Epping Forest District Partners

Aching Arms is a national charity based in Brentwood that provides comfort and support for bereaved families after the loss of their baby during pregnancy, at birth or soon after.  We work directly with midwives and nurses at over 170 hospitals nationwide, who, on our behalf, offer an Aching Arms Bear to parents in their care. We also donate comfort bears to other organisations who support families after baby loss at any stage of pregnancy and send them to families who contact us themselves via our website.

The bear provides a sensitive conduit for health professionals to support and discuss the emotional and well-being needs of parents, particularly in the turbulent days following their baby’s death.

Each Aching Arms bear is given as a gift from one bereaved family to another, to let the parents know that they are not alone, and each beautiful bear wears a personalised, handwritten label with the name of the baby in whose memory the bear was dedicated. The label also signposts parents to our website, where they will find support and information.

Our support is not limited to the giving of our comfort bears, we have several ways in which we help parents and families, including:

SUPPORTING ARMS SERVICE

Run by bereaved parents, our Supporting Arms service offers parents the opportunity to talk to someone who has an understanding of what they’re going through. Families can access support by telephone, text or email on 07464 508994 or support@achingarms.co.uk

SUPPORTING ARMS FOR DADS

We host a monthly online group specifically for Dads to share and discuss their particular experiences. Please see our website for full details.

VIRTUAL CARE SERVICE

Our Virtual Care service gives parents the chance to book a video support call with our Bereavement Care Manager. Booking is available on the link on our website.

BE TOGETHER PROGRAMME

The Be Together Programme is a range of community events that bring bereaved parents, siblings and families together. Please see our website for full details.

The loss of a baby is a devastating experience and one that can bring a range of thoughts, feelings, and responses that can feel confusing, bewildering, and isolating. By Your Side is a maternal mental health service provided by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with midwifery colleagues, which offers therapeutic care and grief therapy for people who were pregnant and have experienced a perinatal loss. Our team aims to help people with their loss, being by your side during a devastating time.

Service Information

By Your Side works with people who were pregnant and are experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties as a result of perinatal loss, including;
Miscarriage (including recurrent/multiple miscarriages)
Stillbirth
Termination
Neonatal death

Unfortunately, we do not currently accept self-referrals so please ask a health or social care professional (such as your GP) to submit a referral on your behalf. You must be over the age of 18, registered with a GP in Essex, and your loss must have occurred within the last year.

Kooth.com is commissioned to provide an online wellbeing platform which along with text based counselling also includes helpful articles, forums, activity centre, daily journal and messaging. We provide British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy accredited services and Kooth is available to young people aged 11-18 in Essex. 

The service provides a free and non-judgemental place for children and young people to connect with others and know they are not alone. They have instant access to self-help materials, fully moderated discussion forums and tools such as online journals and goal trackers. They can also contribute written pieces of work reflecting their own experiences, as well as accessing drop-in or booked text-based counselling sessions with professional counsellors.

These are online services that offer anonymised support via online counsellors, available 365 days a year, 12pm -10pm on weekdays and 6pm-10pm on weekends. 

Mind in West Essex supports people affected by mental ill health, predominantly across West Essex to make positive changes in their lives and to improve their emotional resilience.

We also aim to normalise the conversation around mental health and in doing so reduce the stigma that can be a barrier to people accessing the support that could help them to improve their quality of life.

We provide a range of services in order to help us deliver on these aims, these include: counselling as part of the NHS psychological therapies service; a private counselling service; Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training; emotional resilience training; peer support; befriending to reduce isolation; bereavement work and community support.

In addition to the above client facing services we also run Crisis Alternative Services including Sanctuary, Night Owls and Daylight Workers.

The core aim of the Change Project is to promote personal wellbeing through enabling people to have healthy relationships in families, between individuals, and in the community.

Voluntary Action Epping Forest (VAEF), operational since 1993 is an independent Charity, our mission is to work with the people of Epping Forest District to empower, support and develop voluntary and community activity.

As an umbrella organisation we develop new initiatives to meet community needs and promote cooperation between the voluntary and statutory sectors.

We offer a range of practical support, including advice on funding, help with running a voluntary organisation and provide a comprehensive Volunteer Service to help local people access volunteering opportunities.

We also run a diverse range of community projects for isolated residents in Epping Forest, these include:

Benefits Advice
Befriending
Community Response Hub
Handyman for homeowners
Volunteer Centre
Digital Learning Sessions
Ace Activities supported day activity sessions for people with learning disabilities.