This is a place where you can find out about opportunities that are available to your organisation. From funding streams to events and training, The Essex Alliance will keep you informed.
This half-day session is for anyone who has previously completed the Qualified MHFAider® course.We recommend that MHFAiders® attend a Refresher course every three years.
The four-hour MHFA Refresher course gives you the chance to:
✅ Renew your skills
✅ Update your knowledge of mental health support
✅ Practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan
✅ Access three years of MHFAider® Support and Benefits
Find out more about Mental Health First Aid training here.
Essex County Council are pleased to announce the launch of two new resources this week designed to strengthen our collective work in reducing youth vaping and supporting young people affected by nicotine dependency.
1. Youth Vaping Toolkit for Education Settings and Youth Professionals
Developed collaboratively by Essex Public Health and the Essex Safeguarding Children Board, and co-designed with secondary schools, this toolkit provides practical guidance, information, and tools for staff working with children and young people. It aims to support early intervention, informed conversations, and consistent approaches across education environments.
2. Youth Vaping Toolkit for Parents and Carers
Created by the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service – Healthy Schools team, this resource has been shaped directly by insight gathered from parents and carers. It offers clear, accessible information to help families understand youth vaping, spot signs of use, and support young people to make healthy choices.
These toolkits form part of our wider youth vaping pilot programme and will sit alongside a new Essex Public Health youth vaping campaign, currently being developed in partnership with primary education settings.
Are you passionate about supporting people’s mental wellbeing and ready to make a real difference in your community? Join us at Mind in West Essex as a PCN Mental Health Coach in the North Uttlesford area (Saffron Walden / Uttlesford North).
The Role: You’ll be the go-to contact for patients on their mental health journey – helping them access services, overcome barriers, and connect with what they need to thrive.
You’ll liaise with multi-disciplinary teams, support patients from referral to engagement, and champion person-centred recovery.
We’re Looking For You If You Have: ✔ Excellent communication & organisational skills ✔ A positive, flexible, problem-solving mindset ✔ Experience of mental health (professional or personal) ✔ Ability to work independently & as part of a team ✔ Good IT skills & willingness to learn
Why Join Us? Working with Mind in West Essex means being part of a friendly, values-driven charity with a vision of open, positive conversations around mental health and full respect and support for everyone.
Parents 1st are pleased to announce our new Stretch and Relaxation group for pregnant and new parents in Southend.
Join us for 6 weeks of yoga. Suitable during pregnancy and after birth. (Please note: These groups are free for a trial period only).
Connect with your growing belly or baby with an hour of quiet bonding. Strengthen your body, improve your posture, and release tension through breathing, mindfulness and gentle low impact movement.
What to expect from our Stretch and Relaxation group:
Sessions will include 45 minutes of stretch and relaxation
Gentle, low-impact movement
Exercises to help strengthen your body and improve your posture
After the class, there’ll be 15 minutes of peer support and conversation
Be part of a supportive community of parents
No experience necessary. Mats provided. Just bring a water bottle, blanket for relaxation and any baby essentials if you’re bringing your baby.
We’re excited to invite you to upcoming Fundraising and Small Grants Workshops that are taking place across Essex as part of the Your Essex Community support offer.
This three-hour workshop is for voluntary and community organisations in Essex who want to enhance their income generation and fundraising plans and skills. You will learn about the latest trends in fundraising, different sources of income, with a specific focus on small grants under £20,000 including where to look for grant opportunities, and top tips on how to produce a successful application.
The workshop is enjoyable, informative, interactive, and an excellent opportunity to network with other similar organisations in the voluntary sector.
Whether you’re new to fundraising or looking to refine your approach, this workshop will help you strengthen your bids and maximise your impact.
Explore the latest public-health indicators across regions with the Health of the Region Data Explorer — a powerful free tool for voluntary sector organisations in partnership with local authorities, health services and community groups.
This interactive, publicly-available tool covers a wide range of indicators: life expectancy, disease burden, risk-factors, healthy ageing and more — broken down by region and local authority.
We’re excited to announce Beat Retreat – a free 10-week drumming Music Therapy programme designed specifically for carers living in the Braintree district. Delivered by Ace Music Therapy CIC and funded by Essex County Council, this group offers carers a chance to take time for themselves, connect with others, and experience the therapeutic benefits of rhythm and music.
Why Drumming?
Drumming is one of the oldest forms of music-making and has been shown to support both emotional and physical wellbeing. Many participants report benefits such as:
Improved mood and emotional release
Reduced stress and anxiety
Lowered blood pressure
Relief from tension and pain
Boosted immune function
This group offers a warm, supportive environment where carers can step away from daily responsibilities, unwind, and enjoy the shared energy of group music-making—no musical experience needed.
Session Details
When: Wednesdays, running until 3rd December Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Where: Earls Colne Village Hall, 12 York Rd, Earls Colne, Colchester CO6 2RN Cost: Free of charge
In September 2025, local Pitsea residents voted on a recycling/upcycling project in their local area. Creative Basildon are looking for an artist to create: “A programme of workshops/activities that target a range of ages and groups across the whole of Pitsea, within the theme of recycling/upcycling.”
We want you to interpret this as creatively as you can. We are interested in hearing about your previous projects that have focused on recycling/upcycling themes. This may look like upcycling workshops, a community clean up with musical performances, or it might explore the invisible waste of the digital age.
**A fixed fee will be paid for the work, not per person. If you are applying as a collective, it is your decision how the fee will be shared. This inclusive fee should be used for all artist and production fees (including but not limited to; planning, delivery, purchasing resources, marketing, administration and evaluation).
This is an exciting and varied role, and we are looking for a proactive post holder who will manage three key aspects of CARA’s service provision:
Manage new referrals into our service, overseeing the work of our team of First Contact Navigators and our Information and Referrals Co-ordinator.
Manage our counselling waiting lists and the allocation of clients to a counsellor, overseeing the work of our Allocations Team.
Act as the main lead and point of contact for managing CARA’s client database and resolving any data queries.
The role will lead a talented and committed team of six, supporting their work and assisting them to develop their key roles. As well as overseeing day-to-day operations of the team, the post holder will be part of CARA’s management team and will have the opportunity to play a key role in CARA’s wider development, working closely with CARA’s Senior Leadership Team and Team Managers.
Application deadline: 9am on Wednesday 26th November 2025
Interviews: Tuesday 2nd December 2025
This post is restricted to women applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.
Click here for Job Description and Person Specification.
Hamelin Trust, a local charity dedicated to supporting people with disabilities across Essex, is expanding its team and currently recruiting for several rewarding roles. These positions offer a chance to make a real difference in the lives of others while joining a passionate, community-focused organisation.
Current Vacancies:
Links Project Co-ordinator Location: Mid & South Essex Salary: £27,398 (37.5 hours per week) Deadline: 7th November Interviews: 18th & 19th November This role supports the growth of Hamelin Trust’s Links project, working closely with key stakeholders to strengthen community connections.
Ability Works Employment Support Co-ordinator Location: Rochford, Basildon & Castle Point Salary: £16,439 (22.5 hours per week) Deadline: 7th November Interviews: 18th & 19th November A fantastic opportunity to help people with disabilities access employment and develop workplace skills.
Volunteer Co-ordinator Location: Mid & South Essex Salary: £21,918 (30 hours per week) Deadline: 14th November Interviews: 25th & 26th November This role focuses on supporting Hamelin’s volunteer network and enhancing community engagement.
