Useful links
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/
Colchester http://www.colchestercab.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
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/yourmoney
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)
http://www.caraessex.org.uk/about.html
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
www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Adult-Learning/Pages/Adult-Learning.aspx
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
Harwich Food Bank
http://harwich-and-district-community-foodbank.org.uk/index.html
t: 07989 169263 (24 hour voicemail service)
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
http://www.chelmsfordchess.org/
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
Colchester and Tendring Children Centres
http://colchesterandtendring.childrencentres.org/
Home-Start Colchester
www.homestartcolchester.org.uk
t: 01206 865349
Home-Start Maldon
www.homestartmaldon.org.uk/
t: 01621 858467
Home-Start Harwich
t: 01255 556230
Home-Start Chelmsford
www.home-startchelmsford.com/
t: 01245 421222
Home-Start Witham, Braintree and Halstead
t: 01376 519101
Parent’s Survival Guide to Online Safety
https://www.kidguard.com/cell-phone-monitoring-and-gps-tracking/
Personality disorders
The Haven Project
www.thehavenproject.org.uk
Volunteering
Do-it
www.do-it.org.uk/
Colchester Community Voluntary Services (CCVS)
http://www.ccvs.org/what-we-do/volunteer-centre-time-bank/volunteer-centre/
t: 01206 505250
Volunteer Bureau for Tendring
http://www.volunteercentretendring.org.uk/
t: 01255 470847
Braintree District Voluntary Support Agency
http://www.bdvsa.org.uk/
t: 01376 550507