Epping Forest District Partners

Accuro is a small, vibrant, charity rooted in the values of respect, integrity, empathy and compassion.

Our vision is to eliminate the social isolation of people with disabilities within their local communities by enhancing their confidence to cross bridges into a wider world.

Our mission is:
To provide fun, inclusive, services that support and build the confidence and life skills of children, young people and adults with a disability in the West Essex community.
To create safe and secure environments that ensure the Clubs and Shortbreaks we offer enable a true sense of belonging that assist everyone we support to contribute and thrive.
To provide respite to families and carers.

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

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.

First Stop is a charity helping those who are in need in the Braintree area and surrounding communities.

The aim is to help those who have/or are disadvantaged by: a history of poor mental health, carers, ex-offenders, homelessness, learning needs, senior citizens, single parents, socially isolated, substance misuse, those unemployed (whether on benefits or not) or anyone in hardship needing help.

The help they can get is by accessing:

• Affordable Counselling, 1:1 appointments
• Our Community Fridge (accessing good nutritional food and helping prevent food waste)
• CV Construction
• Education classes: Confidence courses (a choice of 4), Learn my Way (IT), Digital Confidence- using tablets and other devices (including internet safety), arts & crafts and basic skills, including budgeting and maths- all in a professional but informal way
• Accessing impartial Information, Advice & Guidance- to a range of services
• Safe c/o address 

And any other help that may be needed. Our expertise is that as a long established organisation, we can refer on to a range of services to meet an individual's needs.  

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.

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.

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

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.

Spark is a charity that provides counselling and mentoring services for young people in the Epping Forest and surrounding areas. We also run mental wellbeing workshops in schools, as well as parenting/nurture courses in the community. We believe in building relationships, coming alongside a young person and their family, and inspiring a sense of hope together.