Community Help and Support

Support within communities can provide a wide range of services available to people in need of assistance, regardless of the reason that help may be required. Some of these services may be useful to people living with Cancer.

The information in this page of the website is organised into three groups:

• UK Wide Support and Advice

• Essex Wide Support and Advice

• Local Support and Advice

Age UK | The Silver Line | Turn 2 Us

Age UK's advice line is a free, confidential national phone service for older people (60+), their families, friends, carers and professionals. They will give you information that is reliable and up to date and help you to access the advice you need. They also offer a countrywide befriending service, which offers companionship through a weekly home visit or phone call. 

Telephone: 0800 055 6112
Website:  www.ageuk.org.uk

Is the only confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK that’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. The specially trained helpline team can:

• offer conversation and friendship
• provide information and advice
• link callers to local groups and services
• refer people on to receive regular friendship calls
• protect and support older people who are suffering abuse and neglect

Telephone: 0800 470 8090 (Available 24 hours a day)
Email: info@thesilverline.org.uk
Website: www.thesilverline.org.uk

Turn2us is a national charity providing practical help, advice and grants to people who are struggling financially.

Charity contact details: www.turn2us.org.uk/About-Us/Contact-us

Age Well East | Citizens Advice Bureau | Community Agents Essex | Community 360 | District Councils | Essex Connects | Essex County Council | Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service | Essex Red Cross | Healthwatch Information Service | Livewell | United in Kind

Independent charity offering advice, support and information to those over 60. Emotional support, befriending, dementia support, welfare benefits and advice support and care support etc.

Website: agewelleast.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 37 33 333

Citizens Advice offer independent, confidential and impartial advice and support across a wide range of issues: legal, debt, housing, benefits, employment, family and consumer. The aim is to give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward.

Braintree, Halstead and Witham

Collingwood Road (by Public Hall), Witham, Essex, CM8 2DY

Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/braintree-halstead-witham
Telephone: 0344 4994719 - General advice line

Chelmsford

Burgess Well House, Coval Lane, Chelmsford CM1 1FW.

Website: chelmsfordcab.org
Telephone: 0800 144 88 48

Online contact request form: chelmsfordcab.org/contact/

Clacton on Sea

18 Carnarvon Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 6QF

Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/tendring/
Email: supervisor@cabtendring.org.uk
Telephone: 01255 377080

You can also still get help by calling the Citizens Advice national phone lines. There might be long wait times, but they will help you as soon as they can.

Citizens Advice line 03444 111 444 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Help to Claim 0800 144 8 444 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Colchester

Blackburn House, 32 Crouch Street, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3HH

Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/colchester
Telephone: 0800 144 8848
Email advice: advice@colchestercab.org.uk

Telephone debt advice helpline: 07984 405190 (available Mon - Weds 9-5pm)
Telephone advice: 0800 144 8848 (Mon - Fri 10-4pm)
Telephone for help to claim Universal Credit: 0800 144 8444
General webchat and email advice: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/contact-us

Colchester outreach location

Greenstead Local Housing Office. Hawthorn Avenue, Greenstead, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3QE.

Harwich

Harwich Job Centre. 164/168 High Street, Dovercourt, Essex, CO12 3AT.

Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/tendring
Email: supervisor@cabtendring.org.uk
Telephone: 01255 377080

Maldon

Council Offices Princes Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 5DL

Website: Maldon & District Citizens Advice (maldoncitizensadvice.org.uk)
Email: Contact Form - Maldon & District Citizens Advice
Telephone: 01621 875774

Maldon Citizens Advice Bureau outreach locations:

• Burnham on Crouch
• Southminster

Tendring Mental Health Hub – Citizens Advice Bureau

148 - 150 Old Road, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 3BA.

Email: mhh@cabtendring.org.uk
Telephone: 01255 377080

Tendring Citizen Advice Bureau outreach locations:

• Brightlingsea
• Frinton
• Holland on Sea
• Manningtree CAB
• Walton on the Naze (Tendring)

Community Agents Essex is a countywide network of agents and volunteers who support older people and informal carers to find and develop independent living solutions from within their local community. Community Agents can visit you at home (though not during Covid).

Telephone: Call FREE on 0800 9775858
Email: enquiries@caessex.org.uk
Website: www.communityagentsessex.org.uk/

Is an independent charity who lead on local community action to improve quality of life. They have a proven track record of providing transport services in both Colchester and Maldon for the local communities who have limited mobility (be it through permanent or temporary disablement, illness, accident or age) or who would otherwise be socially excluded or geographically isolated (see ‘Transport’ section of this website for further details).

They also co-ordinate a Shopmobility scheme designed to help people with limited mobility to access the shops and facilities in Colchester town centre. They have a range of manual wheelchairs and electric scooters to hire for part or all of the day. They also have a number of folding scooters and wheelchairs which can be hired over a longer period of time for use anywhere. They can be taken on holiday or to visit relatives etc.

Their ‘Wellbeing’ service includes a befriending service for those returning home from a long stay in hospital (those over the age of 50). Volunteers will visit the patient whilst they are still in hospital and then help support them when they are back home for a period of 6 weeks. They are not involved in personal or medical care. They can help with getting prescriptions and shopping, visit patient in their home, accompany them to follow up hospital appointments and help signpost them to other support services. There is also a community-based scheme led by Community360 across Colchester. It serves to address the social issues that can affect people’s well-being. ‘My Social Prescription’ does this by connecting people to voluntary and community services, volunteering as well as providing support with health conditions and encouraging self-care.

Email: information@community360.org.uk
Telephone: 01206 505250 Braintree 01376 550507 Mon - Fri 9-5pm
Website: www.community360.org.uk

District councils play a key role in helping to keep people healthy. They provide local services, including economic development, planning, housing, leisure, wellbeing and environmental services, such as recycling and refuse collection, for local communities.

Braintree District Council

Telephone: 01376 552525
Email: csc@braintree.gov.uk
Main website: www.braintree.gov.uk

Chelmsford City Council

Telephone: 01245 606606
Email: community@chelmsfordcvs.org.uk.
Main website: www.chelmsford.gov.uk

Colchester District Council

Telephone: 01206 282222.
Email: customerservices@colchester.gov.uk
Website: www.colchester.gov.uk

Council Departments contact details: www.colchester.gov.uk/contact

Maldon District Council

Telephone: 01621 854477 (24 hour answerphone)
Email: contact@maldon.gov.uk
Main Website: www.maldon.gov.uk

Tendring District Council

Telephone: 01255 686868
Main Website: www.tendringdc.gov.uk

Are you looking to join a local club or group? Do you need to contact a self-help group for support with a health condition? Are you trying to find a local charity? EssexConnects is the place to find local activities and to help you to get in touch with hundreds of local charities, voluntary groups, and community sector services, based in Braintree, Chelmsford, Colchester, Tendring, Maldon, Uttlesford, Epping, Harlow, Basildon, Billericay and Wickford.

Website:  www.essexconnects.org.uk

If you are finding it difficult to look after yourself and manage everyday tasks, you can contact us to discuss your care and support needs. The discussion will identify:

• if you need care and support
• the level of care and support you need
• how these could be met
• your family and social support networks
• disabilities and health conditions

Get help with disabilities, mental health, dementia, autism, accessible transport, advocacy and end of life care.

• Paying for care and support

Includes eligibility for financial support, financial assessments, paying your care bill, personal budgets and direct payments.

• Blue Badge

How to apply for, renew or pay for a Blue Badge. Includes eligibility, supporting documents and tracking progress.

• Help to live at home

Includes help with meals and shopping, help at home, home adaptations, equipment to stay independent, technology for independent living and reablement.

• Corporate deputyship and appointeeship

Find out more about our deputyship and appointeeship service.

• Going into and leaving hospital

What to do if you have to go into hospital, what happens when you arrive and getting support when you leave

• Housing options and care homes

Includes Shared Lives scheme, sheltered living, supported housing, independent living scheme, care homes, continuing healthcare and homelessness advice.

• Health and wellbeing services

Includes community health services, stop smoking, weight management, diabetes prevention and drug and alcohol misuse services.

• Adult social care contacts

Contact adult social care to discuss care and support.

We also have help and advice about how to get:

• help with meals and shopping
• adaptations for your home
• equipment to stay independent
• technology for independent living
• walking and mobility aids

Telephone: 0345 603 7630 Textphone: 0345 758 5592
Mon-Thurs 8:45-5pm Fri 8:45-4:30pm
Out of hours queries contact the Emergency Duty Service. Tel: 0345 606 1212

Website: www.essex.gov.uk/get-social-care-help
Website: www.essex.gov.uk/topic/adult-social-care-and-health

You can also email the Adult Social Care team and someone will get back to you. Email: socialcaredirect@essex.gov.uk

The Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service brings together a range of children’s community services. It’s provided by Virgin Care in partnership with Barnardo’s on behalf of Essex County Council and the NHS. It ensures that families have free and easy access to local health services in the community; whether in a local clinic, children’s centre or in a family home.

They deliver broad areas of support:

1. Health Visiting

2. Parenting Support

3. School Nursing

4. Family Health

5. Support for ages 5-19: e.g. health issues

6. Support for young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25.

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The focus across their services is on making sure that everyone in Essex has the best possible start in life through community services that are accessible, high quality and meet the identified needs of children, young people and families.

Mid Essex: 0300 247 0014 (Chelmsford/Braintree)

North Essex: 0300 247 0015 (Colchester/Tendring)
Website: www.essexfamilywellbeing.co.uk

If you are returning home from hospital, Red Cross can provide a range of help and assistance for up to 12 weeks depending on the level of support required. You can also hire wheelchairs and commodes and get help and advice about loneliness and money problems. Please see the Red Cross website for further details.

Telephone: 01622 690 011
Email: ilcr_southeastadmin@redcross.org.uk
Website: www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/get-support-at-home

Healthwatch runs an independent and confidential information service to help you understand and navigate health and social care in Essex.

Website: www.healthwatchessex.org.uk/
Email: info@healthwatchessex.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 500 1895 (lines open Mon-Fri 9-4:30pm
Text Message us on 07712395398, Mon-Fri 9-4.30pm, at the cost of your standard message rate. We're also on WhatsApp.

The Livewell campaign is designed to engage communities, families and individuals with the aim of providing information about all that is on offer in Essex to improve health and wellbeing (physical and mental, for all age groups).

Email: livewell@braintree.gov.uk
Website: www.livewellcampaign.co.uk

An online community of ‘kindness’, involving hundreds of community, charity and voluntary groups around Essex. They are helping people connect with friends, neighbours and strangers. They are working together to help everyone overcome feelings of isolation and inspiring people to be kind and support each other.

Website: www.unitedinkind.org
Email: provide.unitedinkind@nhs.net

(Parish/Town Council level)

Parish councils are the lowest rung of Government. Their activities fall into three main categories: representing the local community, delivering services to meet local needs, and improving quality of life and community well being. Your local Parish Council may be able to signpost you to different sources of support and advice, that are really local to you.

For a full list of Parish Councils in Colchester District, please click here.

For a full list of Parish Councils in Tendring District lease click here.