The East of England Cancer Alliances’ Patient Partnership Group would like to invite you to attend this online event.
The patient group have all experienced cancer themselves, or cared for someone with cancer, and are putting on a series of talks and information sessions designed to raise awareness and give people an opportunity to ask any questions of our expert speakers or experienced patients. We hope that you can join us. This is the first in a series of events which will be held every few months.
Cancer awareness, common signs, and symptoms
Tuesday 12 September 6-30 – 7.30pm.
Join us for this online event to learn more about the common signs and symptoms that could be a cause for concern or need further investigation. We will hear from a local GP and a member of the public about their experiences in spotting the symptoms of cancer.
We encourage members of the public who are concerned about unusual changes in their body such as lumps or unexplained continuous pain, to report signs and symptoms to their GP practice as soon as possible.
Are you a visionary leader with a proven track record of driving organisation success? Do you possess exceptional strategic thinking and decision-making skills with a strong emphasis on Heading up Operations.
We are looking for an Executive Lead for Thriving Communities who will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of Community360, inspiring teams towards a common goal. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will influence and lead a team of Head of Programmes, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and achievement.
Thriving Communities is our portfolio that consists of a broad range of programmes and services to support individuals and communities to live their best lives. From My Social Prescription™ to Community Transport, Thriving Communities addresses an array of needs within communities across Colchester, Braintree and beyond. We do this by managing or contributing to community-based wellbeing projects. We partner with healthcare providers to deliver services and ensure they reach those most in need. We also work strategically to address issues, supporting people who may be at risk during the winter months. In addition, our infrastructure work allows us to advise community and voluntary groups how to become established and achieve their goals, also contributing to thriving communities. Our One Colchester Hub offers a safe and welcoming space for individuals to engage in activities and support, while allowing partners to collaborate and take action.
We’ve been at the front-line of the cost-of-living crisis, looking at the impacts on people and the effectiveness of interventions designed to help. Interventions have focused on both short and long term fixes, and ranged from direct support to measures to improve the overall economic picture.
But experts are sharply divided on where we should be focusing – are we using the right levers to tackle the crisis? At our September briefing our Chief Executive, Clare Moriarty and Chief Data Analyst, Tom MacInnes will look at our latest data. We’ll also hear from speakers coming at the problem from a range of perspectives.
On Friday 7 July 2023 around 1,000 delegates from across the Suffolk and North East Essex ICS attended the annual ICS ‘Can Do Health and Care’ Expo2023 at Wherstead Park near Ipswich. The event included more than 140 exhibitors across six exhibition zones as well as keynote presentations, workshops, demonstrations and discussions.
A key highlight of the day at Expo2023 was the official signing of the Suffolk and North East Essex ICS VCFSE Resilience Charter. The charter was signed in person by numerous VCFSE sector leaders alongside Will Pope and Ed Garratt on behalf of NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB, Cllr. Andrew Reid on behalf of Suffolk County Council and Lucy Wightman on behalf of Essex County Council.
The charter was originally drafted by VCFSE sector partners in 2021 and set out a number of commitments and principles for wider system partners to work to that was underpinned by an ethos of collaboration, sustainable funding, co-production and shared resources. Whilst the principles of the Charter were widely accepted by system partners, challenges with adopting the commitments were identified, largely owing to the complexity of the ICS system whereby commitments such as embedding co-production, reducing overlap, and removing unnecessary bureaucracy, whilst agreed in principle, in practice have been harder to achieve. So, to agree a Charter that the whole system agreed to and could be adopted by all partners across all sectors in the system, the Charter was revisited to refine and co-produce a new Charter that recognises the diversity of the VCFSE sector and will enable it to work with and be recognised as a key partner within the ICS.
Over 100 people from across the system contributed to the co-design of the revised Resilience Charter Principles, which included task and finish groups to explore five priority areas: Sustainable Funding, Co-Production, Quality and Monitoring, Resilience and Capacity and Trust and Culture. The groups helped to develop the eight new principles and made recommendations for the system to progress to ensure that the principles are embedded by all partners. The Charter and Principles were approved by the ICP Committee in June 2023.
Through Safer Essex, Essex County Council have launched a new online safety map for women and girls to use to highlight areas they feel safe or unsafe in Southend, Essex & Thurrock.
Anyone can use the map, but we particularly want to hear from women and girls over 13 years old as we know through research that 16% of women that took part felt unsafe in our towns and cities during the day and 47% felt unsafe at night.
The map can be accessed on a desktop computer, phone or tablet. Users can drop a pin to a specific location and write why they felt safe or unsafe there. Other users will be able to see this data too.
All of the data collected will be used by partners to inform their work going forward.
Funding for new projects that deliver services to help everyone in Essex to live a healthy life and achieve their full potential
Overview
The Public Health Accelerator Bids (PHAB) programme will fund new projects that help people in Essex to live a healthy life.
The £7.5 million grant programme will run for three years.
PHAB will make a difference to the lives of many vulnerable residents across Essex. The programme focuses on closing the health inequalities experienced in the county.
The programme consists of two grants:
small grants of between £500 and £15,000. Applications open on Monday 4 September 2023
major grants from £15,000 with no upper limit. Expressions of interest applications open on Tuesday 1 August 2023
Essex County Council reserve the right to cap the upper limit of funding dependent on availability to provide proportionate universalism at any time.
Maldon and District CVS are always looking for dedicated community minded people to join our projects team. Project officers will support the delivery of projects and activities that further the mission of Maldon and District CVS to create thriving, connected and healthy communities. This support will include working in partnership with communities and sectors to offer opportunities for physical activity, digital inclusion, mental wellbeing, peer support and crisis response.
As part of the projects team the role will involve organising and promoting activities, undertaking administration task and supporting and encouraging individuals to connect with services and activities.
Hours are available for short term projects, fixed term contracts or a flexible zero hours basis as suits applicants.
if you are interested in joining our team please send a CV and cover letter to ryan@maldoncvs.org.uk. Please include in your cover letter
Your interest in the role
How you meet the person specification
The hours you may be interested in working
If you would like to discuss this role further before applying please contact Ryan or Sarah on 01621 851891.
A DBS check may be requested depending on the nature of the role and will be discussed in advance.
Maldon & District CVS are a service provider which values diversity and inclusivity towards our service users, partners and members regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, disability or creed.
The Screwfix Foundation has re-opened for applications from charities and not for profit organisations for projects that will fix, repair, maintain and improve the properties and community facilities of those in need by reason of financial hardship, sickness, disability, distress or other disadvantage throughout the UK.
Grants in the region of £5,000 are available for all kinds of projects, from repairing buildings and improving facilities in deprived areas, to decorating the homes of people living with sickness and disabilities.
Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis. The next closing date for applications is the 10th November 2023.
As we age we are more likely to be faced with age-related conditions, increased isolation and challenges with physical and mental wellbeing. The Age Well report is the fifth in a series of reports published as companions to the North East Essex Community Assets Map. This new report, commissioned by the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance, aims to highlight the strength of the community through the numerous assets found across our six neighbourhoods in Tendring and Colchester.
‘Age Well’ has been put together by Community360 (C360), Community Voluntary Services Tendring (CVST) and Healthwatch Essex who have worked closely with residents, local groups and representatives from the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance. The aim was to identify several actions that could be taken to build on the strengths already present in our communities.
Examples drawn together in the report, offer an opportunity to reflect on what is working well, and what could be improved upon to reach those facing challenges to accessing available programmes. It highlights the varied nature of provision and the importance of this work to people in specific communities.
The report provides case studies and spotlights examples of good practice. It has a particular focus on people in later life and the people that care for them. Collectively, with the invaluable ‘Citizen’s Voice’ gained from one-to-one discussions, focus groups and interviews with people living in Tiptree in Colchester; Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick in Tendring, there are a number of enablers and barriers identified that affect accessibility to opportunities.
Currently, 23% of the local population is aged 65 or older; over 30 % of people over 65 years of age live alone and the number of people over 85 is set to increase by 49% across Suffolk and North East Essex in the next ten years, compared with a projection of 33% for England.
Ageing Well in North East Essex is supported by a breadth of voluntary and community organisations committed to enabling people to maintain their quality of life for longer, to engage in purposeful activity and connect into local networks. The report offers an opportunity to reflect on what is working well, and what could be improved upon to reach those facing challenges to accessing available programmes. It highlights the varied nature of provision and the importance of this work to people in specific communities, including the role of unpaid carers and the importance of volunteers in the community.
Louise Willsher, Strategic Head of innovation and Growth at Community360 said:
“With the latest in our series of asset mapping reports, we have been able to work closely with residents, local groups and the representatives from the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance to identify a number of actions that can be taken to build on the strengths already present in our communities. The Age Well report is intended to act as a catalyst for encouraging people to take advantage of the opportunities available to them to support and enable older adults to live well in Colchester and Tendring. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the report and to the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance for funding this important project.”
A key finding from the report has highlighted how volunteering has emerged as a huge positive benefit to Ageing Well. From improving physical health to offering fulfilling and enjoyable experiences.
It gives people the opportunity to connect and listen, to make a positive impact on their communities and to meet new people, improving mood and increasing feeling of happiness and self-worth.
The latest report from NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action), reported that people aged 65-74 were the most likely to formally volunteer.
At a meeting in Tendring with volunteers, 75% of those present at the meeting said that volunteering had improved their mental health; 50% said it had improved their physical health. For those in caring roles, volunteering offered an opportunity to have time for themselves and reduce their loneliness.
One volunteer said:
“I am more than happy to help others when I can. Having been a teacher all my working life I understand how tricky it can be to be under constant pressure from people, their views, and government targets etc. I have sympathy with the NHS staff and their similar situation. I appreciated volunteer help when I was working and am happy to ‘give a little back’ now I am retired.”
Another Said:
“My choices are that I make the decisions where and when I volunteer. I volunteer because I enjoy helping and meeting people. I volunteer at C360 and St. Helena Hospice. It sounds a bit corny, but I am nothing special and enjoy people.
I also volunteer for the RSPB at Old Hall Marshes Tollesbury, which is remote and has beautiful scenery, which is good for my well-being, as the pure pleasure I get from helping people benefits me immensely.”
Mark Shorter, Head of Transformation for the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance said:
“The asset mapping report is a key milestone in our ambition for people to live as safely and independently as possible as they grow older. The report provides detailed insight into key enablers within our local area and most importantly, the voice of our population. The report, coupled with the key indicators, frameworks and action plans that the alliance partners have set, gives us the basis to form change for our population to age well.”
The North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance is committed to working within an ABCD approach ensuring work is done with, and not to, local people. Assets, as defined by the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) model, can be individuals, associations, institutions, places and spaces and connections. By understanding the Assets, local commissioners are better placed to support community organisations, build partnerships and consider funding options and community and voluntary sector organisations are better placed to grow their support to local people.
Citizens Advice Essex, working as consortium lead for the Citizens Advice service in Essex, has been awarded grant funding from the Ministry of Justice to provide support to males on probation concerning their benefits entitlements, to provide any debt advice they need and to support them understand and access financial services. Services will be provided principally in Probation Offices throughout Essex, Southend, Thurrock and Cambridgeshire (PCC area).
We are therefore looking to recruit up to 7 new team members in multiple locations to support the delivery of this exciting project. Posts are available in a range of hours/FTE, depending on location. In all cases, we will be looking to recruit trained debt advisers or people with some experience in the provision of independent advice or, in the case of exceptional candidates, with experience in closely related fields and who, in that case, are able to undertake the necessary training to undertake this skilled and technically demanding role.
For posts assigned to Cambridgeshire, we would like to appoint postholders within a reasonable vicinity of the main probation venues.
If applying, please follow guidance carefully. CV’s without a personal statement or incomplete application forms will lead to the rejection of your application.