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.
Coming up on 5 December is International Volunteer Day — a global celebration of the power and impact of volunteering. It’s the perfect moment to shine a light on the incredible organisations across Essex that rely on volunteers, and to encourage more people to get involved in supporting their local communities.
If you’re thinking about volunteering, the Essex Map is a great place to start. It brings together a wide range of community groups, charities and local initiatives looking for support.
Simply search “Volunteering” to discover opportunities near you and find something that suits your interests, skills and availability.
Volunteering doesn’t just help the community — it offers real benefits for you too. Some of the key advantages include:
Building stronger communities – Local groups thrive when residents share their time and skills.
Improved wellbeing – Helping others can boost your mood, reduce stress and support better mental health.
Learning new skills – Gain experience in teamwork, communication and practical or specialist abilities.
Increased confidence – Stepping into a volunteer role can help you grow personally and professionally.
Meeting new people – Expand your social circle and connect with like-minded people in your area.
Making a tangible local impact – Even a small amount of time can make a huge difference to community organisations.
Enhancing your CV – Volunteering experience is valued by employers and may open new career paths.
A sense of purpose – Supporting a cause you care about brings fulfilment and motivation.
Flexibility – Many roles can fit around work, study, caring responsibilities or retirement.
Supporting causes you value – From the environment to arts, youth work to health services, there’s something for everyone.
Find Your Volunteering Match
Whether you’re new to volunteering or looking for your next opportunity, the Essex Map makes it easy to explore what’s available across the county. This International Volunteer Day, take a moment to browse, get inspired and maybe even take your first step towards making a difference.
🔍 Search “Volunteering” on The Essex Map and find your match today. ❤️ Together, we can build stronger, more connected communities in Essex.
Essex communities with ideas to improve their local environment now have the chance to secure significant support through the National Lottery Awards for All England – Environment fund. Grants ranging from £300 to £20,000 are available to help organisations start new environmental initiatives, expand existing projects, or run one-off activities with a clear environmental benefit.
The programme, highlighted by Essex County Council’s Environment and Climate Action team, encourages applications from a wide variety of groups—not just registered charities. If you have a community-focused project that can make a real difference, this could be an ideal opportunity to bring it to life.
What Types of Projects Can Be Funded?
The National Lottery is particularly interested in projects that make a positive environmental impact in one or more of these areas:
Green spaces and nature
Reducing carbon emissions or saving energy
Broader environmental improvements
Potential project ideas include:
Creating or enhancing community gardens, rewilding areas, or providing outdoor learning opportunities
Setting up repair cafés
Launching food growing or food sharing initiatives
Installing solar panels or other energy-saving features in well-used community buildings
Simple Application Process
Applicants need to answer only a few straightforward questions, and decisions are typically made within 16 weeks. This makes the fund accessible to groups of all sizes, including new or informal community organisations.
If your organisation has a vision for strengthening local green spaces, reducing carbon footprints, or improving environmental wellbeing in your community, this grant could provide the support you need.
The Senior Centre Café, run by HSPS, takes place on the last Friday of every month, offering a friendly and welcoming space for older residents.
📅 Next Session: Friday28 November 2025 🕐 Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM 📍 Location: The New Senior Centre, The Hub, Gilden Park, Fieldfare Way, Harlow CM17 0GJ (Behind the Linden store — free parking available along the road)
Attendees can look forward to an engaging afternoon featuring:
Chair Yoga
Refreshments & Games
A Health Talk from the Vision and Eye Research Institute on Diabetic Retinopathy, highlighting ways to reduce the risk of blindness and addressing global inequalities in eye health.
This session aims to:
Raise awareness about diabetic retinopathy and prevention strategies
Empower individuals and families to better manage diabetes and protect their vision
Everyone is welcome, and residents are encouraged to bring a friend along to enjoy the community atmosphere.
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.
