Castle Point, Rayleigh and Rochford Partners

BOSP supports children and young adults with complex disabilities or life-limiting conditions, and their families, by providing high-quality, fun, educational activities, respite, peer support and counselling.

Brave Parents provides self care opportunities to parents who have children with complex medical needs*.

We recognise that many of these parents forget to care for themselves. They work so hard to keep their child well that their own needs always come second.

However, over time this can have an affect on the mental health of the caregivers and whole family unit.

We create opportunities for Parent Carers to have some well needed ‘you’ time to support their mental health and well-being.

From pamper ‘… for you’ and Hospital Boxes to in person events and local meets, we hope to encourage self care and highlight that it is essential, especially through hard times.

*’Complex medical needs’ refers to children who have been diagnosed by a medical professional, with an illness, disability or sensory impairment (sight and/or hearing impairment) that requires substantial daily support from a Parent Carer.

Brave Parents - Registered Charity No. 1204544

Castle Point Association of Voluntary Services (CAVS) is a not for profit charity and Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) with a strong community presence in Essex.

Formed in 1994, we are an established organisation, responding to the needs for sector partners to have access to good quality infrastructure services, help and guidance for individuals and volunteer recruitment, training and support.

CAVS provides information, advice and guidance to voluntary and community organisations, to develop solutions for local issues. We help match organisations and potential volunteers, aimed at improving their communities. We work with existing voluntary sector providers to extend their schemes as well as local statutory bodies to identify and develop new services. We have a strong and vibrant membership.

Our numerous projects and schemes are delivered across Essex. CAVS existing portfolio embraces many benefits to the local population, addressing specific local need, including working with vulnerable young people, children and families, social isolation, health and well-being.

We are a non for profit organisation focused on helping those with learning disabilities to become part of the larger society. We aim to teach life and social skills which will guarantee to make a difference in both our clients' lives and the lives of those around them.

We provide Essex residents (excluding Southend-On-Sea and Thurrock) with access to health checks; stop smoking services; weight management courses; and emotional health and wellbeing support. All of our services are free.

Home-Start Essex aims to give families with at least one child aged under 5 the best possible start in life by supporting parents and caregivers to feel less isolated, to build their confidence in themselves and their parenting and to find ways to manage the challenges they face. We build trusting, helpful relationships with families and deliver a range of flexible support to meet their individual needs, including volunteer-led home visiting, family groups, wellbeing services, school-readiness, and behaviour support programmes.

Open Arts is a community arts and mental health programme run as one of the charities managed within the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Charity Fund. 

Our aims are to promote confidence, skills, self-esteem and positive mental health. Open to Essex residents aged 16+ with mental ill health, those that would like to manage their wellbeing through creativity and to carers who would like to engage with the wider community through the creative arts within a group setting. 

Our courses offer an opportunity to learn new creative skills and techniques within a safe and supportive environment. No experience is necessary.

At SECE Mind, our mission is to provide support and empower all those living with poor mental health in South East and Central Essex.

Our aims are to promote and protect good mental health for all, treating people fairly, positively and with respect. We support people likely to develop mental health problems to stay well and empower people to make informed choices about how they manage their own mental health. We strive to ensure people get the right services and support at the right time, giving them the tools to recover and stay well.

As a ‘Local Mind’ and your local independent mental health charity, we cover the areas of Southend-on-Sea, South Woodham Ferrers, Rochford, Castle Point and Chelmsford. 

We offer free, accessible signposting through our ‘Somewhere To Turn’ service, available to anyone looking for support and information for themselves or a loved one. We also provide supported housing, low-cost counselling for both adults and children and children and young people wellbeing services. 

As part of our mission to improve mental health understanding and awareness we can also provide keynote speakers and offer bespoke courses and workshops for groups, workplaces and schools through our Mental Health Training Academy.

The Megacentre Rayleigh is a Christian charity who welcomes everyone – of any faith or no faith.  We exist to bring Joy, Hope and Life to our community.  We do this through our charity team which includes family, youth and community workers offering a range of free, confidential services for families, children, young people and the wider community. 

We offer support around all sorts of topics, including Special Educational Needs, mental health worries in adults, children and young people, family life in general and, through our Community Resilience Hub, information, support and advice from us and our community partners.

Please do get in touch with any worries or concerns.  We want to strengthen our community, build resilience, reduce isolation and support each other.

Trust Links is your local mental health, wellbeing and environmental charity. We work across Essex to support people experiencing mental health difficulties, families, and other community members with main bases in Southend, Castle Point, Rochford, Basildon and Braintree. We’re committed to building stronger communities and transforming lives.

Supporting the environment through sustainable living is at the core of our work.

If in the boroughs of Castle Point, Basildon and Braintree, you can access our Growing Together Therapeutic gardening project and amazing volunteering opportunities.

Our other sites in Essex offer Growing Together therapeutic gardening, recovery courses, groups and peer support with REACH, and youth and family projects.

Visit our website for full details about our projects.