13th January 2017

Time to Talk Day Event

Who Will Care Awards 2017

Grants Available for Essex Charities

Kickstart 2017 – Special Event

The Small Charities Programme

Winter Warmth Pop-Up Sessions

Essex Carers Network Workshop and AGM

Time to Talk Day Event

Thursday 2nd February from 1:30 to 3:30 pm

The 4th national Time to Talk Day, organised by anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, takes place on 2nd February 2017. The aim of the day is to get as many people as possible across the country talking about mental health.

To celebrate Time to Talk Day and encourage conversation Maldon and District CVS is hosting their second annual Time to Talk event.

This year our event will be held upstairs in MaldonTown Hall, Market Hill, Maldon CM9 4RL between 1:30 and 3:30 pm. We will be serving FREE Afternoon Cream Teas and plenty of chat! The venue is full accessible and everyone is welcome.

Please join usand do share this invitation with anyone you think may be interested in coming along.

For more information or for a copy of our poster or flyers for this event contact us at or call 01621 851891.

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Who Will Care? Awards 2017

Nominations are now open for the Who Will Care? Awards 2017. The awards are made in recognition of public volunteering that improves and supports the lives of people and communities across Essex.

Do you know a volunteer, a business or a team of volunteers that deserve recognition for their dedication to helping others? If so, why not nominate them?

This year there are seven categories

  • The Business Award
  • The Voluntary Community Service Award
  • Individual Volunteer Award (Young Person)
  • Individual Volunteer Award (Adult)
  • Individual Volunteer Award
  • Volunteer Team Award
  • Innovation Award

Click Here for more information on the individual categories or to complete the nomination form online (Forms can also be downloaded and sent to the Who Will Care Team.)

Nominations close Friday 3rd March 2017 at midnight and the award ceremony will take place onWednesday 24th May 2017.

For more information on the awards visit

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Grants Available for Essex Charities

Charities and voluntary organisations working in Essex are invited to apply for grants from two charitable funds set up by Essex County Council.

Applications can be made now to the Essex Millennium Fund and the ECC Chairman's Fund, which are managed by the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF) which distributes grants on behalf of donors who want their giving to remain local.

These funds were set up to support voluntary and community organisations in Essex and to improve the quality of life of local people both now and in the future.

The Essex Millennium Fund awards grants to voluntary organisations in four priority areas:

  • carers
  • community support
  • enhancing the environment
  • young people

The ECC Chairman's Fund supports projects that enrich the lives of young people in their local communities through activities exploring arts, culture and heritage.

The deadline to make an application to either fund is Friday 3 February 2017. For an application form or more information, visit or call ECF's Grants Team on 01245 356018.

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Voluntary Sector Training

Kickstart 2017 – Special Event

Don’t forget to book your place on this FREE half-day workshop from Voluntary Sector Training which will take place at Essex Records Office, Chelmsford on 27th January 2017 between 10 am and 1 pm.

The workshop includes a practical and powerful consultancy session with trainerRachel Vipondandwill show you how to set goals to get the best from yourself and your organisation in 2017.

For more information and to book your space Click Here.

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The Small Charities Programme

Charity Finance Group (CFG) is the networking body providing support for finance professionals working across the charity sector.

CFG’s Small Charities Programme provides practical finance training and resources for charities with an income of £1m or less across England and Wales, developing their knowledge and capabilities.

The programme covers five key themes:

  • Budgets and Forecasting
  • Preparing Reports
  • Paying People
  • Banking and Accounting
  • Gift Aid and how to claim it

CFG’s training sessions for small charities are supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and there is a fee of just £20 for each half day training. For information on the individual courses and to book your place Click Here.

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Winter Warmth Pop-Up Sessions

The final Winter Warmth pop-up sessions offering help and advice on how to stay well this winter will take place between 11 am and 3 pm in the following locations:

  • 19th January- Tollesbury Community Centre, East Street, CM9 8QD
  • 15th February- Tillingham Village Hall, Vicarage Lane, CM0 7TW
  • 24th February- The Parish Hall, Summerhill, Althorne CM3 6BY

Visitors to the event will receive a free bag/rucksack full of items to help them keep warm through winter plus advice and information on cutting fuel bills, keeping healthy, support to get involved in activities in the local community and much more.

For more information contact Chris Rust at Maldon District Council on 01621 854477 or email .

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Essex Carers Network Workshop and AGM

How to get the right support using the law

The Workshop and AGM will be on Tuesday 14th February at the Central Baptist Church, Victoria Road South, Chelmsford, CM1 1LN from 10am – 2.30pm with the first 45 minutes put aside for the AGM and is for family carers supporting a family member with a learning disability. However, expressions of interest in attending are welcomed from people who work for organisations directly supporting family carers of people with a learning disability as places not filled by families will be re-allocated.

The workshop will be delivered by the family carer support service from HFT – a national charity supporting people with learning disabilities and their families. The theme will be ‘how to get the right support using the law’. The session will be informative with time allowed for questions and clarification.

For more information, to book your place or to express your interest please contact Wendy Burt at Essex Carers Network on 07876 025480 or

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