Advocacy

POhWER – enabling your voice to be heard, speaking for you when you can’t and supporting you when you can
http://www.pohwer.net/

Autism

Autism Anglia – provides a range of services to enable people with autism to live as independently as possible
http://www.autism-anglia.org.uk/
t: 01206 577678

Benefits, budgeting and money management

Government information on current benefits
https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits

Step Change Debt Charity
https://www.stepchange.org/
Tel: 0800 1381111

Turn2Us
www.turn2us.org.uk

CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau)
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Search for your local Citizens Advice Bureau here: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/how-we-provide-advice/advice/search-for-your-local-citizens-advice/

Money Advice Service
https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en

Care and Wellbeing

Essex Cares – supporting people to live safely and independently within their homes and local communities. From older adults to those with learning, physical, sensory or mental health needs
www.ecl.org

Carers

Essex Carers
http://www.essexcarerssupport.org.uk/
t: 01255 474410

Dementia and Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s Society – to find your local area office please visit
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/EastAngliaEngland

Essex Dementia Care
http://www.essexdementiacare.org.uk/
t: 01245 363789

Drug and alcohol

Open Road – provides support for individuals affected by drugs and alcohol across Essex and Suffolk
www.openroad.org.uk
Chelmsford
t: 01245 284772
Clacton
t: 01255 434186
Colchester
t: 01206 766096

Domestic violence and abuse

Safer Places – domestic abuse support services in mid Essex
http://www.saferplaces.co.uk/
t: 03301 025811

Colchester and Tendring Women’s Refuge
http://www.colchester-refuge.org.uk/
t: 01206 500585

Women’s Aid (24 hour helpline)
www.womensaid.org.uk

Survivors UK (male rape and sexual abuse)
www.survivorsuk.org

Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA)
https://caraessex.org.uk/
t: 01206 769795 (24 hour answer phone)

Employment

National Careers Service
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

ACAS – providing information, advice, training, conciliation and other services for employers and employees to help prevent or resolve workplace problems.
www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1339

Education

Adult Community Learning in Essex
http://www.aclessex.com/

Food

Braintree Foodbank
www.braintreearea.foodbank.org.uk/
t: 01376 330694

Chelmsford Foodbank
http://chelmsford.foodbank.org.uk
t: 07512 574542

Clacton Foodbank
http://clacton.foodbank.org.uk/
t: 01255 431760

Colchester Foodbank
https://colchester.foodbank.org.uk/
t: 01206 621998

Health and fitness

Travel costs for NHS appointments, including Health in Mind
http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcosts/pages/Travelcosts.aspx

Housing

Shelter (the housing and homelessness charity)
Eastern counties:
t: 0344 515 1860
Search for your local support here: http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_services_directory

Gateway to Homechoice, a choice based lettings system, advertising Council and Housing Association properties in the local authority areas of Babergh, Braintree, Colchester, Ipswich, Maldon, Mid Suffolk, Suffolk Coastal and Waveney.
www.gatewaytohomechoice.org.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/65.aspx

One Housing, Essex Floating Support Service
http://www.onehousing.co.uk/essex-floating-support-service
t: 0300 123 1921

Colchester Emergency Night Shelter
www.colchesternightshelter.org.uk
t: 01206 549885

Chess (Chelmsford) – seeking to relieve homelessness and related hardship and distress amongst single adults in Chelmsford and Essex, through the provision of support services and temporary accommodation
https://www.homeless.org.uk/homeless-england/service/chelmsford-chess-nightshelter

Swan Housing – supported housing, including accommodation for people with learning difficulties or mental health conditions
http://www.swan.org.uk/home/finding-a-home/renting-a-home-from-swan/supported-housing.aspxt: 0300 303 2500

Sanctuary Supported Living – supported housing, including accommodation for people with learning difficulties or mental health conditions
https://www.sanctuary-supported-living.co.uk/service-listings-and-locations

Learning disabilities

Essex Mencap
http://www.essexmencap.org/local-groups/4589870428

LGBTQ+

Mind Out – Online support for the LGBTQ community

https://www.mindout.org.uk/get-support/mindout-online/ 

Mindline Trans+ – A UK wide service offering a confidential, non-judgemental listening space for people who identify as Trans+, nonbinary and their friends and families to talk.

https://bristolmind.org.uk/help-and-counselling/mindline-transplus/
t: 0300 330 5468

Older People

Age UK
www.ageuk.org.uk

The Silver Line – free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year
https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/t: 0800 4 70 80 90

Community Agents – supporting older people and informal carers to find and develop independent living solutions from within their local community
www.communityagentsessex.org.ukt: 0800 977 5858 or 01376 574341

Independent Age – can provide you and your family with clear, free and impartial advice on issues that matter: care and support, money and benefits, health and mobility
https://www.independentage.org/about-us
t: 0800 319 6789

Parenting

Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service
https://essexfamilywellbeing.co.uk/

Home-Start Colchester
www.homestartcolchester.org.uk
t: 01206 865349
Home-Start Maldon
www.homestartmaldon.org.uk/
t: 01621 858467
Home-Start Harwich
https://www.home-start.org.uk/home-start-harwich
t: 01255 556230
Home-Start Chelmsford, Witham, Braintree and Halstead
https://home-startessex.org.uk/
t: 01245 421222

Personality disorders

The Haven Project
www.thehavenproject.org.uk

Volunteering

Do-it
www.do-it.org.uk/

Community 360 (For Colchester and Braintree)
https://www.community360.org.uk/services/volunteering/volunteer-centre/ 

Colchester t: 01206 505250
Braintree t: 01376 550507

Volunteer Bureau for Tendring
http://www.volunteercentretendring.org.uk/
t: 01255 470847

Maldon and District CVS
https://www.maldoncvs.org.uk/
t: 01621 851891

Chelmsford CVS
http://chelmsfordcvs.org.uk/
t: 01245 250731