This newspaper has been pleased to highlight the wonderful work of charities working in West Essex that have received vital support from the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF), over the past 12 months.

Epping Forest & Harlow Community Transport, Grant a Smile and Restore Community and are just three of the organisations that have received grants from ECF and have been featured in the Guardian as part of the foundation’s drive to raise awareness of the wide range of voluntary and community work in West Essex and to encourage local people to give their support.

This Is Local London:

Restore Community received a grant of £4,000

Andy Payne Worpole, head of programmes at ECF, said: “It has been a challenging year for our local charities as they have struggled to balance the need to adapt many of their services to online, with an increase in demand to support people who, for many reasons, have struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Many people relied on local charities for food, friendship, emotional and practical support and this shows us how important small charities are in our communities and why we must do all we can to help them.

“Thanks to the generosity of local people we have been able to award grants totalling £325,000 to local charities and voluntary groups working in West Essex, helping them to continue and expand their work to help more people.”

If you would like to give your support through ECF, visit essexcommunityfoundation.enthuse.com/cf/acorn-fund.

ECF are currently matching all donations received by 50 per cent through its Acorn Fund. This means that for every £2 received, ECF will add £1, and if Gift Aid can be claimed, it nearly doubles the value of donations.

This Is Local London:

Epping Forest & Harlow Community Transport

Examples of charities featured this year included:

  • Epping Forest & Harlow Community Transport were awarded £13,175 to support elderly and disabled local people during the Covid-19 pandemic and equip their mini-buses with Perspex screens.
  • Grant a Smile were awarded £11,540 to give free practical support to eligible families whose home life is affected by serious illness.
  • Open Door Friendship received £5,500 to run peer support groups for adults following their discharge from an acute mental health ward.
  • Red Balloon Foundation received £4,713 to provide work experience opportunities for young people and help build their aspirations for the future.
  • Restore Community received £4,000 for a volunteer-led community garden project in Loughton.
  • Upwards with Downs were awarded £21,000 to provide one-on-one speech therapy sessions to children with Down syndrome.

Charities and voluntary groups working in Essex can apply for grants from ECF at any time either for specific projects or for their running costs. Visit www.essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk for further information.