Day Opportunities & Being Active – Mid Essex

Level Best Enterprises in Colchester is a social enterprise project started by The Dacon Trust, which is passionate about providing high-quality work and life skills training for adults and young people with learning disabilities through personalised and community-based activities.

Connect without Limits are a newly established Community Interest Company in the North of Essex. They are a group of Autistic young people dedicated to helping other young people with Autism and Autistic traits by running a mixture of Peer Support, Workshops and Social Groups.

Colchester Gateway Clubs offer groups, activities, clubs and events for adults with additional needs across North Essex. Look on their website or Facebook page for more information.

Essex County Council’s NEW Local Offer website has information for our families caring for someone under 25 years.

‘The Local Offer gives information about support available in Essex for children and young people aged between 0 to 25, with Special Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

You can use the Local Offer to:

• understand what to do if you’re new to SEND
• browse for local support such as support groups, fun activities or specialist healthcare
• find out what to do in a complex situation, for example if you need to appeal a decision
• get advice for young adults with SEND, such as housing and employment support

The Buddy Up project is a volunteer initiative facilitated by Epping Forest District Council which runs across West Essex in Epping, Harlow and Uttlesford. The Buddy Up project supports adults 18+ with autism, learning disabilities or both into community based activities by connecting them with buddies in the local community.

 Buddies are people who, with training and support, voluntarily bring their ability to support an individual with autism, learning disabilities or both into community activities and social situations. Buddies help others to enjoy their lives by raising awareness of healthy lifestyles, key wellbeing messages, removing barriers and creating supportive networks in the community. You are expected to give as much or as little time as you consider appropriate. Buddies will have all expenses reimbursed by the project.

Referrals can be made through:

• Epping Forest Frontline
• Harlow Frontline
• Uttlesford Frontline

Or contact Olivia at

• Email otimotheou@eppingforestdc.gov.uk
• Call 01992 564083 or 07729 109006

Cafe Cornell Community café in Saffron Walden and is part of the Enterprise East Group CIC and operated as a work-based training academy.

Enterprise East CIC was set up by its founder with the overriding ambition of offering individuals facing challenges and barriers to work, the opportunity to build confidence and self-belief through some exceptional learning experiences within their community.

Sport for Confidence was started on 2016 by Lynsey Barrett, who felt there should be an Occupational Therapist in every leisure centre across the country. In a Sport England survey is was found that double the amount of disabled people were inactive compared to their non-disabled peers.

Sport for Confidence work to break down the barriers to activity by providing coaches and occupational therapists in leisure centres guiding people with disabilities or long term health conditions to become and keep active.

View their website for the numerous locations across Essex that now has a Sport For Confidence venue.

City of Chelmsford Mencap have many services for people with a learning disability and their carers.

These include the Junior Gateway Club , Outreach Academy 19+ and their Gateway club for adults.

View their website for details