Southminster railway station to host men’s skills workshops
22nd September 2021
Handymen will be taking on a project to give Southminster’s station’s old workshop and deserted waiting room a much-needed boost.
The old leather workshop on the station platform has been taken over by long-term “shedder” Bob Adams and Maldon and District CVS for a new Men in Sheds project.
This space, equipped with workstations already in place, will be used to host the project for men in the area to come together and share practical skills and knowledge.
As a first step the Essex Shed Network will be organising a working party to sweep and sort the space so its ready for the project to launch.
Next to the old workshop is a former waiting room which has fallen into disrepair and work will be carried out so it can be turned into a social space to complement the workshop.
There are also plans to refresh station planters and refurbish the community garden which runs next to the station platform.
Maldon and District CVS director Sarah Troop said: “I am so pleased to be able to receive the keys of this great community space.
“We have been dreaming of having a Men in Sheds project on the Dengie since we opened the Maldon Shed in 2014.
“A lot of hard work and perseverance have finally got us to this stage and we are keen to hit the ground running and make this space open the community as soon as possible.
“I’d like to thank Greater Abellio rail for sharing our vision and the Community Network rail team at Essex County Council who we will be working alongside to complement the station adopters scheme to create a welcoming environment for commuters and other station users.
“Thanks also goes to the Essex Community Foundation who have provided funding to the project.”
The Essex Shed Network will be looking for men in the area to take on a range of roles within the project in the coming months. To get involved, call 01621 851891 or email matt@essexshednetwork.co.uk.
Republished from the Maldon & Burnham Standard.
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Each year ECF, one of the largest independent grantmakers in the county, awards around £5million of grants from charitable funds under its management. This funding supports voluntary and community organisations in Essex that are working to improve the lives of local people.
In this role you will undertake a range of administrative tasks, ensuring that the rest of the team has adequate support to work efficiently. You will also be the primary point of contact for visitors to the Foundation’s office.
You will be based within the Grants Team and much of your work will be focused here with additional time spent providing support across the organisation.
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The closing date for applications was Monday 11 October 2021. Please keep an eye on our website and social media pages for future opportunities.
Harwich Mayor calls on business leaders to ink their name in local folklore at charity auction
21st September 2021
A piece of Harwich art history goes up for auction this week and The Mayor of Harwich, Cllr Ivan Henderson, has called on local businesses to ensure it delivers a legacy for community projects in the area.
The Mayor wants a young Harwich artist’s Octopus Ahoy! sculpture to raise huge funds in support of local charities, voluntary organisations and community groups working in Harwich and Dovercourt.
‘Octavious’, (pictured below) designed and painted by Harwich teenager, Alana Fensom, 18, goes under than hammer for charity at Le Talbooth on Thursday 23rd September, with proceeds going to the Harwich Mayflower Legacy Fund managed by Essex Community Foundation, and the Tendring Community Fund. Alana, just 17 when she entered the artwork to be part of the public art trail, is the youngest person ever with a project of this kind and Mayor Ivan Henderson wants her sculpture to secure a legacy and remain in the town, saying:
“It seems only right that Alana’s artwork stays in the town and creates a legacy in her town and surrounding areas. We can make sure that funds raised at auction can go towards helping local children and young people become involved and make a positive contribution to the community in which she grew up through the Harwich Mayflower Legacy Fund and other projects.
“I call on all Harwich businesses, who want to play their part in supporting causes in our wonderful town, to dig deep to make sure the fantastic Octopus Ahoy! Art trail creates a legacy for our town and residents can enjoy Alana’s sculpture for generations to come.”
Alana Fensom, said: “It was just incredible to part of the Octopus Ahoy! art trail and have thousands of people enjoying my work. To think that ‘Octavius’, which was shaped by my upbringing in Harwich, could possibly go to helping other local young people in the town is simply overwhelming and better than I could have imagined. I’d love to see it donated back to the town so local people can enjoy it and remember the joy the trail bought to so many.”
Art lovers can find out more about the event, view each of the sculptures available online bidding and book a ticket for the live auction here.
Galloper Wind Farm empowers local communities
An allotment club for disabled people, financial support for families in crisis and a lunch club for older people are among five charitable projects in Harwich to receive support from the Galloper Wind Farm Community Fund.
The Fund, which was set up by RWE Renewables UK on behalf of the Galloper Wind Farm project, with the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF) in 2018, has to date distributed grants totalling over £39,000 to voluntary and community organisations working in Harwich and Tendring.
Sean Chenery, Galloper General Manager, said: “As a business, it is important that we support the communities where we work. We employ around 60 people at our base in Harwich, and many of them live locally so it is important to us that we give something back.
“Awarding grants to support charities and voluntary groups is just one way for us to show our commitment to the area and recognition of the valuable contribution that these organisations provide.
“We are pleased to be working with ECF who are helping us to direct our funds to where it will make a difference and where we can see that the money we give is contributing positively to the lives of local people.”
“The latest grants awarded are contributing to a wide range of support and activities that we hope will benefit all ages.”
The voluntary and community organisations benefiting from support this year are:
- Clacton Salvation Army receive £1,500 to employ a cook for their lunch club which runs three times a week and feeds over 100 older people.
- Market Field Farm, which provides training opportunities for young people with learning disabilities, Autism and mental health issues, receive £1,710 for a new gardening project to help their members gain employment skills.
- Salvation Army Harwich receive £2,000 for their work providing financial support to families who are experiencing food and fuel poverty.
- Teen Talk (Harwich) receive £1,000 to help them with the cost of providing free, confidential information and support to local people aged 11-25.
Parkeston Residents and Welfare Park Association are also receiving £1,000 to start a new gardening and allotment club, which will be accessible to those with disabilities.
Bill Davidson, chairman of the group, said: “Being outdoors and growing flowers or vegetables is a great way to improve and support positive mental health and wellbeing, especially after so many months of coping with the pandemic.
“We are so pleased to receive this funding. It will help us to create a wonderful space that will be accessible for everyone, including those in wheelchairs. Hopefully, it will encourage people to get up and out of the house, meet friends and socialise, which is so important.
“We want the allotment to be somewhere that people can get away from the stresses of life and work together with a shared sense of pride and achievement. Members can use the produce we grow and hopefully there will also be enough for us to use at our very successful dining club.”
If you or your company would like to support local charities, please get in touch with ECF to discuss the different ways they can help you.
ECF is also running a matched challenge for donations to its Acorn Fund which supports local charities in Essex. For every £2 donated, £1 will be added. Give online.
For more information about how to apply a grant, click here or call 01245 356018.
Ground-breaking Essex writer is celebrated for commemoration project
20th September 2021
Margaret Cavendish – visionary Essex-born playwright, poet, novelist, scientist and philosopher – is finally remembered in Colchester, 400 years after her birth in the town.
A commemorative plaque is to be unveiled by Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, on Wednesday 22 September 2021 at 5pm, adjacent to St John’s Abbey Gate, Colchester, the birthplace of Margaret Cavendish in 1623.
Mrs Tolhurst said: “It is a privilege to be able to mark the extraordinary achievements of a remarkable woman born in Essex and in so many ways centuries ahead of her time. I hope that greater knowledge about her work will inspire today’s generation, especially women and girls in our county”.
Margaret Cavendish (1623-1673) published under her own name when most women writers remained anonymous.
Her topics included biography, philosophy, poetry, a novel (one of the earliest examples of the sci-fi genre), short stories, children’s fables and more than twenty plays.
As a scientist, she was deemed important enough to be the first woman invited to attend a meeting of the Royal Society. She was the first person ever to write a critique of one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Graham Watts, Essex Women’s Commemoration Project team member, adds: “Margaret Cavendish is one of those remarkable people from the past who seem indelibly linked to the present. Describing the experiences of women, she depicts gaslighting and emotional abuse, the pain and dangers of bearing children, and the constant battle to save them from starvation. Cavendish was aware that society was not ready to hear her: ‘I regard not so much the present but future ages, for which I intend all my books’.”
Her publications challenged the contemporary belief that women were inherently inferior to men. She wished she could have had the benefit of attending school, like her brothers, but that was a privilege denied to women of the day. Nevertheless, as the range and quality of her output testifies, she more than held her own while being a life-long advocate for women’s education.
This unveiling is the first of a series of plaques being planned across the county of Essex.
Each will commemorate the life and achievements of individual Essex women so far overlooked by history. Fields will include the arts, writing, politics, science, philanthropy, education, social and military welfare, medicine, horticulture, activism and leadership.
Further details will follow as each plaque is announced.
The Essex Women’s Commemoration Project was launched last year, following a proposal to the Lord-Lieutenant by Essex theatre director Graham Watts to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Cavendish.
The objectives support the work of the Essex Women’s Advisory Group, a charitable fund that is managed by Essex Community Foundation.
Community Cares Fund reopens for second round of applications
The region’s largest independent retailer is awarding grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to charities and organisations supporting people in its trading areas across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
Since its launch in April 2020, the East of England Co-op has donated over £410,000, including £190,000 donated by members, from its Community Cares Fund to local charities and good causes.
In July this year the retailer awarded their first round of funding for 2021, with £112,000 going to 30 organisations across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. The East of England Co-op 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 O’Keeffe, Joint Chief Executive of the East of England Co-op said: “We’re delighted to be opening this next round of applications for grants from our Community Cares Fund. The local causes we’ve supported so far have been able to achieve fantastic things so it’s wonderful to be giving this opportunity to even more groups and organisations in our region.
“There are so many inspiring people and groups in our communities working to make a positive difference. If you’re one of those people and the work you’re doing is addressing one of our key focus areas; community action, mental health and wellbeing or food justice for all, I’d encourage you to find out more about our Community Cares Fund and see if you are eligible to apply for a grant.”
Ferriers Barn, one of the charities in Essex that received funding in the previous round, provides a range of activities for adults with disabilities from their day centre in rural Essex, near Bures. Ferriers Barn received £4,000 to help with some essential upgrades to the centre where they run activities including cookery, woodwork, pottery, gardening and arts and crafts.
Nicola Goodman, Administrator at Ferriers Barn said: “The grant the East of England Co-op provided was a god send, we had to close last year due to Covid-19 and since reopening have had to change the way in which we work, including more ventilation.
“Our existing heating system was antiquated and ineffective, not to mention noisy. We froze in the winter. We have used the grant money to replace the heating with wonderful infrared heating, which is highly efficient and silent. The difference is incredible. We are able to have the doors and windows open and still stay snug and warm.
“We honestly cannot thank the East of England Community Cares Fund enough for this grant, it means we can operate safely and still make sure our members are comfortable at all times.”
East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund is open to grant applications from voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, charities and parish councils that are creating or adapting services or activities that will have a positive impact in the communities where the East of England Co-op trades in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
The day-to-day administration of the Fund is carried out by Suffolk Community Foundation and distributed by Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex Community Foundations on behalf of the East of England Co-op.
Funding applications should 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.
This fund is to support organisations in Colchester, Braintree, Maldon, Tendring. Near to their shops: Store finder – East of England Co-op
The deadline to apply is Friday 8 October at 5pm. However, this Fund may be closed early if oversubscribed so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Grant decisions will be made in January 2022.
To apply, please fill out our online application form here. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your work in advance of applying, please call the ECF grants team on 01245 356018.