Events & Activities

As Christmas is approaching fast, we will be getting prepared by making Christmas cards, decorations and decorating wrapping paper & tags.

Of course, we will have time for our usual chats about life as a family carer too and maybe share tips for getting through the holiday season with our additional challenges.

Paula will bring the equipment needed and some festive nibbles to help us feel creative.

Should anyone not want to make Christmas crafts, Paula will have an alternative option, or you are welcome to bring your own craft.

Date: Thursday 5th of December

Time: 10 am to 2 pm.

☕Tea/Coffee Provided
🍴🥪🥙Please bring your own lunch

Don’t forget to bring a bag to take home your goodies!

If you are new or know of someone who would like to join us, then please email, paula@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or call 07360690839 for more information.

Following the success of our popular online taster Sanntangle session, we are excited to offer a special Christmas-themed session for family carers registered with us.

Join us from the comfort of your home on Tuesday 17th December, for a festive Sanntangle session with certified instructor Sam. This is a wonderful opportunity to unwind, get creative, and embrace the holiday spirit together.

(𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔, 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓.)

𝐍𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬:

▪️A sheet of white paper

▪️Pencil (preferable a 2B)

▪️Black fine liner or black felt tip pen

▪️Rubber

▪️A paper stub or a cotton bud

To book your place, use the link button below:

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new carers group in West Essex, dedicated to supporting family carers. This initiative aims to provide a welcoming space where you can connect with others who share similar experiences of caring for a loved one with a learning disability which may include autism and other disabilities. It will be a monthly Sanntangle workshop.

Sanntangle uses simple lines, curves and basic shapes, to create stunning pieces with the help of a certified instructor.

This month at our free Colchester Carers Creative group we welcome the very talented Caroline Bruce who will be teaching us the art of bead and knotted bracelet making. With intricate knots and beautiful beads, you will make your own bracelet to take away and will have learned a new skill. If you have not been to Colchester Carers Creative before and would like to come along, please email, paula@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or call 07360690839. 

Our funding for this group’s venue runs out in December, but we hope to continue the group in another venue, which may include a change of time and day, so keep watch if you are interested. 

Essex Carers Network is a valued member of the Public Engagement Network (PEN). We as a network have joined a growing network of community groups that are equally passionate about making their members’ voices heard about their experiences of care.
Choice Support’s Public Engagement Network – PEN

Your feedback will help Choice Support review the ways CQC regulates services with the aim of making improvements to health and social care across England.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is England’s independent health and adult social care regulator. CQC inspects and monitors all health and adult social care services in England, and gives ratings to services ranging from GP surgeries to dentists, hospitals, mental health services, and care homes.

Choice Support is a charity organisation that runs the Experts by Experience contract for CQC. They support CQC’s regulation of health and care services by gathering people’s experiences of care.

The experiences you share at the meeting will be added anonymously to feedback that choice support shares with CQC, this could be highlighting specific services or generally how services work and connect, they want to hear about good practice as well as the challenges. Choice support will feedback to us how the feedback they’ve gathered has been used.

The benefit of Essex Carers Network of being part of the Public Engagement Network means that we are making sure the experiences of Essex families is feeding into and informing insight gathered around health and social care nationally.

𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟎 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬.

If you are unable to attend either date and would like to share your views on Health and Social Care, you can email rita@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk and we can share your feedback anonymously.

You can use the link button to book your place.

Our next Craft & Natter Group is on Tuesday 18th of June from 6.30 pm – 9 pm.

💜Would you like to meet other family carers?

💜Would you like to try some art or craft?

💜Why not join us?

Booking is essential, so please do get in touch if you would like to give this group a try.
Email 📧info@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk

If you are working on a project, you are more than welcome to bring this along.

We are really keen to host meetings in other areas in Essex too, if you would like us to do something in your town or village please get in touch, if you know of any suitable venues that would be really helpful too. Email: info@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or call: 01255 554029 or text: 07360690839

Due to several technical errors, the last piloted seated stretch and well-being session wasn’t able to go ahead. We now have got a new date booked! The next session will be on

Wednesday 19th of June

💻📱The online Zoom session will be delivered by Sheryl from SWEAT HARLOW and Angela from Butterfly Effect WELLbeing CIC.

🪑🧘The first 30 minutes will be seated stretches followed by 30 minutes of breath work, meditation, and drumming.

(No equipment needed, just a comfortable seat of your choice).

🕥Prompt start at 9.30 am and finish at 10.30 am

🕦From 10.30 am to 11 am we will stay online for anyone who wants to stay for a chat with us.

💷The sessions are FREE to family carers.

Use the link button below to sign up. If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact: rita@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or telephone 07360 689075.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞
📅 Wednesday 1st May
⏱1pm-3pm
📍 at Kingsland Church, 86, London Road, Colchester, CO3 9DW.

To book your place:
📩 email: info@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or
☎️ telephone: 01255 554029 or
📲 text: 07360 690839

Meeting on the first Thursday of the month at the One Colchester Community Hub, we enjoy a tea or coffee and biscuits, then using a suggested theme we create something with the art/craft materials supplied. The group is free to join if you are a member of ECN.

📅 Thursday 2nd of May
🕙10 am to 2 pm 🕑
🫖☕️ Refreshments provided
🍴🥪 Please bring your lunch

This month’s theme is ‘Mindful Crafting’ and will include an introduction to mindful doodling and airdry clay modelling.

If you would like to attend this group, booking is essentiall. email Paula@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk .

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐝 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐱.👩🏽👨🏽👱🏽👱🏽‍♀️👴🏽

👥🗣️🖥️𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞
📅 Monday 13th May
⏱10am – 12noon
📍at Central Baptist Church, Victoria Road South, Chelmsford, CM1 1LN.

To book your place:
📩 email: info@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or
☎️ telephone: 01255 554029 or
📲 text: 07360 690839 or

This is the last meeting for Day Opportunities for Families and Carers. In the coming few months there will be follow up meetings for our families, so we can feed back to our families.

Our next Craft & Natter Group is on Tuesday 14th of May from 6.30 pm – 9 pm.

💜Would you like to meet other family carers?

💜Would you like to try some art or craft?

💜Why not join us?

Booking is essential, so please do get in touch if you would like to give this group a try.
Email 📧info@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk

If you are working on a project, you are more than welcome to bring this along.

We are really keen to host meetings in other areas in Essex too, if you would like us to do something in your town or village please get in touch, if you know of any suitable venues that would be really helpful too. Email: info@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or call: 01255 554029 or text: 07360690839

This event will benefit:

• Families who are starting to consider where their loved one will live in the future.
• Families who are supporting their family member to make those decisions themselves.
• Families who are exploring the options now.
• Families who think their family member might not be in the right place now, who want to know what else is available.
• Workers who support families and would like to grow their knowledge of what the housing options are in Essex.

What will the day look like:

In the morning (9.45am-12noon) you will enjoy a whistle stop tour of the various options interspersed with snippets from families talking about what has worked for them.

In the afternoon (1pm -3.50pm) you will be able to choose 2 from the following four options:

• Lets start from the very beginning – Christine, from Together Matters, will give you ideas to think ahead for the time when your relative may move home. Doing some general planning and information gathering will help them, and all of you as a family, to feel more prepared when thinking about places to live.She will also suggest ways to begin conversations with your relative to find out what would be important to them when choosing a place to live.You will hear about what’s in the planning guides she has developed called ‘Thinking Ahead: a planning guide for families’, ‘I’m Thinking Ahead’ and ‘Shaping My Future’. They have all given information, structure and tools to families when thinking about housing and can be downloaded at https://www.togethermatters.org.uk/resources-and-information.
• Lets talk legal –This workshop aims to be a family carer guide to Power of Attorney, Deputyship and Appointeeship, the differences of each and when you might need them in covering future planning for the person you care for, considering supported living and direct payments in particular. We will also talk a little bit about family carer estate planning and Wills and Trusts – what you need to consider. Finally we will touch on The Mental Capacity Act and health and welfare issues and how you should be involved and what authority you have into adulthood.
• Let’s get on the housing register –Peabody Essex Outreach service will be talking about how to apply for housing and give an overview of their service, supporting residents across the county with a housing need. Peabody Essex Outreach Service is a free short term service, funded by Essex County Council. Supporting Essex residents to live independently in a safe and secure home. The service can not give you a house, they aim to help you navigate the pathways into finding a home. This may be via a social housing landlord or council. A private rented property or supported accommodation. Once you have a home, we know it can be difficult to budget, pay bills and sustain a tenancy. The Essex Outreach service can help you apply for grants to furnish your home. Offer budgeting support to make sure all your bills are paid and help to claim benefit entitlements. They also support residents to find volunteering opportunities, explore training and employment. The workshop will talk about these services.
• Lets talk eligibility An overview of Adult Social Care with opportunities to ask questions:-What is Adult Social Care and what do we do?-What to expect from a Care Act Assessment?-How can you prepare for the Assessment?

After the workshops you will hear about the accommodation hub at Essex County Council and its role. We will be rounding up the day with a Q&A panel where some of the experts attending will be answering the questions that have been raised during the event and in live time.

We really hope you will sign up to this FREE online event. Please feel free to share with others who you feel may be interested in attending.

As a family carer, we all agree that putting time aside for ourselves is last on our to-do list.
Self-care for carers is really important, so we do not burn out.

🪑We are piloting a 3-month trial online well-being class for our family carers who care for a loved one with a Learning Disability (which could include Autism and other Disabilities). These sessions are now available to all unpaid family carers.

💻📱The online Zoom session will be delivered by Sheryl from SWEAT HARLOW and Angela from Butterfly Effect WELLbeing CIC.

🪑🧘The first 30 minutes will be seated stretches followed by 30 minutes of breath work, meditation, and drumming.

(No equipment needed, just a comfortable seat of your choice).

🕥Prompt start at 9.30 am and finish at 10.30 am

🕦From 10.30 am to 11 am we will stay online for anyone who wants to stay for a chat with us.

💷The sessions are FREE to family carers.

Our last pilot session is on Wednesday 22nd of May. We will be recording this session, in case family carers are unable to attend on the day and if they would like to do the session again. The recording will only be sent to family carers that have booked the session.

Use the link button below to sign up. If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact: rita@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk or telephone 07360 689075.

Meeting on the first Thursday of the month at the One Colchester Community Hub, we enjoy a tea or coffee and biscuits, then using a suggested theme we create something with the art/craft materials supplied. The group is free to join if you are a member of ECN.

📅 Thursday 6th of June
🕙10 am to 2 pm 🕑
🫖☕️ Refreshments provided
🍴🥪 Please bring your lunch

This month’s theme is ‘𝐉𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞’
During Joyful June we want to think about adorning our homes and gardens with textiles, art, and ornaments to enrich our environment when we aren’t able to get out and about into nature.

If you would like to attend this group, booking is essentiall. email Paula@essexcarersnetwork.co.uk .