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.

At Heads2Minds, our mission is to create a world where everyone facing mental health and wellbeing challenges feels safe, understood, and respected. We are experts in our field, driven by lived experience and a deep commitment to making mental health care accessible and inclusive for all.

Through our holistic, person-centred approach, we provide individuals with a comprehensive toolkit designed to strengthen their mindset, improve resilience, and empower them to take control of their mental health. Our focus on somatic practices ensures that both the body and mind are nurtured in the journey to recovery.

We are dedicated to providing early intervention services, helping individuals address challenges before they escalate, and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. By focusing on prevention and education, we create opportunities for individuals to recognise the early signs of mental health struggles and take action for their wellbeing.

At Heads2Minds, we are passionate about amplifying stories of hope, resilience, and recovery. Our work is about more than just support; it's about creating inclusive communities where mental health conversations are welcomed and accessibility is a priority. We are committed to fostering a society that not only understands mental health but actively works to make it a safe, open, and accessible topic for everyone.

"We save lives."

By empowering individuals to speak openly about their mental health and providing the tools for lasting change, we are working towards a world where everyone has the support they need to live healthier, happier lives.

Our current projects and ways we can support people are:
- Empowered Wellbeing Programme for Primary Schools: We offer either a full-day of age-appropriate workshops or termly support for a whole school year
- Young Adults Projects (various):
- Calm the Chaos online workshops on undertanding anxiety and learning the tools necessary to grown and thrive.
- Rise Up! An initiative supported by the Essex Violence and Vunerability Unit
- One-to-One support offering holistic therapies working with experts within our trusted community of practitioners
- Pet Therapy within care homes, mental health units, and community spaces (within the Essex area)
- Mental Health First Aid Training workshops and courses
- Lived experience talks and events to build awareness

Join us in our mission to create a more inclusive space for people to talk about mental health, receive holistic support, and access the resources necessary to thrive.

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 vision is for West Essex to be a place where people talk openly and positively about mental health, and where everyone gets the support and respect needed to live well.

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 services we also run Crisis Alternative Services including Sanctuary and Night Owls

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.