronavirus Response and Recovery Programme, which meant we could buy the equipment needed for some of our team to work from home.

“They made daily calls to our housebound passengers to provide them with some reassurance that they weren’t alone and help prevent them from feeling isolated.

“We also made trips to St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping and worked with NHS Princess Alexander Hospital in Harlow to deliver medications to patients who had gone home after being treated for Coronavirus or those with serious underlying heath conditions who needed to self-isolate.

“The funding we received also meant that we could add safety screens in our mini-buses for when restrictions eased.

“Like many charities, our income and donations reduced, but the need for our services grew.  We are so grateful to ECF and their fundholders who decided to support us.  It helped us get through a very challenging time and kept us going.”

Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at Essex Community Foundation, said: “Community transport services like EHCT provide a lifeline to people who are elderly or disabled, especially those who live in rural communities where there is a limited or no bus service at all.

“Knowing they can attend an appointment, meet friends or simply do some shopping, is so important as it helps keep them connected to their community and reduces feelings of isolation.”

EHCT are recruiting for new volunteers to help meet renewed demand for their services. To discuss the available positions, please call 01992 579556 or e-mail: efct@efcommunitytransport.org.uk.

For more information about ECF and how you can apply for funding, click here or call our friendly grants team on 01245 356018.

To support local charities and community organisations, please donate to our Acorn Fund Challenge here. We are currently matching all gifts on a 2 to 1 basis.

Over £100,000 awarded from the East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund to 30 organisations

5th August 2021

The grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 will give a much-needed boost in support to local groups working hard to support our communities through this challenging time.

Initially set up in April 2020, in response to the pandemic, the retailer’s Community Cares Fund helps local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to create or adapt services that will have a positive impact on communities across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex.

The Community Cares Fund is supplemented by generous East of England Co-op members who, through donating their annual dividend, have so far contributed nearly £190,000 to the fund since it opened last year.

This latest round of funding, which was open for applications from April to May 2021, aims to support groups looking to address at least one of these key areas:

• Community action – including the development of physical and virtual spaces and services that bring communities together.
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Food justice for all – including access to, and sharing knowledge about good quality, nutritious food.

Niall O’Keeffe, Joint Chief Executive of the East of England Co-op said: “There has been some truly inspirational work happening across our region to support local communities throughout the pandemic. We’re delighted to be able to support our local groups and organisations to grow and adapt their services as we move out of lockdown.”

This latest round of funding received an overwhelming number of applications, demonstrating both the need and desire of community groups to refocus and increase the support they offer as the country transitions into this next phase of the pandemic.

Niall added: “We had initially planned to run a second round of applications this Summer. However, after receiving such an unprecedented volume of applications we decided to combine the grants available from both rounds to make sure we could support as many organisations as possible at this crucial time.

“It’s clear that the criteria we set for applications in April really resonated with organisations as they look to re-focus and expand their work with our communities during this period of change. We’re really excited to see the difference our grant recipients will be able to make.”

The Dance Network Association CIC, based in Colchester, are among the Essex grant recipients. They have been awarded £5,000 to create new classes for older adults and those living with Dementia and Parkinson’s.

Gemma Wright, CEO and Founder of Dance Network Association said: “The funding we have received from the Community Cares Fund will allow us to deliver a programme of work after such a difficult year for all. Our project is specifically for those that have been shielding or isolating due to living with conditions such as Parkinson’s and Dementia.

“We will be delivering ‘in person’ activities from September 2021 which will support these people to reengage in physical and social activity in Colchester and find the joy and benefits of dancing. The fund will specifically support the organisation to evaluate the benefits of our dance programmes on those with lived conditions and support us to profile these benefits for future-proofing our crucial work in the community.”

The other organisations that are working in Essex and have been awarded a grant are:

• Ferriers Barn in Essex were awarded £4,000 towards the adaptation of facilities to ensure activity can continue for adults with learning difficulties.
• The Victor Batte Lay Foundation in Colchester were awarded £5,000 towards the creation of arts activities within a new community hub in the town centre.
• REACH have been awarded £5,000 towards the cost of expanding their foodbank provision across rural West Suffolk and North Essex, targeting rural residents who need food but struggle to access foodbanks.
• Age Concern, Colchester & North East Essex have been awarded £5,000 towards re‐establishing pop‐up dementia cafes across Colchester and Tendring to aid the mental heath and wellbeing of carers.
• Colchester & Tendring Youth Enquiry Service were awarded £5,000 to towards the development of counselling services for young people in Colchester whose mental health has been affected by the pandemic.

Community Cares Fund grants have been awarded to a diverse range of community groups that are making a difference to the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds across our region. A full list of successful grant recipients can be found at: eastofengland.coop/grantsawards

The next round of funding from the East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund is due to open in Autumn 2021.

ECF announced as Birkett Long’s charity of the year

Young Eco Defenders join the fight against climate change in Chelmsford

3rd August 2021

Reposted from InYourArea.

A Chelmsford-based charity has launched an inspiring new project which aims to empower 15 ten to 11-year-olds with a passion for nature and the environment to change the environment and society for the better.

The Wilderness Foundation offers nature-based outreach programmes and nature therapy to youths and adults.

Thanks to funding from the Essex Community Foundation and support from the #iwill youth social action campaign, the Wilderness Foundation is offering a free outdoor club, Eco Defenders, aiming to actively educate a new group of young people on how to look after the environment.

They will also explore why there is a need to tackle climate change and how everyone can do their bit to ensure the environment is safe for future generations.

The club is designed to teach children a wide range of skills such as ‘grow your own’, designing gardens for wildlife, nature craft, recycling, local fauna and flora, how to protect eco-systems, community engagement and much more.

Carolin Rogers, project leader of Eco Defenders, said: “We desperately need to encourage our young people to find out how they can connect to nature so that they can learn about their natural environment and take ownership of it in order to increase the chance of looking after it.

“At the end of ten and 11, young people start to make their first own major decisions as they go through the transition from primary to secondary school.

“This project is their chance to become part of something big and worthwhile, to have a voice and for that voice to be heard and respected.”

The recent launch of the government’s new scheme to boost tree planting presents one of many opportunities to get young people actively involved in climate and social action. Eco Defenders is hoping to join local government planting projects later in the year.

Jo Roberts, CEO of Wilderness Foundation UK said: “Covid enabled so many of us, young and old, to connect with the natural world and to draw benefits from it for mental and physical health.

“Our Eco Defenders programme takes this engagement further for those who really connected and want to do more about protecting the natural world. They will work for a year on developing their leadership skills and honing their impact as young change-makers for the environment. We cannot wait to see what they will achieve.”

The Eco Defenders programme will run primarily at the Wilderness Foundation ‘Down to Earth’ allotments at Melbourne Park in Chelmsford, Essex. The programme began on Monday, July 26 with a one-week ‘summer camp’ consisting of daily sessions from 10am to 3pm.

Thereafter, sessions will continue to run from 10am to noon on Saturday mornings and 4pm to 6pm on Wednesday afternoons until approximately May 2022.

Booking is essential. For more information, contact the Wilderness Foundation UK on 0300 1233073, email carolin@wildernessfoundation.org.uk or visit their website here.

An update on our support for the sector

15th July 2021

We have been pleased to support local organisations to either respond to the crisis or sustain their operations during this period of uncertainty by awarding 318 grants totalling £2.7 million from our Essex Coronavirus Response and Recovery Programme. This level of giving is only possible thanks to the generous people who gave to our Appeal and the fundholders who repurposed their funds to respond to this unprecedented situation. In addition, we have worked with Essex County Council to distribute a further £542,753 to 37 local organisations.

We know through conversations and the applications we receive, that many voluntary organisations have experienced significant increases in demand for their services, as the issues they tackle are exacerbated by the pandemic.  Older people who live alone have felt more isolated than ever before, incidents of domestic abuse during lockdown increased as did the number of people, of all ages, whose mental health was affected. Young people, in particular, have struggled as their schooling was interrupted and they could not spend time or socialise with friends.

A positive that has come out of the pandemic has been the responsiveness and flexibility of local charities and community organisations to set up services quickly and continually adapt throughout each lockdown and as restrictions changed. Their ability to respond to the changing needs of their communities, willingness to work in partnership, be innovative and not afraid to try new ways of working, has been inspiring and a lifeline to those who have needed their help.

We have seen great comradery and community spirit and we commend all the staff and volunteers and thank them for their hard work and dedication during this challenging time.

Looking forward, we are committed to increasing our support for charities, voluntary and community organisations in Essex.  We want to listen and understand what they have learnt from working through the pandemic and will consider how our grantmaking can best support them to embed their new ways of working and build resilience for the future.

If you are organisation that continues to need funding in response to the pandemic, to either adapt or expand services or ensure your operation is COVID secure so you can reopen safely, please call us on 01245 356018.

If you want to read about the charities and voluntary organisations we are supporting, please look at the Community Spotlight section of our website.  We are adding new groups all the time.

Andy Payne Worpole
Head of Programmes

If you would like to donate and support your local communities in Essex, give online now via JustGiving: https://justgiving.com/campaign/ECFAcorn