Southend-on-Sea City Council is asking residents to share their thoughts on the leisure centres across the city as the council prepares to enter into a new contract with a leisure provider in 2025.
The council is after feedback on Belfairs Swim Centre, Chase Sports and Fitness Centre, Shoeburyness Lei
Southend-on-Sea City Council is asking residents to share their thoughts on the leisure centres across the city as the council prepares to enter into a new contract with a leisure provider in 2025.
The council is after feedback on Belfairs Swim Centre, Chase Sports and Fitness Centre, Shoeburyness Leisure Centre, and Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre.
This initiative supports the council's commitment to promoting community health and wellbeing. By listening to residents' opinions, the council hopes to understand what people need and prefer, which will help improve leisure centre services in the future and feed into the procurement process for a new leisure contract. Further discussions and a paper discussing the contract options will go to cabinet in late June this year.
Councillor David Garston, deputy cabinet member for arts, culture, heritage and leisure, said: “Your feedback is vital for us to make decisions that will shape the future of our leisure centres. Whether you visit often or just every now and then, you can help us ensure that our facilities meet everyone's needs and expectations as we work towards securing a new contract with a leisure operator in 2025 when the current contract expires.”
Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts on what matters most to them when using leisure centres, suggest features for improvement, and highlight areas needing attention.
The consultation period ends at 5pm on 12 June 2024. To participate and contribute your views, visit Your Say Southend.
Southend-on-Sea City Council is delighted to announce the opening of an exciting new exhibition at Southend Central Museum.
Titled ‘Romans: Settling in Southend,’ this immersive showcase will shed light on the lives of individuals living in Roman Britain, offering a unique perspective into the rich history of our region.
The exhibition, curated by Southend Museums, features a stunning collection of Roman artefacts from across South Essex, many of which are being displayed publicly for the first time. While other notable Roman sites in Essex, such as Colchester and Chelmsford, have received significant attention, 'Settling in Southend' aims to spotlight the lesser-known Roman history of our city.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore artefacts unearthed from Roman settlements spanning from Prittlewell to Wickford, Shoebury to Rayleigh, unveiling the enduring imprint left by the Romans on our region. Unlike traditional narratives focusing solely on battles and revolts, this exhibition delves into the personal and familiar aspects of Roman life, offering glimpses into everyday community and domestic experiences.
One of the exhibition's highlights is the Wickford Well, an exceptionally rare 2000-year-old well discovered in the 1960s. Remarkably preserved with original wooden timbers and a wooden bucket, the well provides a tangible link to the daily lives of Roman inhabitants, offering a captivating glimpse into their world.
The exhibition promises to be an engaging experience for visitors of all ages, featuring interactive activities for children and captivating insights into the lives of our ancient neighbours. Whether studying the Romans in school or simply curious about our local history, 'Romans: Settling in Southend' offers a fascinating journey through time.
Councillor Derek Jarvis, cabinet member for arts, culture, heritage, and leisure, said: “We are so excited to display some incredibly unique finds from our vast collection of Roman material in this important exhibition. We hope to shine a light on the extremely interesting and rich personal, familial, and community life of Roman South Essex."
Romans: Settling in Southend' runs from 23 March 2024 to 23 March 2025. Tickets will be available at the Southend Central Museum front desk and are priced at £4.50 for adults.
Grassroots Westcliff, set up just over a year ago with a vision to create real community spirit and make Westcliff an even better place to live, are looking for more local people to volunteer and join them.
From just 12 people they now have over 240 members and have already delivered several successful community projects to improve their local area from building pocket parks to organising litter picks and improving areas such as Victory Path. Grassroots Westcliff already boasts 1 in every 100 residents as part of their membership, but their ambition is for 1 in every 20 Westcliff residents to join them and create an even greater community spirit.
Anyone can volunteer and you can get involved as little or as much as you like in the weekend outdoor activities the group set up to improve the many green spaces in Westcliff.
Ian Brown has recently moved to the Westcliff area and was keen to meet new people and do his bit to help improve where he lives. As parks services manager for Southend-on-Sea City Council, he takes huge pride in the award-winning green spaces he is responsible for and in his spare time has been involved in many community-based initiatives over the years. Ian said: “I’ve been involved with Grassroots Westcliff for six months and I’ve been so impressed by the community spirit amongst the group who like me are passionate about making the most of our outdoor spaces.
“Recently I volunteered over two weekends on a Saturday to help re-plant the ‘pocket park’ outside the Trading Room pub. The council donated the plants from the parks nursery and along with a dozen or so Grassroots Westcliff members we completely transformed a drab and unused outdoor space into a beautiful pocket park with shrubs and perennial plants that will flower all year round. It makes such a difference to the area and is now a pleasure to walk past. I really do encourage other local Westcliff residents to get involved as it’s so rewarding.”
Councillor Meg Davidson, cabinet member for environment at Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: “It’s great to hear that our residents are coming together to help further improve the outdoor spaces where they live. It really does highlight the fabulous community spirit in Westcliff. I wish them every success with all their future projects.”
For more information about Grassroots Westcliff and to become a member and volunteer please visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/people/Grassroots-Westcliff/100091805679801/
Southend-on-Sea City Council is pleased to announce the start of construction on its latest affordable housing initiative, marking a significant milestone in the council's ongoing efforts to address the pressing need for affordable housing across the city.
The development will feature a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, along with a specially designed wheelchair-accessible bungalow. The first phase of the project, comprising 13 homes, will be spread across three sites around Eagle Way and Anson Chase in Shoeburyness, with completion expected in Winter 2024. The second phase plans to deliver a further 16 flats around Eagle Way.
This ambitious project aims to provide affordable housing solutions to individuals and families struggling to secure suitable accommodation. All homes will be let at affordable rents to households on the council’s housing register in accordance with the council’s allocations policy.
Designed to meet the diverse needs of the community while promoting inclusivity and sustainability, the homes will adhere to Future Homes Standards by producing fewer carbon emissions. They will feature highly insulated building fabric, low-carbon air source heat pump heating systems, and solar panels for generating power.
In addition to providing affordable housing options, the project will generate employment opportunities and stimulate economic growth by engaging local contractors, suppliers, and labourers.
This project is part of a wider program aimed at increasing the council's affordable housing stock through new build developments and market acquisitions. The council has acquired 25 market properties and converted them to affordable rented housing this financial year, bringing the total acquired properties to over 100 since 2019.
Councillor David Garston, cabinet member for housing and planning, said: "We’re thrilled about this significant project that will positively impact many people in our city. Affordable housing is essential for creating a fair and prosperous society, and we're proud to contribute to addressing this urgent need.
"Ensuring a consistent supply of affordable housing isn't just about solving immediate problems; it's about building a sustainable and welcoming community for years to come. Our efforts to acquire and build homes demonstrate our commitment to meeting the housing needs of everyone in our city and ensuring everyone has a place to call home."
Marfleet & Blythe has been appointed as the main contractor for the project, bringing their extensive experience in delivering high-quality affordable housing to the table.
London Southend Airport Community Noise Forum (LSACNF) exists to create and maintain an impartial pathway for local communities to engage with the airport, and to increase trust, transparency and clarity on noise issues associated with London Southend Airport.
The LSACNF meets on a regular basis, up to four times a year, and has been formed to listen and engage with local residents, seeking understanding and, where possible, improvements and/or resolution on aircraft noise matters.
You can learn more about the Forum on this link, including a full Terms of Reference.
The Forum is Independently Chaired by Michael Thwaites, who is keen to have conversations with anyone across the City of Southend who would either like to learn more about the Forum, or feed in their insights and experiences.
Please contact Michael directly by emailing michaelthwaites.lsanoiseforum@gmail.com.
Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has today announced the winners of the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2024, and our beaches have yet again been named as some of the best in the UK.
The council applied for and has been awarded four Blue Flag Awards, the most awarded in the East of England. The four beaches are East Beach, Shoebury Common, Three Shells and Westcliff Bay. This means these four beaches all have excellent bathing water quality according to the strict international standards.
Seaside Awards have also been given to all our eight beaches: Chalkwell, Jubilee, Thorpe Bay, Three Shells, Shoebury Common, East Beach, Bell Wharf and Westcliff Bay. Thorpe Bay was previously awarded a Blue Flag in 2023, but the water quality is now graded as good rather than excellent following one testing sample out of the twenty taken across the 2023 bathing season showing higher bacterial levels.
Cllr Meg Davidson, cabinet member for environment, said: “I am pleased that our beaches have won these prestigious awards because it means residents and visitors to a beach flying a Blue Flag or Seaside Award can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet strict environmental standards. This announcement also confirms that all eight of our beaches have excellent or good levels of bathing water quality according to the strict international standards set.
“Despite these awards, we remain vigilant and continue to work with, and support the work that Anglian Water are doing on their bathing water quality investigations.
THE WAVERLYThe Waverly, the world’s last remaining seagoing paddle steamer popular with Southend visitors is launching a special voyage to commemorate Southend’s “Pier of the Year 2023 ” accolade. Waverley Excursions has unveiled an extraordinary cruise scheduled for the upcoming month.The steamer will give passengers views of the his
THE WAVERLYThe Waverly, the world’s last remaining seagoing paddle steamer popular with Southend visitors is launching a special voyage to commemorate Southend’s “Pier of the Year 2023 ” accolade. Waverley Excursions has unveiled an extraordinary cruise scheduled for the upcoming month.The steamer will give passengers views of the historic Thames Forts, guarding the shores through generations. treated to the scenic Shivering Sands and Red Sands forts, and and opportunity for passengers to witness the grandeur of the Knock John Fort. setting sail from the end of Southend Pier at 11.30am on Friday, September 22.Passengers are in for a treat as they see the scenic Shivering Sands and Red Sands forts, and a to witness the grandeur of the Knock John Fort.Tickets for the Pier of the Year cruise are now available.Book online at waverleyexcursions.co.uk/book/?lnk=3R9U74 or call 0141 243 2224.
. The local NHS has launched a campaign to highlight the importance of pneumococcal vaccination and to improve take-up of the free NHS vaccination offer to over 65s and other vulnerable people
Data for the East of England shows less than 5% of those eligible for free pneumococcal vaccination are taking up the offer. The vaccine offers protection against several very serious, possibly fatal infections including meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia. It can also protect you against other illnesses including sinusitis and earache.The free NHS vaccine is offered to people who may be more vulnerable to serious illness including:
The public survey revealed that while 60% of local respondents knew the pneumococcal vaccine could protect against pneumonia, awareness of its broader benefits was significantly lower. 6% were aware of its protection against meningitis, 5% against sepsis and only 3% knew it could prevent other illnesses like sinusitis and ear infections.Dr Anna Davey, a local GP and Board Member of NHS Mid and South Essex, said: “The pneumococcal vaccine offers protection from some potentially very serious infections that often need hospital treatment and can be fatal.We hope this campaign will hopefully encourage people to find out more about the vaccination and book it at their GP practice. In most cases, people only need one single jab to offer lasting protection from some quite nasty illnesses.”To find out more about the pneumococcal vaccine, who is eligible for free NHS vaccinations and where you can get it, please visit: Pneumococcal vaccination
.............................................................................. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY -Ma y 18
1756 -The Seven Years' War began when Britain declared war on France.
1803 -Bored with nobody to fight for almost a year, Britain abandoned the Treaty of Amiens and declared war on France, again!
1812 - John Bellingham was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval seven days earlier. Perceval is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated.
1944 - Monte Cassino, Italy, was taken by Allied forces during World War II. The ancient Italian monastery had been a symbol of German resistance since the beginning of the year.
1964 - Scores of youths were given prison sentences following violent clashes between gangs of Mods and Rockers at a number of resorts on the south coast of England.
1991 - Chemist Helen Sharman from Sheffield was the first Briton to go into space, as a participant in a Soviet space mission.
Southend-on-Sea City Council is delighted to announce the installation of a new selfie signpost at the western tip of Southend Pier's head.This new attraction showcases distances to various destinations, ranging from the nearby Hadleigh Castle and Red Sands Fort, to London and New York. The signpost also features a nod to Southend Pier’s role during World War II, when it served as a muster point for boats heading to Dunkirk to evacuate troops.The signpost’s strategic location at the pier head offers breath taking views of the Thames Estuary, making it an ideal spot for capturing memories.The selfie signpost is part of a broader initiative to revitalise Southend Pier in 2024, with numerous exciting developments planned to enhance the visitor experience. These enhancements are designed to celebrate the pier’s historical significance while introducing modern attractions that appeal to both local residents and tourists.Councillor Tony Cox, leader of the council, said: “This new feature symbolises our commitment to rejuvenating Southend Pier, ensuring it remains a beacon of pride for our community and an enticing draw for visitors."The signpost is more than just a photo opportunity; it's a representation of Southend's welcoming spirit and our connection to both local and global destinations. We are excited for everyone to experience it.”The council invites locals and visitors alike to explore the pier and its latest addition this Easter. With its blend of historic charm and new attractions, Southend Pier continues to be a must-visit destination that offers something for everyone.For more information about Southend Pier and its upcoming attractions, please visit www.southendpier.co.uk
Council wins bid for £600,000 to improve traffic lights across city
Southend-on-Sea City Council has received over £600,000 from the Government to upgrade traffic light systems and improve traffic flow across the city.
The funding comes after a successful bid to the Green Light Fund was made by the council’s highways team. The money be used for projects over the next two years, including:
Cllr Kevin Buck, cabinet member for highways, transport and parking, says: “The funding we've secured from central government is very welcome, as although we have a lot of modern and responsive traffic light systems in many locations, there are areas that we can improve further and install newer technology that will help traffic flow and performance.
“This funding will also allow us to introduce above ground detection systems rather than the current loops that are cut into the road.
“I look forwards to this project starting this summer and delivering improvements to our network.”
Work will start in June 2024 and is not expected to cause any major disruption. Work will be carried out by the council, Swarco, our traffic signal maintenance and installation contractor and Marlborough, our highways contractor.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedinEmail this link📷Your opinions wanted on water scarcity, flooding and coastal erosionCatchment to Coast would like to invite you to a co-design session to help us create an amazing immersive experience! Catchment to Coast is creating a new and innovative experience that will gather public opinion on water scarcity, flooding, and coastal erosion.It will run in the summer and hundreds of local residents will be invited to take part. We're in the script-writing phase at the moment, and we are inviting you to take part in a co-design session to help us create the best experience possible.
Southend-on-Sea City Council’s fostering team and foster carers are appealing to anyone who has ever considered fostering, and lives in and around our city, to join their friendly and supportive fostering community to help keep vulnerable children and young people close to familiar surroundings.
Their appeal is part of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight campaign, which is organised by the UK’s leading fostering charity The Fostering Network and takes place from Monday 13 to Sunday 26 May.
As part of this year’s campaign council foster carers share their #FosteringMoments to celebrate how they have helped the children they care for feel confident and safe enough to create special and lasting memories. As there is both a local and national shortage of foster carers, the campaign aims to encourage more people to come forward to care for local children.
Debbie wasn’t sure she could foster as a single parent, but she has been a foster carer with the council for over nine years now and has found it extremely fulfilling to help the children she has cared for feel safe enough to enjoy their childhood. Debbie has so many special moments but shared one that still makes her smile today: “One of the children I care for was quiet initially, but seeing his confidence grow so much he felt safe enough to stand in the middle of my lounge and sing his favourite song out loud is a moment I will never forget.”
Tina was initially encouraged to foster by her children and regrets not fostering years ago as she finds it so rewarding. Tina and her children love that their family just keeps getting bigger and reflected on a time of year that she enjoys now more than ever: “I’m so moved the children I’ve cared for over the years come back and join us for special occasions. They are part of our family and to all spend time together is truly magical."
If you have space in your heart and home and think you could foster, please do get in touch with the council’s fostering team.
To find out more visit: www.southendfostering.co.uk. Alternatively, to speak to one of the team call 01702 212938 or email fostering@southend.gov.uk
The family centre services
A seven-week consultation into family centre services has led to a number of proposed changes how the service could run in the future. Several of the comments, concerns and suggestions made will help form part of a detailed new service plan for the future, including:
The proposed new family centre 'model' will retain eight centres including three as core centres (Blenheim, Cambridge Road and Friars) that would be open from 8.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, as opposed to the current 9am to 4pm. The other five centres will have varied opening times based on local needs and with dedicated times best suited for the local community. Cllr Helen Boyd, cabinet member for children and learning, says: “I want to thank everyone that took the time to complete the survey or attend an in-person event. These revisions to the original proposal will significantly improve the local offer of activities across centres and will better support parents, from before childbirth and into parenthood, as well as providing a more meaningful support for early years and childhood development. “We anticipate that the proposed amendments will still enable us to achieve savings of around £350,000. Officers are now completing the details of the future service for each of the eight centres and ensure we can continue to support parents and families and improve health and wellbeing outcomes.”If this is approved by the Council, a staff consultation will be undertaken with a view to starting with the new service in the summer or early autumn of 2024. A draft report published to be considered by people scrutiny committee later this month and cabinet at the start of March details how nearly 400 response were received online, via hard copy and from in-person events. A variety of comments made throughout the consultation highlighted the importance of the service and views on its future, such as: “The centres are a lifeline for so many families, friendships have been made, support received, and you are always made to feel welcome.” “The family centres and their staff have played such a vital role in supporting me as a first time mum.” “I still think there are too many venues. I think four main hubs throughout Southend would be enough.” "Timings of sessions needs to be looked at as many of the offers happen at times where some parents can't attend such as in the morning if their children use that time for their sleep."
Southend's civic fountain on Victoria Avenue has been listed at Grade II by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of Historic England.
An accomplished and high quality work of art, the fountain is designer William Mitchell’s only known public sculpture in Faircret
Southend's civic fountain on Victoria Avenue has been listed at Grade II by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of Historic England.
An accomplished and high quality work of art, the fountain is designer William Mitchell’s only known public sculpture in Faircrete (a fibrous concrete which could be moulded like potters’ clay). It is a rare surviving example of a public fountain by the artist.
Eilíse McGuane, Historic England listing advisor, said: “This exciting sculptural work was an integral part of the post-war renewal of Southend-on-Sea and represents the innovative approach taken to civic design at that time. It is a rare surviving example of a public fountain by William Mitchell, one of the most celebrated sculptors of the late twentieth century. Seen and enjoyed by local people and visitors every day, it celebrates Southend’s unique heritage.”
Councillor David Garston, deputy cabinet member for arts, culture, heritage and leisure at Southend-on-Sea City Council, added: "Preserving our cultural heritage is not just about conserving artefacts; it's about safeguarding the stories and memories they hold. The listing of the Civic Fountain underscores the importance of recognising and celebrating our shared history. It's a testament to the innovative spirit of its time and a cherished part of Southend-on-Sea's identity."
A post-war civic centre for Southend
In 1967, a new civic complex was created in Southend, which included a car park, council suite and 16-storey council office block (known as the Civic Centre), a college, police headquarters, and a courthouse. The complex was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. A civic square was designed to form the central heart of the scheme, with a round pool and fountain.
An innovative sculptural design
The Borough Council was persuaded by its architects to commission William Mitchell to create a sculpture for the fountain and a coat of arms for the nearby council chamber, at a cost of £8,500. The fountain panels were crafted on-site in Faircrete and completed in 1971.
The fountain has three sculptural panels, which stand in a circle in a round pool. The imagery represents the motto of Southend-on-Sea ‘Per Mare Per Ecclesiam’ (Through the Sea Through the Church) and the city’s coat of arms.
Details include a trefoil (the emblem of the Holy Trinity, representing the parish church of Southchurch), an anchor (the emblem of St Clement, the Patron Saint of Leigh) and a grid iron (the emblem of St Lawrence, the Patron Saint of Eastwood) either side of a vase of lilies in a triangular surround (the emblem of the Virgin, representing the parish of St Mary, Prittlewell).
The south-facing panel has a bearded religious figure on its outward face, possibly representing St Clement, and a hooded monk-like figure on its inward face (likely representing the Cluniac Priory of St Mary, Prittlewell).
The west-facing panel has a fisherman in medieval dress on its outward and inward faces (representing Leigh Port), and the fisherman’s net trails along the north side into the water of the round pool.
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Internationally acclaimed classical guitarist and composer, Gary Ryan, returns to Southend on Friday 17 May.
Gary last performed in the city over 5 years ago. The British performer, who currently pursues a busy and highly varied international career as a performer and composer, is also Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music. He regularly gets invited to perform all over the world.
Tickets are now on sale for this must-see performance in Southend, which will be held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend on Sea. The Civic Centre is the perfect venue for the concert with its free parking after 6pm and location to both Southend train stations.
His concert in Southend will include music by Cello Suite No 1 by J S Bach, and works by Albeniz, John Dowland, Villa Lobos and a selection of Gary Ryan’s own compositions and arrangements.
Gary is also in great demand as a chamber musician and regularly performs with John Williams and John Etheridge in the Guitar Trio 6 Hands at UK venues including St George’s Bristol, the Bridgewater Hall, King’s Place and the Snape Maltings.
Councilor David Garston, deputy cabinet member for arts, culture, heritage and leisure, said: “We are delighted that Southend will be welcoming Gary Ryan once more to perform as part of our much-loved council concert series.
“Our concerts ensure residents and visitors have an opportunity to experience world-renowned music without having to travel to the big concert halls, cathedrals and abbeys of London and other major cities.
"I encourage everyone to book early for this performance at the Civic Centre so as not to miss the amazing musical talents of this highly regarded international performer.”
The concert takes place in the Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, starting at 8pm. Tickets cost £10 and can be purchased online at www.southend.gov.uk/concerts or by phone on 01702 215011, Monday to Friday, during normal office hours. Any remaining tickets will be on sale at the concert.
Would you like to help the next generation cultivate a love of reading? Volunteer for this year's Summer Reading Challenge.
Southend Libraries are looking for volunteers of all ages (above 14 years) to help keep children reading over the summer holidays and combat the 'summer dip' in literacy.
This is a great opportunity to meet new people and share your love of reading.
Application forms are available in our library venues, or by email request: LibraryDevelopment@southend.gov.uk
Applications close 15 June 2024. Please apply early to secure the library of your choice.
Councillor Ron Woodley was elected as the City of Southend’s 103rd Mayor at today’s Full Council meeting and takes over from councillor Stephen Habermel who has served as Mayor for the past year.
The annual Mayor Making ceremony took place in the Civic Centre council chamber and was attended by the High Sheriff of Essex, MPs, members of the faith community, council officials, family members and friends. Born in 1947, Ron left school with no qualifications and entered an apprenticeship as a toolmaker.
In his acceptance speech, councillor Woodley expressed his great admiration and pride at being elected to the role of Mayor. He thanked outgoing Mayor councillor Habermel, fellow councillors for endorsing him, and thanked the residents of Thorpe ward where he represents as an independent councillor.
Councillor Woodley said: “I really am delighted to have this opportunity to become Mayor of our great city. I very much look forward to meeting the amazing range of voluntary and community organisations across Southend and helping to promote their hard work and dedication.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Reverend Frank Smith from St Augustine’s Church in Thorpe ward who has agreed to act as Chaplain during my Mayoral year. I am proud to announce that my main charity fundraising efforts for this municipal year will be for HARP, Southend’s homeless charity, and the Jude Harvey Foundation which aims to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening, research and supporting families.”
Outgoing Mayor, councillor Habermel, said: “I wish councillor Woodley and his wife, Maureen, a successful Mayoral year, and I would also like to thank colleagues, friends, residents of Chalkwell ward, as well as everyone who supported me during the past year.
“I am extremely grateful to everyone who has helped raise over £25,000 for my nominated charities, Havens Hospices and The Music Man Project. I look forward to the next year continuing to serve our city and thank everybody involved in making the 2023-24 Mayoralty as memorable as it was.”
Deputy Mayor for this year will be councillor Nigel Folkard and his wife Deputy Mayoress Marianne Folkard.
A life-size statue created in the memory of a long-serving Conservative MP who was murdered almost three years ago has been unveiled.
Sir David Amess served as a Southend West MP when he was fatally stabbed in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in October 2021.
It was unveiled near the Chalkwell Lifeguards' base in Southend.
Sir David Amess had long championed the bid to make Southend a city
The statue's location was important to Sir David because he walked his dogs there and he had a close relationship with the lifeguard station,
Veolia Orchard continues to bloom supporting over 190 schools across the UK and 13 orchards in Southend .
Southend City Council is joining forces with the UK’s leading resource management company Veolia, Tesco and community action charity Groundwork to introduce greener areas in schools by donating free fruit trees and plants to 13 schools across Southend.
The Veolia Orchard campaign will be donating almost 600 fruit trees and 800 strawberry plants to UK schools limited by space or without green areas to give children a stronger start by learning more about the environment. Now in its second year the scheme has expanded to another 192 schools across the country and 13 orchards now in Southend. Orchards will be blooming all across the City with successful schools located in Leigh, Westcliff, Southend and Shoeburyness.
The apple and pear trees and strawberry plants, provided by Grow at Brogdale who specialise in organic plant care, will be delivered to the winning schools in November, when the trees have dropped their leaves and the plants are in hibernation, giving them the best chance of surviving the British winter.
To house the plants, Tesco will be donating planters made from recycled soft plastic – collected in its stores from customers to help recycle plastic not always collected through kerbside collections. Soft plastic used in each planter could include bread bags, carrier bags and pasta packets. Veolia’s own ProGrow will also be providing peat-free compost to fill the planters.
This campaign is being powered by Veolia's Sustainable Schools programme which educates children and young adults on the importance of protecting our planet and the environment. For more information on how Veolia supports schools and to discover other partnership opportunities please visit www.veolia.co.uk/schools.
Pascal Hauret, Managing Director, Municipal at Veolia said:
“Improving air quality around schools, engaging pupils on the power of plants and finding innovative recycling solutions which contribute the greatest benefit to the communities we serve is all part of our purpose to deliver ecological transformation.
“Considering we only launched Veolia Orchard last year, we are delighted at how popular the campaign is with schools and are thrilled to be supporting nearly double the amount we did in 2022.”
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Your opinions wanted on water scarcity, flooding and coastal erosion
Catchment to Coast would like to invite you to a co-design session to help us create an amazing immersive experience! Catchment to Coast is creating a new and innovative experience that will gather public opinion on water scarcity, flooding, and coastal erosion.
It will run in the summer and hundreds of local residents will be invited to take part. We're in the script-writing phase at the moment, and we are inviting you to take part in a co-design session to help us create the best experience possible.
WHAT IS ON IN SOUTHEND
THE Leigh Shanty Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday May 20 & 21 on Bell Wharf in Old Leigh. The event is being organised by the Leigh Lions to benefit The RNLI and The Endeavour Trust.
The Endeavour will be alongside Bell Wharf from 12.30 to 15.
WHAT IS ON IN SOUTHEND
THE Leigh Shanty Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday May 20 & 21 on Bell Wharf in Old Leigh. The event is being organised by the Leigh Lions to benefit The RNLI and The Endeavour Trust.
The Endeavour will be alongside Bell Wharf from 12.30 to 15.30 on the Saturday and from 13.15 to 16.15 on the Sunday.
The Fishermen's ChapelSaturday, 18 May 20243.00 pm to 6.00 pm
Crafting Confidence:
Newspaper Coasters and Empowerment
Join us for a creative journey at our workshop: “Crafting Newspaper Coasters & Cultivating Confidence!”
Unleash your creativity as we transform newspapers into stunning coasters, followed by empowering discussions on defending boundaries and standing tall in the face of challenges.
Craft: Newspaper Coasters
Discussion: Boundary Setting & Self-Assertion
Exploration: Navigating Situations & Power Dynamics
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to craft, connect, and empower yourself! Save the date and reserve your spot now!
Bookings & info: EMBER.WORKSHOPS@GMAIL.COM
The Forum, Southend-on-Sea Friday, 17 May 20242.00 pm to 3.30 pm
In this fascinating talk Nancy will draw from her book ‘Beach Hut People’, taking us on a journey to learn more about the people who inhabit these ‘sheds by the sea’.
Sharing stories collected in beach huts, Nancy will tell us about the friendly and welcoming community who have given her a sense of what it is to be a ‘beach-hutter’.
This event includes a talk and Q+A session.
Tickets are FREE and must be booked in advance at the ticket link.
Strand WharfSaturday 18 - Sunday 19 May 202411.00 am to 7.00 pm
A wealth of Shanties & Folk Music in Old Leigh Town in Essex – Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th May 2024.
Shanty crews aplenty on Strand Wharf. Free but charity collection in aid of RNLI, Endeavour Trust (Leigh) & Leigh Lions (for other local good causes).
Sing around evening Friday 17th at the Crooked Billet and a free shanty session / concert at The Estuary Club on the Saturday evening.
Southend Pier & Railway Sunday, 19 May 2024 10.15 am to 4.00 pm
The Great Pier Walk returns to Southend Pier for its 20th anniversary!
Join the Leigh-on-Sea Rotary Club as they take to the pier for their annual Great Pier Walk.
This event is open to everyone! No pre-registration required. All walkers can sign up on the day.
The Palace TheatreTuesday, 21 May 20247.30 pm to 9.45 pm
Six Chick Flicks (or Legally Blonde Pretty Woman Dirty Danced on the Beaches whilst writing a Notebook on the Titanic) was a 5* sell-out success at last summer’s Edinburgh Festival and also been performed Off-Broadway. It is a laugh out loud parody of this film genre, brilliantly performed. Whether you love or hate chick flicks, you will love this.
Twenty One Friday, 24 May 2024
We’ve got chills, they’re multiplying…our next group sing-along is coming soon!
Join Twenty One for the premiere of Sing-along on Sea…A Night At The Movies
We’re rolling out the red carpet for you to have the time of your life with a night of classic songs from the big screen.
Dress up encouraged…after all…this is ‘The Greatest Show’
Prize for the best dressed
“Tell me more, tell me more…”
Doors 6pm
Showtime 8pm
Cocktails
6-8pm 2 for 1 *
8pm onwards 2 for £15 *
*same cocktails only
Kitchen open until 8pm
Prittlewell Priory Saturday 25 - Monday 27 May 20243.00 pm to 4.30 pm
The ever popular Music in the Park returns to Priory Park bandstand for 2024. The bandstand will come alive with top local bands and musicians! Don’t miss out! This free event runs every weekend and bank holiday Monday from Saturday 4 May – Sunday 29 September.
This weekend’s performers will be;
Saturday –DG Quartet
Sunday – Nomad
Monday – Yardarm Folk Orchestra
The acts will perform between 3pm – 4.30pm
No chairs will be provided so please bring your own or a blanket. There is also limited parking at the park so where possible use public transport, walk or cycle.
**Performances can be cancelled at short notice in the event of bad weather or illness**
Saturday, 25 May 202411.00 am to 3.00 pm
Come and enjoy a free day out, enjoying some tea & cake, a spot of local shopping and fun for the children in the heart of your community.
Start the half term break with a fun day out!
Venue: Belle Vue Baptist Church, 484 Southchurch Road, Southend-on-Sea
The Haven Community HubSunday, 26 May 202410.00 am to 4.00 pm
The event is FREE and we will be open with various stalls for you to browse. Millie’s Cafe will also be open.
Hamlet Court Road Sunday, 26 May 2024 12.00 pm to 4.00 pm
A free family friendly multi cultural street festival celebrating, music, art, community and local craft and businesses at Hamlet Court Road.
In partnership with A Better Start Southend (ABSS) will be providing a children and families area with activities and information.
There are stage performances, a variety of stalls, food and fun.
Spring Fayre
The Haven Community Hub Sunday, 26 May 202410.00 am to 4.00 pm
The event is FREE and we will be open with various stalls for you to browse. Millie’s Cafe will also be open.
The IronWorks SouthendMonday, 27 May 202411.00 am to 1.00 pm
Join the Ironworks Kids Club Team for a bank holiday FUNDAY PARTY!
Arts and Crafts, Games, Singing, Dancing, Icy Snacks, Fun and SO MUCH MORE
Suitable for ages 3 – 12 years
THIS IS AN IRONWORKS FUNDRAISER!
You enjoyed our Easter party?…. you ain’t seen nothing yet!
The Palace Theatre Tuesday, 28 May - Saturday, 1 June 2024
Direct from a smash hit London season comes the outrageous and wickedly camp parody musical Unfortunate, starring Shawna Hamic (Orange is the New Black, 1776 on Broadway) as ‘Ursula’ and River Medway (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) as ‘Ariel’.
Join everyone’s favourite Disney Diva, Ursula, as she gives her take on what really happened all those years ago under the sea. With an original hot pop soundtrack and trademark filthy humour, it’s time to take the plunge and dive into this year’s hottest night out.
Cruella told her side, and Maleficent’s had her moment. Now the legendary queer queen is ready to spill, in this tell-all tale of sex, sorcery and suckers.
AGE GUIDANCE: 16+ Contains strong language, partial nudity, scenes of a sexual nature and flashing lights
Cliffs Pavilion Thursday, 30 May 2024
Elton John by Candlelight comes to Cliffs Pavilion, Southend!
Featuring a cast of West End singers and epic live band, experience the hits of rock legend Elton John, as you have never heard them before!
This incredible show features some of the most iconic songs of all time including I’m Still Standing, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and the Jets and many more performed at the stunning Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, by candlelight.
So, grab your Rocket Man and book now to hear Your Song, because The Bitch is Back and missing this show is a Sacrifice that you won’t want to make!
Important: Elton John will not be present or performing at the show. This is a tribute performance, featuring a cast of West End singers and a full live band, performing the music of Elton John.
Southend Central Museum Friday, 31 May 202411.00 am to 5.00 pm
Join Southend Museum and Planetarium this half term for Roman Day!
Get hands on with history in an arte’fact’s handling session, discover the Roman myths written in the stars in a planetarium show, and explore the new interactive exhibition ‘Romans: Settling in Southend’ with accompanying children’s activity trail.
Twenty One Sunday, 2 June 2024
Head down to Twenty One to experience the momentous competition Southend Portrait Artist!
Food and refreshments will be available while you watch local artists bring their interpretation of the live sitter to life!
Can’t make this heat? Check out the final on 9th June!
The Forum, Southend-on-SeaMonday, 3 June 202412.00 pm to 1.30 pm
Southend Libraries are pleased to present author Syd Moore, sharing details about her latest book “The Grand Illusion”. Syd is an Essex author with connections to the local area and her talks are always fascinating and lively.
Many of us are aware of the Nazi’s obsession with the occult (look no further than Indiana Jones, ‘Call of Duty Black Ops’, Hellboy etc). Less is known, however, about what the Brits did to exploit what they saw as a weakness in the German chain of command.
In The Grand Illusion Syd Moore turns her eye on this rather bizarre chapter of history. Her talk for the Fortean Society will cover the research she undertook to write the novel, including the eclectic recruitment to the war effort, strange goings-on in Surrey and a ritual that allegedly took place in the New Forest in 1940 to repel Operation Sealion, Hitler’s plan to invade the British Isles.
This talk is suitable for adults. There will be an opportunity to buy books at this event.Bach to Broadway
Saturday, 8 June 2024 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm
Everything from Bach to Vera Lynn, from a Granados concerto to a 1940s singalong. Something ( we hope ) for everyone. And all on one night. That’s the D-Day 80th Anniversary concert at St Saviour’s Church Chadwick Road, SS0 8LL.
We welcome Saku Walker, our guest pianist, a full time music teacher, much sought after as an accompanist and for her work with school choirs in Kent and South London. Joining her will be the talented and popular Two Elizabeths, plus St Saviour’s Community Singers.
£10 admission. Start 7.30. Interval refreshments. More info and bookings from royrutter45@btinternet.com/ 07958570972
The IronWorks Southend Saturday, 8 June 2024
Essex UFO and Paranormal with The Ironworks present a Historical Ghost Hunt.
The Ironworks is one of the original buildings in Southend High Street. We have pictures of the venue in the late 1800’s as an Ironmongers (hence the name!) Percy Raven then purchased 2 plots in very early 1900’s before developing them into a grand and luxurious department store.
Come and explore this beautiful community building and discover what is hidden inside.
The Victoria Centre Saturday, 8 June 2024 9.00 am to 4.30 pm
80th Anniversary D-Day Commemoration Event
This event is FREE to one & all. Come along and enjoy this very special event that shows thanks to the yesterdays heroes.
On display there will be Allied WW2 Uniforms- Equipment- Weapons- 25 Pdr Field Gun – Vehicles- Reenactment civilian/ military girls & guys – 1940’s Singer & dancers – Static Dioramas- Cadets & Veteran Associations.
Venue: Victoria Circus event space
For more information and to take part, please email: info@southendcommunityevents.org
Twenty One Saturday 8 - Sunday 9 June 2024
Putting on two days of music to help raise money for Music Venue Trust who help save & support grass root music venues. While bringing the community of Southend together at Twenty One in Southend!
Shoebury East Beach Sunday, 9 June 2024
Get ready to conquer Southend’s premier running event – the Southend Half Marathon. Whether you’re a seasoned runner, just breaking into the world of half marathons or lacing up your shoes in memory of a loved one, this is the running event to add to your Strava stats in 2024.
Our 13.1 mile coastal course is fast, flat and traffic free making it ideal for those looking for a PB. With plenty of support along the route and a fantastic event village at the end, it’s set to be our biggest and best Half Marathon to date.
What makes this half marathon truly special is the impact each mile has on the families Havens Hospices cares for. With every step, you contribute to ‘Making every day count’ for people of all ages who are living with incurable conditions and their families.
The demand for our care is ever-increasing, so we need 2024 to be our biggest and best fundraiser to date. Your entry fee covers the costs of running the event and this year we are asking participants to become a “Havens Hero” and purchase the Havens Hero entry tickets, which includes the cost of providing half an hour of essential care at the hospice, making a real difference for someone in need.
So, lace up and sign up for a cause that truly matters. The Southend Half Marathon – where your run counts, and every step supports local hospice care.
London Southend Airport Sunday, 16 June 202410.00 am to 4.00 pm
Treat Dad to a great time out at Visit the Vulcan on Fathers’ Day. He can get a close-up look at Vulcan XL426 in its hangar and for an additional fee can climb inside for a guided tour of the cockpit.
As well as the Vulcan, there will be much to keep everyone entertained. There will be examples of the weapons carried by the Vulcan during its time with the RAF, including examples of the type of 1,000 lb high explosive bomb the Vulcan dropped on Port Stanley airfield during the 1982 Falklands Conflict.
Vulcan XL426 will be joined by other exhibits, including a display of classic cars, making this a great time out for Dad on his special day and for the rest of the family. Please check back for details.
Refreshments will be on sale throughout the day and our Hangar Shop will be open selling a selection of Vulcan souvenirs, including models, badges, patches, postcards, books and much more.
General admission is £8.00 for adults with under-16s admitted FREE. Tickets will be on sale on the gate and are also available to buy in advance should you wish. There is no need to buy advance tickets for under-16s.
Cockpit visits are an additional £8.00 per person applicable to both adults and under-16s.
Adventure Island Saturday, 22 June 2024
Adventure Island presents Island Fest
It will be a festival like no other that will be showcasing a variety of talent from in, and around, Southend! The day will include performances and displays from a variety of Bands, Singers, Dancers, Actors, Artists, Comedians and Fashion Designers. That’s right – we want to celebrate all the talent Southend has to offer!
Saturday, 22 June 202412.00 pm to 4.00 pm
Join in the Family Fun Day at St Thomas Moore!
Enjoy the children’s rides, explore craft stalls, play games, enjoy entertainment, indulge in delicious food and drink from various stalls and sizzle at the barbeque station!
Get up close and personal with a fire engine and police vehicle.
Enter the ‘Dog with Waggiest Tail’ competition, or the exciting under-12s fancy dress competition!
Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun, laughter and community spirit!
Venue: St Thomas Moore, 49 Kenilworth Gardens, Southend-On-Sea SS0 0BW
Priory Park Saturday, 29 June 2024
Come to the Southend Sausage and Cider Festival for a deliciously good time!
In 2024 there will be more ciders available than ever before!
Over 30 different ciders across the site, from small independent vendors to nationally recognised brands, plus an array of flavours to choose from!
There is a great range of independent vendors around the site with over 20 different types and flavours of sausage available, but if sausage isn’t quite your thing they will have a number of vendors offering other tasty food selections.
Most vendors will have gluten free or vegan options available but this is of course subject to availability.
The UK’s best tribute acts will be performing across the day at Sausage and Cider Festival.
Southend High Street Monday 1 - Sunday 28 July 2024
Southend-on-Sea is extremely proud to be welcoming in July and hosting for the first time, a touring national monument against violence and aggression.
The Knife Angel is an incredible 27ft, 3.5 tonne sculpture that uses its sheer size, scale, and distinctive materials to send a message of hope and change.
Created as an illustrative symbol against violence – particularly serious violence, including knife and weapon crime against children and young people or committed by them, The Knife Angel is made from 100,000 confiscated or surrendered weapons, including blunted flick knives, and kitchen knives, received from 43 Police Forces across the UK.
The Knife Angel will be temporarily located at the top of the city high street within the Victoria Plaza area.
Read more about The Knife Angel here
Priory Park Friday 26 - Sunday 28 July 202412.00 pm to 11.00 pm
Lazydays is flipping the traditional beer festival on its head to create an innovative experience like no other.
A true celebration of all things craft, from local gin and tonic with the best-paired garnish, to independent Essex wine-makers, refreshing cocktails, English-apple cider and a huge selection of craft beers and lagers.
The music line up is topped by some of the UK’s finest talent, including BBC Radio 1xtra legend, David Rodigan, Ivor Novello Award-nominated Mystery Jets, double-platinum-selling artist Newton Faulkner, number-one-act The Hoosiers, BBC 6music funk & soul DJ, Craig Charles, album-charting Sundara Karma, ‘90s brit-pop act, Sleeper, party-starting The Cuban Brothers plus so many more!!
The festival consists of four five-hour sessions – so just pick which session you want to join us for, or pick two – or even come for the whole weekend!
Tickets
There are four adult ticket options:
Standard: come for one session, available to 18+ only, starting from £32 at Early Bird prices.
Dual Session: come for two sessions, you pick which combination of sessions to come to, and the second session is half-price!
Lazydays+: Our bundle package deal, includes a single session ticket, priority entry, £20 of drink tokens, and a beer or wine tasting – at a 12% discount.
Weekend Pass: Come to all four sessions! Available at a 30% discount on four Standard tickets.
What’s included?
Standard and Dual Session tickets include:
Your first drink (beer, cider, single spirit & mixer, small glass of wine, soft drink). Dual session tickets include a drink in your first session only.
Entry to the event for your allotted session time
Discover 50+ craft drinks
5 hours of live music
Samples from craft drink producers
Access to talks, panel discussions and demonstrations*
A reusable souvenir cup to take home
Extras
Wine Masterclass – Discover three succulent English wines in these small-group wine-tasting masterclasses.
Beer Tasting – Sample four craft beers in our 30-minute expert-led tasting session.
Cocktail Making Masterclass – Pulling together great craft spirits, mixers, syrups and garnishes, this 30-minute masterclass is led by an expert mixologist where you’ll learn to make two classic half-size cocktails.
Drink Tokens – Available in £20 increments.
Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre Sunday, 3 November 202410.30 am to 4.00 pm
The Essex Vegan Festival Is Coming To The Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre.
60 stalls including a huge selection of cooked foods, pies, cakes, chocolates, sandwiches and salads, beauty and skincare products, candles, cheeses, jewellery, crafts, healthy treats, sweet treats, clothing, drinks, juices, smoothies, charity merchandise, FREE samples and more!
Little Heroes ASD Support Group is a parent led support group for families of children who are on the autistic spectrum. Helen and Kim met on a professional level when Kim’s son Alfie was in the early days of receiving an official diagnosis of autism back in 2011.
Helen assisted the family in he
Little Heroes ASD Support Group is a parent led support group for families of children who are on the autistic spectrum. Helen and Kim met on a professional level when Kim’s son Alfie was in the early days of receiving an official diagnosis of autism back in 2011.
Helen assisted the family in her formal role of autism specialist portage worker for the local council and together they experienced the ups and downs of the “autism rollercoaster”. When Alfie began at the local specialist school Helen and Kim decided they would like to create a small support network for families with children of similar ages – this would be the monthly coffee morning sessions at Summercourt Children Centre, Westcliff-on-Sea and officially began back in October 2012.
Several years later and Little Heroes is still going strong, is now a registered charity and continues to bring more and more families together. We provide support and assistance for families within Southend-on-Sea and the surrounding areas from as soon as they discovered there are additional needs.
Little Heroes provides a drop in service for parents and families of children with autism on a regular basis at the Support Hub. During term time there are regular bookable activities each week for the parent/ carer and their children. Please refer to our social media pages for up to date information.
We offer activities throughout the school holidays and provide suitable events for families whilst offering them the chance to socialise with other likewise families whilst receiving advice and support from one another, as well as potentially creating new friendships within a circle of support.
In addition we invite professionals along to these meetings and activities so families can benefit from their information and advice, it also makes it simpler for them to connect with these people that they may be wary of or find it a little daunting.
Southend Toy Library is for children receiving hospital treatment or with special needs. The Library provides support/advice, specialist equipment, respite care, fun days and outings and a toy loan scheme. Opening times
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Catchment area Southend-on-Sea
The Lighthouse Child Development Centre offers services for children and young people aged 0 to 18 years who have neurodevelopmental and neurodisability disorders. It provides a comprehensive assessment service that identifies, investigates and assesses their development needs and offers appropriate support, intervention and advice.
The centre also offers specialist services for children's occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. We provide assessments and treatment for children and young people who have, or are at risk of having:
We see children when parents or professionals have concerns about a child’s development and/or a child shows challenging behaviour.
Our goal is to support families to help their children reach their potential and be the best version of themselves!
Referrals are accepted from the following healthcare providers:
- GP's
- School Nurses
- Health Visitors
- Speech Therapists
The Child Development Centre accepts referrals for Children under 5 years who have:
Referrals for Children over 5 years is accepted from the following Healthcare Providers:
Resources for parents and carers
There are a wide range of local, national and international resources available for parents and carers who are supporting a child or young person with neurodevelopmental needs. You can find these on our resources for parents and carers page.
Get in touch by calling us for general advice or specialist advice such as, housing, employment, benefits, debt or energy. You can also chat with us online.
Freedom Club Night for people with disabilities and different abilities has just celebrated it's 6th birthday!
Freedom Club Night is a full nightclub for anyone aged 18 plus with a disability or different ability. It runs from Popworld in Southend.
Guests and the Freedom team had lots to smile about recently when they celebrated their 6th
Freedom Club Night for people with disabilities and different abilities has just celebrated it's 6th birthday!
Freedom Club Night is a full nightclub for anyone aged 18 plus with a disability or different ability. It runs from Popworld in Southend.
Guests and the Freedom team had lots to smile about recently when they celebrated their 6th birthday.
Find out more about Freedom Club Night here.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, a fantastic annual opportunity to raise awareness of bowel cancer, the fourth most common cancer in the UK.
The earlier bowel cancer is spotted, the more treatable it’s likely to be. In fact, more than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it is diagnosed at the earliest stage.
Why not get involved this April and help spread the word:
For more information about bowel cancer and details of how to get involved during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, visit Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
Kindness Kitchens are run at the St Vincent’s Centre, Southend where we feed 80 – 90 people a night from 6pm – 8:30pm.
We are currently looking to fill our Sunday Night. We are looking to find groups that would like to plan, supply, cook and serve up meals for the guests of the centre in our new commercial kitchen.
We already have 2 groups but 3 more would ensure that the people who come are supported at the centre sufficiently.
For further information please contact the centre Manager Daniel Cauchi 07930287471 or email danielc@svp.org.uk
More info about the work of St Vincent’s Centre, Southend can be found on the website: www.svp.org.uk/st-vincents-southend
Posted on March 18, 2024 ___________________________________________
with Age Concern Southend and The Haven Community Hub
Befriending Social Groups
These groups are FREE TO ATTEND and held every Wednesday and Thursday at the Haven Community Group. Come join our welcoming groups for a chat and a hot drink!
Coffee and Conversations - Wednesday 1.30pm -2.30pm
Coffee Morning - Thursday 10am - 12pm
Care Services and Treatments
These services are all available within the Haven Community Hub, please check our timetable for timings and availabity.Classy Claws - Nails By DianaOur in-house nail artistContact Information: 07882 167310Everyone HealthFree health checks for over 16s.Contact information: 0333 005 0095Lorna MaysMassage and reflexologyContact information: 07980 292013
First 4 feetContact Information: 01702 554445Hear, HearEar Wax Removal, Microsuction,07833 013 865 (09:00-18:30)
07958 436 156 (after 18:30)
Book Direct
earwaxremovalessex.co.ukHelen Hans CounsellingContact Information:
07920 127929Suzi's Dreams Holistic EnergyReiki and Indian Head MassageContact Information: 07771 266859Waxing HubExperienced waxing specalistContact Information:
07975 801486
We plan our activities on the evidence-based group programme of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST); offering a wide range of meaningful and enjoyable activities proven to enhance and improve the lives of older people living with Dementia – whether diagnosed or undiagnosed, so they can live independently for longer.
“Judith enjoys her time at [the Dementia Day Centre] and it enables me to do things on my own. She enjoys the activities, particularly the singing and dancing.”
~ Tony, Judith’s Husband
Previously known as ‘Days at The Haven’ and based within The Haven Community Hub in Westcliff-on-Sea the setting is designed to be welcoming and friendly for our clients. The Centre caters to older people living with Dementia and other neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, Brain Injury and Stroke Survivors.
The Dementia Day Centre is staffed by trained support workers from Age Concern Southend and supported by volunteers who provide an opportunity to engage and socialise with others – contributing to our members’ self-esteem and self-fulfilment. We access every member to ensure we cater to their likes and dislikes, skills and abilities to offer a full range of activities they will enjoy including singing for the brain, interactive story telling, games, music and dancing and gentle exercise.
Drawing, sketing, painting and everything in between... Please see our timetable for the latest listings and timingsArt ClassLed by an instructor with a new focus each week. All abilities welcome. All materials provided.£6Book by contacting the Hub. bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373
The Sound of Memories - Adult ChoirWelcoming new members and regularly holding concerts for supporters at the Hub. A older persons choir, Dementia friendly£6Book by contacting the Hub. bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373Sing for Joy with Ali SharpAli aims to help people realise their musical potential by the development of their voice. Apart from the sheer joy of it, singing can create greater self-confidence and a more positive approach to life.£6Book by contacting the Hub. bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373
Computer Class30 minute slots available with 1-2-1 expert, focusing on your needs and requirements.£6Book by contacting the Hub. bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373
The Haven Community Club is inclusive of all ages and theres' plenty going on to keep the youngest members of the family entertained. Please see our timetable for more information.Art Class£6bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373Bricks 4 Kids£6bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373Cake ClubOur parenting and pregnancy support group, incorporating infant feeding support, sling advice and hire, cake and hot drinks and parenting solidarity. Everyone welcome, no judgment.£3.50Contact Information cakeclubcommunity@gmail.com or book via FBChess ClubAge 7+ board provided£6bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373Dance ClassesSessions grouped by age and style, including ballet, modern and Acro£6bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373Mini Mindfulness£6bookings@acsos.co.uk 01702 345373
Are you aged 16-25 years old and have you used psychological services in the NHS? Or, are you a young carer of a brother or sister who has used psychological services for young people? Lifeline to those navigating sight loss Southend in Sight organises drop-in sessions The charity is pleased to announce that their Southend in Sight centre at 117 Hamlet Court Road is open every Wednesday from 10.30am to 12.30pm for general sight loss advice with volunteers Jackie and Clare, to welcome anyone who would like to chat to others living with sight loss. Both volunteers have a visual impairment and between them know a great deal about navigating sight loss, from the best talking books, to uncluttered restaurants with clear menus. They are happy to help anyone who drops in to see them, and if they don’t know the answer, they will investigate and find out. There is no need to book an appointment, you can just turn up. On the last Friday of every month, the drop-in session covers all things technical – smartphones, tablets, and laptops – with volunteers Steve and Paul. Southend in Sight’s CEO, Lucy Martin says “We are pleased to reintroduce this much-needed service and we look forward to welcoming anyone living locally with sight loss for a chat one Wednesday soon”. Southend in Sight can be reached by phone on 01702 342131 or email info@southendinsight.org.uk We’re looking for young people from different areas in England to join our new group who will advise psychological professionals. Psychological professionals provide psychological care to young people. This group will be able to influence how psychological services are delivered in the NHS in England. You can be a volunteer in this role or get an involvement fee. Plus, you’ll get training to support you to be part of the advisory group. Interested? Please get in touch with Laura Lea National Lead for Expert by Experience: The psychological professions. Contacts: Laura.Lea@nhs.net, 07738756992. Please reply by 7th January 2022. See the attached doc for more details.
Lunchinars are bite-sized learning sessions. They are 1 hour long, from 12-1pm and are free to anyone that would like to join online.
Designed and delivered by SAVS, we work with a range of fantastic partners to create different series of sessions that are informative, innovative and relevant.
Each Lunchinar includes 30-40 minutes of information sharing and learning, followed by a Q&A session. They also include a ‘takeaway’ – in the form of worksheets, cheat sheets, resources or checklists.
All Lunchinars are available to watch back online here on the Lunchinar Website.
Lunchinars are free to attend, but we ask people to sign up so that we can send them relevant information and links to join each session. Complete our simple registration form to let us know which ones you would like to come along to.
Wed 27 Mar to Sat 15 Jun 2024
Focal Point Gallery is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition by Maz Murray (b. 1995) an artist filmmaker based in London and Basildon. Murray uses satire, surrealism, melodrama, and humour to talk about queer and trans identity, class, and the complexities of public life. They repurpose and subvert pop cultural tropes such as music video, TV documentary, talk show, social media content and cinema. This exhibition, part of FPG x Jerwood Presents, is made possible by Jerwood Developing Artists Fund, which has been awarded to Focal Point Gallery for 2024–25.-
Wed 3 Jul to Sat 14 Sep 2024
Focal Point Gallery is delighted to present ‘After the End of History: Contemporary Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024‘ which will explore contemporary British working class photography since 1989. Instead of looking at working-class people, the exhibition will explore life through the lenses of working-class practitioners, who have not only turned their gaze towards their own communities but also out towards the world.
The year 2024 will mark 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the symbolic end of Communism. The weakening of the Soviet Union in the 1980s prompted economist Francis Fukuyama to announce the triumph of Western Liberal Democracy as the only viable future for global politics.
The counter-cultural energies of the 1980s, very often powered up by the alternative ideologies embodied by Communism, produced a collective, coherent, politically engaged generation of working-class artists. But after the so-called ‘End of History’, what became of working-class culture? Who identifies as such, and why? What of the working class creative? What kind of images has working-class life produced in the last 35 years?
‘After the End of History‘ will offer a counterintuitive picture of working-class life today, from Rene Matić’s portrait of growing up mixed race in a white working-class community in Peterborough, to Elaine Constaintine‘s documentation of the Northern Soul scene, to Kavi Pujara ode to Leicester’s Hindu community, and JA Mortram’s documentation throughout his life as a caregiver. After the End of History will explore the challenges and beauty of contemporary working-class life, in all its diversity today.
Artists in the exhibition will include Richard Billingham, Serena Brown, Rob Clayton, Artur Conka, Josh Cole, Elaine Constantine,, Anna Magnowsk, Rene Matic, J A Mortram, Kelly O’Brien, Eddie Otchere, Charlie Philips, Kavi Pujara, Khadija Saye, Chris Shaw, Ewen Spencer, Hannah Starkey, Nathaniel Telemaque and Barbara Wasiak, amongst others.
‘After the End of History: Contemporary Working Class Photography 1989 – 2024’ is a Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition curated by Johny Pitts with Hayward Gallery Touring.
About Focal Point Gallery: Focal Point Gallery (FPG) supports the production and presentation of new and recent contemporary art that challenges us to think and feel differently about locality, our sense of self and the importance of communities. Our wide-ranging and pioneering artistic programme is relevant to local and national audiences alike, through exploring current concerns that also resonate internationally. Based in Southend-on-Sea on the Thames Estuary, FPG’s activities take place in locations across the region with our reach extended by working collaboratively with like-minded partners. FPG is located on the ground floor of The Forum in Elmer Square, 100 metres from Southend Central Station. As South Essex’s only public funded gallery for contemporary art, FPG receives regular funding from Arts Council England and is part of Southend-on-Sea City Council. Opening hours: Wed to Sat 11.00am to 5.00pm For further information, please contact 01702 534108 or email focalpointgallery@southend.gov.uk
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TOMA current cohort artists
TOMAssociates
Thank you to Metal Southend for supporting us with the space.
METAL In Southend-on-Sea, Metal are based in Chalkwell Hall, a white Georgian house sitting within the much loved grounds of Chalkwell Park, overlooking the Thames Estuary across to Kent. Since renovating the listed building in 2007, we have hosted hundreds of artists-in-residence, public events, workshops, classes and creative community socials and programmes. A key part of our activity is encouraging conversations with the wider communities of South Essex.
Join TOMA artist Gülşen Güler for a Sticky Data workshop on Sat February 10 from 12-2pm at Metal in Southend as part of the exhibition. She will host a rebellious and DIY data collection workshop using tape, dust and shedding. No prior knowledge of data or technology is necessary.
>> Get your tickets here <<Get Around To It! with Kate Sullivan on Saturday 10 February from 2-4pm Is there something you’ve been meaning to get around to doing? Join Kate in a fun and friendly space and finally get around to it! During the show, Kate will be painting continuously until she finally finishes a tin of watercolours that she’s had lying around for years. She invites you to challenge yourself too, and do something you’ve been putting off doing.
>> Get your tickets here <<So what IS permaculture? Find out with experienced permaculture teacher, TOMA artist and community practitioner Graham Burnett on Friday 9 February from 2-4pm. Learn how you can apply permaculture ethics, principles and design to your own garden, community and life!
>> Get your tickets here << Drop in to a family friendly art session exploring themes around the maternal with artist Erene Dellaporta. on Friday 9 February from 10am-12pm. Please come and join for an experimental drop in art session exploring themes around the maternal and collaborating with your children - through mark making, sculpture and imaginative storytelling.
>> Get your tickets here <<
Sunday 17th March 2.30pm - local historian Paul Taylor, will be giving a talk and slideshow of the Photographs of Edward Francis at Rayleigh Town Museum.
Francis was a prolific photographer of Rayleigh and the surrounding area, he also gave Rayleigh Mount to the National Trust ensuring its survival.
Tickets are £4.00 for friends of the Museum or £5 for non-friends.
Please visit the museum or contact us if you would like to purchase tickets. Rayleigh, its People, Places and Heritage
Entry to the Museum is Free Access into the Museum
Fully compliant platform lift, Phone/BrailleDisabled toilet/wheelchair friendlyWheelchair and walking frame availableLarge print information/magnifying glassesBaby changing facilitiesDefibrillator on siteEvacuchairDisabled parking in the High Street Events
Tickets are available from the museum during opening hours.
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10am to 4pm
01268 773535 Talks/slideshows Tickets for all talks must be booked in advance
Please look here again to see when our next talk will be.
Join the Friends of Rayleigh Town Museum
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Event Guides
PRINT CLUB
Print Club hosted by Sugar Storm Studio
Our popular screen print inductions and open access return with Spring/Summer dates above. Print Club is a monthly printing session in the print room at The Old Waterworks, open to all regardless of experience level. For details and more information about the inductions and clubs, please visit the Eventbrite links below….
Inductions 11am - 2pm
Print Club 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Riso Inductions and Riso Club
Riso Inductions involve an introductory session showing you the basics of how to use the risograph and to create a two colour print. Once you’ve completed a risograph induction session you’ll be able to book yourself into our open access sessions in the afternoon.
RISO CLUB
Riso Club are our open access sessions allowing you to use our risograph to print your projects.
You must have completed a risograph induction session with us before you can make use of our open access sessions. For more info such as dates/times and prices, please visit the Evenbrite links below…
31 May - 2 June 2024
An Edgeland Plot
Shaun C. Badham
Private view 31 May 5-9pm, opening times 1 & 2 June 11am-5pm at The Old Waterworks, North Rd, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea SS0 7AB
Image: Video Still of Herons Stream, 15minutes, 2023
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Grrrl Zine Fair
11 May 2024
https://www.grrrlzinefair.com/events
Join the Grrrl Zine Library revamped - explore the collection in the reading space and research the brand-new digital catalogue. Welcoming students, researchers, activists, artists, and those who want a nosey to discover our collection of over 900 feminist zines from early 80s fanzines right through to zines published this year. Grrrl founder Lu Williams will be on hand to help locate publications. Click GRRL for ticket info & more details
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Arts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood is part of a year-long major Hayward Gallery Touring Exhibition, curated by Hettie Judah. Elsa James is one of our TOW studio artists and her earliest video work, Lies Myths and Truths (2006) will feature along with over 60 works from other modern and contemporary artists. This huge group exhibition explores the diverse experience of motherhood across three themes; creation, maintenance and loss .
For full touring location + date details, visit the link here
Beecroft Art Gallery Saturday, 16 July - Saturday, 4 May 2024 11.00 am to 5.00 pm
This exhibition explores the use of colour within painting, sculpture and sound.The power of colour has fascinated psychologists, philosophers, chemists and artists for hundreds of years, with certain colours long being associated with class, status and authority within many cultures.The emotion colour can evoke within us has encouraged many artists to consider the way they are using colour and why. Utilising the Beecroft Art Gallery collection in conjunction with loans from Essex University and Essex Collection of Art from Latin America ESCALA, this exhibition aims to explore the way colour has been used, the narrative of particular colours, and the power colour holds.
Beecroft Art Gallery Saturday, 27 April 20242.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Opening event: Saturday 27 April from 2-5pm
After party: 6pm – midnight at Twenty One Southend, Western Esplanade, SS1 2EH
Neeral Bhatt | Graham Burnett | Erene Dellaporta | James Forward | Gülşen Güler | Joanna Hartle | Edi McGurk | Eva Sbaraini | Kate Sullivan | Fredrix Vermin | Fern Worsley
Energy Console is the end of year show of alternative art school The Other MA’s current 2022/24 cohort. It will take place at the Beecroft Art Gallery.
Visitors are invited to experience work created during the past 18 months of the TOMA course. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of free workshops and public events, details of which can be found on the TOMA instagram.
Exhibiting TOMA artists are showing work that explores a broad range of themes such as: emerging technologies and performativity, performance and textiles, orchards, permaculture, access intimacy, disability, anti-gallery, consumption and value, science fiction, motherhood, the body and imaginative play, expanded portraiture and digital: analogue, photography, appropriation, memory and collaboration; and the resonance of past experiences in people, places, and things. Artist-led tours of the show are scheduled throughout the exhibition period.
The exhibition entitled Energy Console is inspired by a report on ‘The TOMA way’ written by researcher Jack Ky Tan, titled ‘TOMA Dreamings’ and published in 2023. The report can be read in full here.
Please feel free to join us for the Energy Console opening event from 2pm to 5pm on the 27th of April at the Beecroft Gallery, and then for an opening party with performances, entertainment, and food and drink available to buy, from 6pm to midnight at Twenty One Southend, SS1 2EH.
About TOMA – The Other MA (TOMA) is an 18-month artist-run education model based in Southend-on-Sea, supporting artists who have faced barriers accessing art education and the ‘art world’. The participants meet several times a month at The Old Waterworks for group-selected visiting artist talks, workshops, tutorials and crit sessions.
TOMA was set up in 2016 to offer responsive, affordable, accessible art education to artists. It is currently the only postgraduate-level art programme in Essex after all others were stopped by their host universities.
Instagram // @theotherma // Email // emma@toma-art.com
Victoria Aveune, Southend on Sea, SS2 6EWView on mapFacilities:
Explore a variety of collections, including the ‘Prittlewell Princely Burial’ exhibition. In 2003 an exceptionally well-preserved Anglo Saxon burial chamber was discovered in Prittlewell, the chamber contained an array of fascinating and beautiful possessions such as drinking vessels, weaponry, and gaming pieces which are now on display.Southend Museum was built in 1905-6 at a cost of £9,374 and originally housed Southend Library.The building was commissioned and paid for by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-born American immigrant, who went from rags to riches in the steel manufacturing industry. Later in his life, Carnegie sold his steel business and systematically gave 90% of his collected fortune away to cultural, educational and scientific institutions for “the improvement of mankind.” In total he spent over $55million on building over 2,509 libraries throughout the English-speaking world and was commonly referred to as the “Patron Saint of Libraries”.The museum houses collections of local and natural history and contains a planetarium constructed by astronomer Harry Ford in 1984.
98 Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1ABView on map
Find your passion at this innovative hub, featuring high quality creative workshops.Create98 is a modern, inspirational and relaxing space where you can learn and develop new skills. This inspirational and creative studio hosts expert one-off courses and regular workshops. All within the heart of Leigh-on-Sea.It is the perfect place to discover your hidden talent and meet like minded people. Why not try something new today and live life more creatively.
Our uniquely blended coffee can be customised to your liking with a wide range of syrups and toppings!Or if coffee isn’t your style you can make your own herbal tea using our specially selected dried flowers, herbs and fruits. These tea’s can be served hot or cold and are completely natural with no additives or sugars.If you have a sweeter tooth rest assured we have frappes and deluxe hot chocolates, even an authentic Italian style hot chocolate too!There is a Milk bar available for kids too ensuring a menu to cater to everyone!Food, food glorious foodWe also serve a small, but perfectly formed selection of homemade cakes, “old style” toasties and other savouries. Our children’s set meal includes an exclusive crafting activity.
SUMMER PROGRAMME 2024 Metal Art School, Chalkwell Park, Westcliff-on-Sea All dates are Saturdays 1-4pm 13th April Paul Alcock Oils Plein-air Paul will demonstrate plein air painting in oils then will be on hand to give advice and support for people who want to paint on the day 27th April Léda Szemerédi Papier Mache 3D Figure Leda will do a demonstration of how she creates simple figures in papier mache. I you want to join in bring your rubbish e.g. any plastic pots, old cardboard/paper 11th May Sharon Henson + Nicola Osborne Acrylic demo / plus Social Media help Sharon will do a short demonstration followed by Nicola who is the Social Media guru for the club. Nicola will do a talk on getting the most from Instagram 8th June Colin Steed Watercolour demonstration Colin will demonstrate his watercolour techniques and stay around to give advice and chat after. Bring your paints with you and paint along 15th June SUMMER OUTING ALDEBURGH coach trip Join us for a day trip to the beautiful, coastal town of Aldebugh in Suffolk. Paint en plein air or wander around looking at the galleries. £16/person Contact the Social Secretary Vanessa Eastoe to book your seat & pick-up 13th July Social Paint-out day Either join us at a location tbc or at Metal to spend some time painting with other club members 27th July Andy Downes Acrylic Portrait Andy will demonstrate his engaging and unique take on creating portraits 10th Aug Amanda Jackson Sketchbook Abstract nature inspired Amanda will take us on a journey of finding inspiration in nature for our sketchbooks 31st Aug Julie Ford Oils Plein-air Julie will demonstrate plein air painting in oils followed by the opportunity for everyone to paint in situ 14th Sept Gareth Barton Charcoal Portraits Gareth will demonstrate his individual style of creating portraits in charcoal 28th Sept Sally-Anne Ashley Paint Intuitive abstracts Sally Anne will guide us through her methods to create intuitve abstract work any queries please contact Summer Programme Organiser Julie Ford
61 High Street, Old Leigh, Leigh-on Sea, SS9 2EPView on map
Artists Richard Baxter and Sheila Appleton first established Old Leigh Art Studios in 1991. Expanding the endeavor with other local artists Ian Smith and Julie O’Sullivan. As all the artwork is produced on site, the artists are happy to talk to customers about their current projects.Old Leigh Art Studios offers a wide range of handcrafted ceramics and artwork at affordable prices. It’s the perfect place to find that special gift. The gallery sits in Leigh Old Town and is a welcoming and calming presence. ---------------------------------------------------
13 Rectory Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2HA View on map
Discover something new and exciting at the wonderful Two Tree Gallery. With stunning works available to purchase from nine local artists. Looking for that perfect bespoke gift? Then look no further as there are original paintings, jewellery and mosaics available. Located in the heart of Leigh, the gallery is well worth a look! The gallery is open on Saturdays 10am – 4pm or by appointment.
Artisan Craft Fair. For a shopping and gift experience like no other and a chance to connect and meet the creatives behind the designs, join us at our hand curated artisan craft fair. Not only is each handmade gift a little different, but they’re also MUCH higher quality. Plus, buying handmade means real love has gone into your purchase from an artist who adores what they do and feels passionate about each of their products. Look forward to seeing you and dont forget to tell your friends! Loads of wonderful makers are waiting for you! Over 40 stalls showcasing amazing local crafted products!
Artisan Craft Fair. For a shopping and gift experience like no other and a chance to connect and meet the creatives behind the designs, join us at our hand curated artisan craft fair. Not only is each handmade gift a little different, but they’re also MUCH higher quality. Plus, buying handmade means real love has gone into your purchase from an artist who adores what they do and feels passionate about each of their products. Look forward to seeing you and dont forget to tell your friends! Loads of wonderful makers are waiting for you! Over 40 stalls showcasing amazing local crafted products!
Elmer Square, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1NS View on map Facilities:
Access facilities:
The Forum, Southend-on-Sea is an innovative building with community in mind – a library, art galleries and educational resource in a contemporary shared space. A variety of events are held at the Forum throughout the year.The Forum is a collaborative project from three partners: Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, University of Essex and South Essex College. It houses Southend Libraries Central Library and the People’s Gallery on the Ground and First floors, Focal Point Gallery on the Ground Floor, University of Essex on the Second floor and South Essex College utilise the top level. Nosh restaurant operates on the Ground Floor independently.
65 Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 1PEView on mapFacilities:
Piece Gallery is a popular local gallery based in the heart of Leigh-on-Sea. Showing an extensive range of art styles, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! From acrylic, collage, limited edition, mixed media, oil and also sculpture.A selection of high end home accessories complement the art including beautiful glassware, handmade candles, vases and also ceramics. Hand painted and individually designed ornamental apples in a variety of sizes are exclusively available from Piece. A variety of changing exhibitions and events run throughout the year! A real treat for art lovers.
High Street, Hadleigh, Essex, SS7 2PA
Converted and opened as Artist Studios and Office facilities with the refurbished Appliance Hall for use by community groups as a multi-purpose space. The adjacent Art House provides additional space for artists and community groups.A vital cultural and community amenity in the centre of Hadleigh, Essex
70 The Broadway Gallery
Established in 1998, for the past 20 years, 70 the broadway has been the working studio & gallery space of painter, emma bell.
Based in the glorious town of Leigh on Sea, I've been lucky enough to combine using the space as my own studio/gallery, run workshops & provide a wonderful bright airy exhibition space for other independent artists and groups.
70thebroadway.co.ukFacebook (19) · Art gallery70 Broadway, Leigh-On-Sea SS9 1AE · ~44.5 mi01702 47497970thebroadway.co.uk
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The IronWorks is Southend’s new Arts and Culture Venue!
The Venue has so much to offer. The space is a platform for Live Music, Theatre, Comedy, Spoken Word, Exhibition Space, Murals, Workshops, Pop up markets from local traders and makers. There’s a Community Board Room to hire, Kids area and so much more!
Come and visit brand new ‘Solly’s’ – a coffee shop and licensed bar – serving locally roasted coffee, local beer and wines and delicious sandwiches, toasties, and scrumptious sweet treats from local bakers.
The IronWorks are launching a campaign to raise the funds to install a working lift and an additional stairwell. To do this, they need community help, donate here if you can.
Club Tuesdays | 6pm – 10pm | Launching Tuesday 14th February
Ironworks are so excited to announce our new venture starting in February on a Tuesday evening (6pm-10pm) bringing adults with learning and or physical disabilities together to party and socialise in a safe and accessible setting. Get tickets here.
Originals Open Mic, hosted by Chris Robson | 1pm – 4pm | Last Sunday of the month
Live Music and Spoken Word- all original work by local performers.
FREE ENTRY
Karaoke Klub | 7pm – 11pm | Last Friday of the month
Join The Ironworks team for an evening of singing fun!
Every Last Friday of the month, enjoy the atmosphere with friends and entertain the crowds together!
FREE ENTRY
Coco Jambos | 12pm – 5pm | First Sunday of the month
Join Daniel Barnes with his monthly ‘Coco Jambos’ resident DJ set at the Ironworks.
The first Sunday of the month 12-5pm bringing all things Disco, from Edits to House Music
FREE ENTRY
Yoga with Elaine | 10:00am – 11:30am | Fridays
Yoga with Kat | 10:00am – 11:30am | Sundays
SEACA Steel Band Workshop | 2pm – 4pm | Saturdays (in term time)
Southend Community Gospel Choir | 10am | Saturdays (in term time)
Mudlarks Community Choir | 8pm – 9:30pm | Mondays (in term time)
Priory ParkSaturday 1 - Sunday 2 June 20243.00 pm to 4.30 pm
The ever popular Music in the Park returns to Priory Park bandstand for 2024. The bandstand will come alive with top local bands and musicians! Don’t miss out! This free event runs every weekend and bank holiday Monday from Saturday 4 May – Sunday 29 September.
This weekend’s performers will be;
Saturday – The Southend Band
Sunday – Glen Lewis & The Southend Shakespeare Company
The acts will perform between 3pm – 4.30pm
No chairs will be provided so please bring your own or a blanket. There is also limited parking at the park so where possible use public transport, walk or cycle.
**Performances can be cancelled at short notice in the event of bad weather or illness**
Twenty OneSaturday 8 - Sunday 9 June 2024
Putting on two days of music to help raise money for Music Venue Trust who help save & support grass root music venues. While bringing the community of Southend together at Twenty One in Southend!
Priory ParkSaturday 15 - Sunday 16 June 20243.00 pm to 4.30 pm
The ever popular Music in the Park returns to Priory Park bandstand for 2024. The bandstand will come alive with top local bands and musicians! Don’t miss out! This free event runs every weekend and bank holiday Monday from Saturday 4 May – Sunday 29 September.
This weekend’s performers will be;
Saturday – Southend Vox
Sunday – Chelmsford Silver Band
The acts will perform between 3pm – 4.30pm
No chairs will be provided so please bring your own or a blanket. There is also limited parking at the park so where possible use public transport, walk or cycle.
**Performances can be cancelled at short notice in the event of bad weather or illness**
The Royal HotelSaturday, 11 May 20247.00 pm to 11.00 pm
The Amazing Blues Brothers (Blues Brothers Tribute)
Classic songs, sensational performers and a show that’s on mission from God! All this and more is packed in to this superb high octane, foot-pounding production, as these two fabulous singers recreate the magic of The Blues Brothers!
Priory ParkSaturday 11 - Sunday 12 May 20243.00 pm to 4.30 pm
The ever popular Music in the Park returns to Priory Park bandstand for 2024. The bandstand will come alive with top local bands and musicians! Don’t miss out! This free event runs every weekend and bank holiday Monday from Saturday 4 May – Sunday 29 September.
This weekend’s performers will be;
Saturday –Sofrito – Jazz, funk and blues
Sunday – Le Cruz – Rock and Pop
The acts will perform between 3pm – 4.30pm
No chairs will be provided so please bring your own or a blanket. There is also limited parking at the park so where possible use public transport, walk or cycle.
**Performances can be cancelled at short notice in the event of bad weather or illness**
Civic Centre Friday, 17 May 2024
Part of the Southend on Sea City Council Concert Series
The British classical guitarist Gary Ryan currently pursues a busy and highly varied international career as a performer and composer and is Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music, London. Ryan is regularly invited to perform all over the world with recent appearances in Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, India, New Zealand, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. He is also in great demand as a chamber musician and regularly performs with John Williams and John Etheridge in the Guitar Trio 6 Hands at UK venues including St George’s Bristol, the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, King’s Place in London and the Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh.
Programme to include
J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No 1
Works by Albeniz, John Dowland, Villa Lobos and a selection of Ryan’s own compositions and folk song arrangements.
Now taking place at the Civic Centre in the Council Chamber.
Priory ParkSaturday 18 - Sunday 19 May 20243.00 pm to 4.30 pm
The ever popular Music in the Park returns to Priory Park bandstand for 2024. The bandstand will come alive with top local bands and musicians! Don’t miss out! This free event runs every weekend and bank holiday Monday from Saturday 4 May – Sunday 29 September.
This weekend’s performers will be;
Saturday – The Sarfendas Band
Sunday – Southend Wind Orchestra
The acts will perform between 3pm – 4.30pm
No chairs will be provided so please bring your own or a blanket. There is also limited parking at the park so where possible use public transport, walk or cycle.
**Performances can be cancelled at short notice in the event of bad weather or illness**
Prittlewell PriorySaturday 25 - Monday 27 May 20243.00 pm to 4.30 pm
The ever popular Music in the Park returns to Priory Park bandstand for 2024. The bandstand will come alive with top local bands and musicians! Don’t miss out! This free event runs every weekend and bank holiday Monday from Saturday 4 May – Sunday 29 September.
This weekend’s performers will be;
Saturday –DG Quartet
Sunday – Nomad
Monday – Yardarm Folk Orchestra
The acts will perform between 3pm – 4.30pm
No chairs will be provided so please bring your own or a blanket. There is also limited parking at the park so where possible use public transport, walk or cycle.
**Performances can be cancelled at short notice in the event of bad weather or illness**
ChinnerysMonday, 27 May 20246.00 pm to 11.00 pm
Not a tribute band.
The very welcome return of the much loved echobelly. This is going to be a very special evening.
It’s bank holiday Monday so we start early with DJs from 6
Market Place, Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1DA View on mapFacilities:
Annie’s Attic – Southend’s Alternative Music Venue is a hive of activity situated in the heart of Southend’s Town Centre. A popular bar, bistro and live music venue, where there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
This vibrant venue is always a popular location for a night out, with differing function nights and DJ’s to choose from.
There’s a tasty menu on offer with a mouth-watering selection of gourmet food – a great place to spend a relaxed afternoon. Why not try the outdoor seating area? Perfect for sipping a cocktail, or two!
The Beecroft Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6EXView on mapFacilities:
Access facilities:
First opened in February 2016 and registered as a Charity (CEO:1167421) ‘The Jazz Centre (UK)’ celebrates the music’s heritage, art and memorabilia and actively supports and promotes contemporary performance and education.Situated in the cultural hub of the Beecroft Centre on Victoria Avenue, the venue always guarantees a buzz! There are regular live events, workshops, movies and clubs every week. Please check the website to see what’s on.The centre’s heritage acquisitions already include the instruments of jazz legends (Louis Armstrong’s ‘Special’ trumpet and Sir John Dankworth’s first piano) and the complete Archives of British jazz’s most eloquent and well-remembered spokesman Humphrey Lyttelton – his desk, his instruments and eight decades of his scrapbooks and private correspondence (donated by son Stephen Lyttelton) and his lifetime of achievements and music awards (donated by Eton College).Patrons include: Dame Cleo Laine, Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir Van Morrison, Dan Morgenstern, Paul Jones, Jools Holland, Simon Spillett, Alan Barnes and Susan Da Costa.
270 Station Road, Westcliff on Sea, SS0 7SD View on map
The Lamb and Lion, is a place where the community comes together to drink, laugh and enjoy the music.The pub hosts a range of services from traditional pub grub to a licensed venue downstairs.As a free-house pub we stock a wide range of your favourite beverages. We can also buy what we like when we like, so if you fancy something special for your event, just let us know and we will make sure we have it in stock.We pride ourselves on having a friendly environment and are confident once you have visited our establishment you will be returning for years to come.We also have decades of experience in the nightclub and music business, which enables us to run the venue the way we want it. With the knowledge and experience of our team we can cater for a variety of events from, weddings, wakes, parties and music events. We can also organize the print and design of invites, posters banners and flyers.Whatever your requirements do not hesitate to ask, we are more than happy to facilitate your needs.We are delighted to have brought the atmosphere back to the Lamb and Lion, your local pub in the heart of the community.
21-22 Marine Parade, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2EJView on mapFacilities:
Chnerys is often described as a bar of two halves! A popular beach fronted pub at the front and a live music venue at the back. Both have a great selection of beers, ales, wines and spirits and a warm, friendly atmosphere. There’s a good selection of indoor and outdoor seating available, great for soaking up the seafront atmosphere.A selection of live music themed nights is on offer throughout the year, you’ll always be spoilt for choice with local bands, cover bands and talent from further afield to chose from.
18-19 Aviation Way, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6UNView on map01702 411983
Welcome to The Lounge, the all-new exquisite Jazz Bar!
Located in the heart of the city, THE LOUNGE is where you can kick back, relax and take a step into a world of sophisticated Jazz and Soul music, delicious cocktails and A La Carte cuisine. This cosy atmosphere provides the perfect setting for you to enjoy an evening out with friends. Whether you’re looking to try something new or just want to spend some quality time catching up over drinks, THE LOUNGE is the perfect destination. Plus, with live music performances from local and international acts every Friday and Saturday night, THE LOUNGE guarantees an unforgettable experience every time. So what are you waiting for? Grab a seat at THE LOUNGE and let the good times roll!
Essex’s latest Jazz Bar proudly presents the best in soul and jazz, featuring renowned artists such as Jaki Graham & Rose Windross. Don’t miss out on amazing events – come down to experience the unique vibes of our beloved Jazz! Treat yourself to an unforgettable night.
photograph - David Wilson
They're big, beautiful and an almost guaranteed sight in any British garden this summer. But can you confidently identify all the life stages of the red admiral butterfly, and do you know where to look for them?
Appearance
A large, robust butterfly and strong flier. The wings are mostly velvety black with orange-red bars on the the forewings and blocks of white towards the tips. The fringes of the hindwings are also orange-red and contain small blue eye spots nearest the body.
Females are slightly larger than males and can measure up to 78mm from wing tip to wing tip.
Adults feed during the day, feeding on the nectar of flowers such as ivy, buddleia and other garden plants. Towards the end of summer and into autumn, fallen and rotting fruit also provides an important source of sugar.
Red admirals are common and widespread across the UK and are thought to have increased in number in recent years.
They are a regular garden visitor - look for them feeding on flowers or basking in sunny spots. They can also be found attempting to overwinter in houses, log piles, garden sheds and other sheltered places.
The adult butterflies are on the wing from spring until as late as November. Migrants arrive from continental Europe and North Africa as early as March, and the eggs they lay produce a fresh emergence of adults in late summer.
Most adults begin to migrate south again by the end of the summer, but some are thought to successfully hibernate here through the winter.
The small, delicate, soft-lilac blooms of cuckoo flower appear along ditches and other wet places at the end of March in southern Britain and can still be found in bloom until June in more northerly areas. Cuckoo flower is the main food plant for the orange-tip butterfly and where the flowers are thick on the ground, you may find exciting numbers of this early spring butterfly swirling above and engaged in the vital quest to mate.
The origins of its alternative name, lady’s smock, are unclear though might be a slightly oblique reference to what young people once got up to in spring meadows.
The warmer temperatures of March bring the first moths and butterflies of the season. Most moths and butterflies spend their winter in the larval stage (as caterpillars), but some will pupate through the colder months, ready to welcome the spring with new wings.
However, our early emerging butterflies that you’re likely to spot in spring overwinter as dormant adults. Throughout March, keep your eyes peeled for your first Brimstones, Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks and Commas of the year. They’ll be look looking to feed up on nectar rich blooms in your garden or local green space.
Most peacock butterflies rouse from months of winter torpor in March and early April, looking for nectar and sex – one wonders how they avoid sensory overload. Their eyes detect movement faster than us, thanks to myriad photoreceptor cells in tiny units called ommatidia, their twin antennae smell the air in stereo and their tactile legs are more sensitive than our fingertips.
Meanwhile, moths can be trickier to spot. March is a great time to start up a trap in your garden, where you might find a March Moth or a Brindled Pug. Why not head down to your local nature reserve to see who visited their trap?
March is a perfect time to see frog and toad spawn in our ponds and pools, as amphibians' breeding seasons begin around Valentine’s Day. There are two species of frog, two species of toads and three species of newts native to the UK.
Toads are known for their mass mammoth migrations, often covering distances as far as two kilometres to return to their breeding ponds and find a partner. Frogs also return to the ponds where they were born to breed, and the males grab the attention of the females by croaking. Meanwhile, male newts attract a mate by performing elaborate displays with their tails, and the females then lay their eggs in underwater vegetation.
Keep your eyes out for frog spawn, which is found in large clumps of jelly, and toad spawn which clings together in a string-like structure.
HEDGEHOGS
A mix of external and internal cues prompt hedgehogs to hibernate, including longer nights, falling temperatures, waning food supplies and body condition. So, while more hedgehogs are now out and about well into November and beyond, rather than hibernating, it is hard to pinpoint the main reasons.
In 2019, the UK’s Big Hedgehog Map recorded an incredible 846 sightings of active animals in November, up from 354 in 2015. However, Grace Johnson, the popular project’s Hedgehog Officer, cautions that the rise in reports is probably due to greater awareness, rather than a true reflection of increased hedgehog numbers. The impact of warmer winters is fascinating, but complex.
A mix of external and internal cues prompt hedgehogs to hibernate, including longer nights, falling temperatures, waning food supplies and body condition. So, while more hedgehogs are now out and about well into November and beyond, rather than hibernating, it is hard to pinpoint the main reasons.
In 2019, the UK’s Big Hedgehog Map recorded an incredible 846 sightings of active animals in November, up from 354 in 2015. However, Grace Johnson, the popular project’s Hedgehog Officer, cautions that the rise in reports is probably due to greater awareness, rather than a true reflection of increased hedgehog numbers. The impact of warmer winters is fascinating, but complex.
Anyone planning a bonfire this autumn should check it first for hedgehogs and toads that may have snuck inside, ready for hibernation. Better still, put the matches away – both garden and wildlife will benefit if you leave piles of leaves and other clippings to decay. Surveys show Britain’s urban hedgehogs are at last recovering: this has to be the easiest way to help, surely?
There is a growing interest in the value of our road network for nature, which may sound a contradiction in terms. But for a few heady months in spring and early summer, road verges burst into bloom. At least, properly managed ones do. Their potential is obvious. Verge-loving wildflowers out in May include cow parsley, red campion, bird’s-foot trefoil, meadow buttercup, cowslip and clover. Then there are the wild grasses, on which many moth and butterfly caterpillars feed. A recent study at the University of Exeter estimated that road verges in England, Wales and Scotland represent just over 2,500km2 of grassland habitat. Plantlife, meanwhile, says that verges contain 80 per cent more grassland than the open countryside, most of which is farmed (much of it intensively). The statistics are impressive – and councils are at last starting to take notice, with more developing wildflower-friendly late-mowing regimes, cutting only the kerbside portion before September. Picking up the cuttings is also key – leaving them boosts soil fertility so that vigorous species proliferate, swamping others. Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) Cow parsley. © Alex Hyde Cow parsley fills the verges of country lanes with ‘white froth’ during May. It is one of the earliest to bloom in a sequence of similar-looking wildflowers in the carrot family, characterised by clusters of delicate flowers, reminiscent of an umbrella (giving them their alternative name of umbellifers). Their open flowers are a magnet for insects, including hoverflies and bees. Cow parsley is fast-growing and abundant on fertile verges. Earlier this year, Plantlife released its Good Verge Guide full of management tips to ensure vigorous plants, such as cow parsley, share our roadsides with some of the other 700 wildflower species recorded along verges. Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) Groundsel. © Colin Varndell An annual plant that thrives in disturbed ground, groundsel is popular with butterflies and other insects and is just one of a number of yellow-flowered daisies. Once pollinated, groundsel produces feathery heads of more than 1,000 seeds. Those seeds not eaten by birds make the most of opportunities such as gaps in pavements but it is this adaptability that leaves the species in danger of being underappreciated. The More Than Weeds project is paving the way, helping people to notice plants like groundsel and its fellow urban ‘weeds’ that splash a bit of colour onto our grey streets Special Roadside Verges provide an important habitat for wildflowers and other native species in Essex. This includes species that are under threat elsewhere. More than 100 sites around the county are classed as Special Roadside Verges. They’re marked with posts displaying a white plaque to highlight that the area is protected.
The Special Roadside Verges have cutting programmes tailored to the species living there. It’s critical not to cut the rare flowers until they have set seed. This can create a challenge with the need to maintain the safety of the verges.
We work with partners – including Essex Highways, Place Services, Essex Wildlife Trust and Saffron Walden Museum – to look after the Special Roadside Verges. We make sure they're well managed and continue to support a wide range of species.
Visit Essex Highways' Grass and vegetation section for more details about grass verge cutting.
For more information, please contact Place Services using the details below.
Contact the Place Services Natural Environment Team
Email: ecology.placeservices@essex.gov.uk
Animal welfare
Injured Badgers
Handling an injured, or sick, badger safely requires specialist equipment as it will be in pain and frightened and will probably bite. If you find an injured badger, do not to touch it; call us immediately
Drive carefully, particularly at night when badgers are out and about.
If you find a badger sett, do not disturb it and don’t tell people where it is – badgers are still illegally used for badger baiting. It is illegal to obstruct, damage or destroy a sett.
If you do find a sett that has been destroyed or disturbed, notify your local police wildlife liaison officer.
Road traffic accidents are the most common cause of death; it is estimated that as many as 50,000 badgers die on the roads each year. The biggest, natural cause of death is lack of food, particularly in hot, dry summers or in exceptionally long, cold winters. It is thought that as many as 50% of badgers die in their first year; if they can survive this, they may live to five or six years or even longer.
📷European turtle dove drinking at water's edge in Spain. © Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty
The gentle, ventriloquial ‘turr turr’ of a turtle dove, coming from deep inside a hawthorn tree or hedgerow, was until recently a classic sound of the countryside. Sadly, within a human generation, this summer migrant has almost disappeared from Britain, due largely to hunting in the Mediterranean and the loss of weedy fields.Today, the turtle dove just about retains a toehold in south-east England and East Anglia. Its hypnotic call features in a new track of birdsong, Let Nature Sing, that celebrates nature’s dawn chorus choir.
📷Yellow dung fly in Scotland. © Iain Lawrie/Getty
With about 7,000 species in the UK, in every conceivable habitat, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to Diptera (the order’s name means ‘two wings’). To see this handsome example, simply head to a nice, fresh cowpat: you won’t have to wait long.Virtually the entire insect is the colour of English mustard, except for its eyes and wings, which are chestnut-brown. The adults are fierce predators – just look at those mantis-like front legs – but the larvae munch dung.
There is a growing interest in the value of our road network for nature, which may sound a contradiction in terms. But for a few heady months in spring and early summer, road verges burst into bloom. At least, properly managed ones do. Their potential is obvious. Verge-loving wildflowers out in May include cow parsley, red campion, bird’s-foot trefoil, meadow buttercup, cowslip and clover. Then there are the wild grasses, on which many moth and butterfly caterpillars feed.
A recent study at the University of Exeter estimated that road verges in England, Wales and Scotland represent just over 2,500km2
of grassland habitat. Plantlife, meanwhile, says that verges contain 80 per cent more grassland than the open countryside, most of which is farmed (much of it intensively).
The statistics are impressive – and councils are at last starting to take notice, with more developing wildflower-friendly late-mowing regimes, cutting only the kerbside portion before September. Picking up the cuttings is also key – leaving them boosts soil fertility so that vigorous species proliferate, swamping others.
A real dandy, one of our best-looking moths, the lime hawk-moth launches on warm May evenings. Its distinctive scalloped wings and bold pattern that ranges from green to chestnut are quite a statement, but also make it harder to spot when resting among dappled leaves or against tree trunks during the day.
Our love of avenues of limes and other trees along our streets brings the lime hawk-moth to the heart of urban areas, and it is common in parks and gardens.
It is not the lime’s fragrant flowers that attract it – this moth doesn’t feed at all as an adult – but its heart-shaped leaves, on which the females lay their eggs. In the absence of lime, the moths will also use elm or London plane – an ornamental tree, particularly widespread in the capital.
After some weeks feasting in the canopy, their large, stripy, yellow-and-green offspring, which are topped off with a blue ‘tail horn’, descend to the ground. The caterpillars can often be spotted on pavements or among vegetation in late summer, as they seek a safe place to pupate. Once they have found a suitable spot in soil or leaf litter they will remain there until May, when they are ready to rise again.
The “long unwieldy bill of the woodcock” remarked upon by 18th-century naturalist Gilbert White, is in fact the perfect asset for this dumpy wader as it probes woodland soils for invertebrates.
Their beautiful mottled feathers make woodcock notoriously difficult to spot, but this month males drop the subterfuge and take to the sky on their bizarre ‘roding’ courtship flights.
Purposefully patrolling their territory at dusk, a combination of squeaks and grunts adds to their display. Woodcock are present year-round but numbers swell to an estimated 1.5 million every winter, as Russian, Baltic and Scandinavian expats seek a milder climate.
Cow parsley fills the verges of country lanes with ‘white froth’ during May. It is one of the earliest to bloom in a sequence of similar-looking wildflowers in the carrot family, characterised by clusters of delicate flowers, reminiscent of an umbrella (giving them their alternative name of umbellifers). Their open flowers are a magnet for insects, including hoverflies and bees.
Cow parsley is fast-growing and abundant on fertile verges. Earlier this year, Plantlife released its Good Verge Guide full of management tips to ensure vigorous plants, such as cow parsley, share our roadsides with some of the other 700 wildflower species recorded along verges.
Hazel dormouse. © David Chapman
After hibernating the coldest months away, hazel dormice are finally awake and active. They spent the winter not in a teapot (as Lewis Carroll would have us believe), but alone in a neatly woven nest, secreted away in dense scrub or leaf litter.
We often picture dormice as dozy, but they are remarkably agile mammals, foraging across the canopy and understory. During late spring and summer, flowers are important for nutrition, with favourites including bramble, hawthorn and honeysuckle.
It is autumn when dormice turn their attention to their namesake hazel and other high calorie foods to pile on the grams once again for their winter snooze.
An annual plant that thrives in disturbed ground, groundsel is popular with butterflies and other insects and is just one of a number of yellow-flowered daisies.
Once pollinated, groundsel produces feathery heads of more than 1,000 seeds. Those seeds not eaten by birds make the most of opportunities such as gaps in pavements but it is this adaptability that leaves the species in danger of being underappreciated.
The More Than Weeds project is paving the way, helping people to notice plants like groundsel and its fellow urban ‘weeds’ that splash a bit of colour onto our grey streets.
April and May 2020 were the UK’s sunniest on record, leading to nearly all our butterflies emerging early. Was this a one-off, or part of a trend? Butterfly enthusiasts are eager to find out.
One species that broke records in 2020 was the large, or ‘cabbage’, white. It has two broods: the first traditionally on the wing in April and May, the other in midsummer.
New research has shown that big, pale butterflies are better at protecting themselves from high temperatures, by using their wings as solar shields to reflect heat.
Spring’s dawn chorus is not to be missed – the volume and variety of birds singing is so intense and uplifting. Simon Barnes, in his book Rewild Yourself, reckons it is the “single biggest wildlife miracle that we have in Britain”.
Aim to be in place by 5am – a woodland or park is ideal, but every habitat has a dawn chorus. Among the multitude of robins, wrens, thrushes and tits, one abundant warbler you are almost bound to hear is the blackcap, whose song is so sweet and sustained that it is often mistaken for a nightingale.
In his memoir A Curious Boy, palaeontologist Richard Fortey calls the brook lamprey “a fugitive from deep time”. It’s an apt description, because this weird and wonderful creature is one of the most primitive types of vertebrate alive today.
The proto-fish is silvery and eel-like, with a body slightly thicker than a human index finger, though its strange, sucker-like mouth is hard to see in the wild. Look for its sinuous form in clear, gravelly streams or ditches. In spring, groups of adults can sometimes be seen spawning in writhing groups.
When the human world is in turmoil, we can all take comfort in the beyond-human one. Birdsong is proven to give us a natural high, and one song in particular has been written about by almost every nature writer: that of the male nightingale. Shy and dowdy he may be, but when he opens that beak, he has the power and clarity of an opera singer, and the improvisation and range of a jazz diva.
Though legendary for singing on May nights, this relative of the robin also performs in early morning and at dusk. The fact that it skulks in the shadows only adds to the sense of occasion. New undergrowth and scrub are what the species needs, ideally less than 10 years old. Sadly, heavy browsing by deer and a decline in traditional woodland management have sent numbers into freefall.
There’s also evidence from Spain that, due to drought, some nightingales there are evolving shorter wings, leading to fewer surviving the migration to and from Africa. It’s not yet known if this affects the UK population.
But as Luke Massey puts it in Red Sixty Seven, a book celebrating our 67 most vulnerable birds, “Will we really let this be the last song of the nightingale?”
Two hundred years ago this month, HMS Beagle was launched. Later, the ship would famously take Charles Darwin to see exotic flora and fauna in South America, though it’s often forgotten he spent far longer watching everyday wildlife closer to home.
In Kent, the naturalist observed “humble bees” in forensic detail, becoming one of the first to notice that they patrol the same linear foraging routes over and over. Probably our most distinctive widespread species is the red-tailed, which loves clover, dandelion, daisy and thistle flowers.
If you’re lucky, you might in a village spot a common blue, but realistically this is the only ‘blue’ likely to be encountered in the average British garden. Chris Packham called it the “daintiest darling” in his book Back Garden Nature Reserve (still in print after 19 years).
The holly blue is among the first of the year’s butterflies not to have hibernated as adults – ones on the wing now overwintered as chrysalises, which formed last autumn. Numbers peak in May, and there’s a second brood in July to August.
This isn’t the plant with which the Greek philosopher Socrates is said to have killed himself, but it is likewise extremely poisonous. Superficially resembling cow parsley, it produces neat clusters of white flowers in summer and has lacy leaves rather like giant coriander or flat parsley. The grooved stems might remind you of celery.
Hemlock water dropwort loves to have wet feet, growing along ditches and beside muddy streams and rivers. Perhaps alarmingly, it is also abundant – but best left alone.
With 12 native species as well as several introduced ones, the carp and minnow family is Britain’s biggest group of freshwater fish. One of their quirks (though you need to be an angler to see it) is a lack of teeth. Many of these fish breed in warm weather this month and next, so briefly become much more noticeable.
Roach spawn in shoals around reeds or other vegetation, thrashing about as males chase females. They have a chunky silver body with bright red fins.
Flame shoulder, sallow kitten, powdered quaker… May’s moths write a special kind of poetry with their names. In looks, though, few can hold a candle to the emperor, Britain’s only representative of the silk moth family, Saturniidae, which in the tropics includes bird-sized giants.
The wings of this large, spring beauty sport two pairs of ‘eye spots’ reminiscent of the roundels on old RAF aircraft. Perhaps, like those of the peacock butterfly, they startle or intimidate predators. When a male moth opens its hind wings, there is also a startling flash of bright orange.
Emperor moths are widespread and not especially scarce but, to glimpse one, your best bet is to stroll across a heath, moor or another sandy, scrubby habitat in fine spring sunshine. Male emperors fly by day – and strongly, too – so, at first, you might think you’ve spotted a butterfly. By contrast, the ‘empresses’ emerge after dark. Neither sex has mouthparts, meaning their time in this world is limited – they meet, mate, then die.
Moths are fascinating and interest in them is growing. Later this year, Butterfly Conservation publishes the first atlas of moths in Britain and Ireland, based on over 25 million records submitted by enthusiasts.
Aristotle thought that hedgehogs mated belly to belly, with the female standing upright. It was a reasonable assumption, given the insectivores’ upper body is covered in around 5,000 spines (and, to be fair, Aristotle correctly recognised these as a form of hair).
In fact, the old joke about hedgehogs mating carefully is fairly accurate. It is preceded by long bouts of huffing and grunting, and a nose-to-tail chase that hedgehog expert Pat Morris describes as “singularly lacking in apparent affection”. Lucky garden owners can hear the performance on warm evenings from May onwards.
Iris was the Ancient Greek goddess of the rainbow, tasked with carrying messages for the other gods. Though the Balkans are rich in irises, only two are native to the British Isles, of which the glorious yellow flag is the most abundant by far.
From May to August, its flowers glow in ponds, canals and anywhere marshy, the length and breadth of the country. Dense iris beds offer valuable shelter in the shallows to species such as moorhens and water voles, help control floods and act as a giant filter, improving water quality.
Now’s the best time to set your alarm and get outdoors to appreciate the dawn chorus – by 6.30am, it has peaked already and is dying down. One of the jazziest performers is this streak-backed little bird, which sings its scratchy, chattering song from reeds and bushes, often in quite small wetlands beside rivers or canals.
Some say a male sedge warbler never sings the same song twice. He has “endless capacity for variation”, writes Simon Barnes in his book On the Marsh, “as if…the whole spring was one song.”
‘Rolling in clover’ certainly applies to bumblebees. They can’t get enough of the nectar-packed pompoms of red and white clover, and there is a simple way to help. Join the ‘no mow’ campaign and leave part of your lawn uncut.
Clover should be quick to appear, often with daisies, buttercups and (from June) selfheal. Yet a measly 30% of participants in Gardenwatch, the UK’s biggest ever garden survey, run by Springwatch, the Open University and BTO, said they allow their lawns to grow long.
Of all the exotic amphibians to have gained a toehold in Britain, the marsh frog is the most colourful, appearing Kermit-green at times. It’s about half as big again as our common frog, with a voice to match. In April and May, the males keep up an incessant squeaky chorus, inflating their huge vocal sacs.
As with every introduced amphibian, the species’ spread is closely monitored. So far, this handsome alien is restricted to Kent, East Sussex and around London.
Main image: European turtle dove drinking at water's edge in Spain. © Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty
Science writer and author, and editorial consultant, BBC Wildlife
Ben Hoare is a wildlife writer and editor, and proud to be an all-round ‘nature nerd’. He was features editor at BBC Wildlife magazine from 2008 to 2018, and after that its editorial consultant. Ben writes about seasonal natural-history highlights in every issue of the magazine, and also contributes longer conservation stories. His interviews of everyone’s hero Sir David Attenborough remain a career highlight. When not working for magazines, Ben writes illustrated natural-history books for children – the kind of books he adored looking at as a kid. Several have been international bestsellers, no doubt because his two daughters read and test everything first. Ben lives in rural Somerset, UK, with owls and dormice in the garden, and is a keen birder who spends as much time as possible exploring outdoors.
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Jackdaws are interesting because they form unusually long-term partnerships. Once the pair bond is established, the male and female will stick together for years, even outside the breeding season.
If you watch a flock of jackdaws circling over a town or wood this month, you should be able to make out individual pairs within the larger group, just as you can with flocks of parrots in the tropics. The flocks make a wonderful winter spectacle, loved by many despite the volleys of shrill ‘kya-kya’ calls.
New research by a University of Exeter team studying jackdaw behaviour in Cornwall has found that these sociable crows use group vocalisation to work out when they should leave their communal roost each morning. To us, it may sound like a cacophany, but the researchers discovered this is actually a “democratic process” that determines precisely when the mass departure happens.
Sticklebacks are tiddlers with a big personality, and April is the start of their spawning season, when the male fish transform from dowdy, brownish creatures to aquatic eye candy. Their belly flushes scarlet, while their flanks and eyes acquire stunning blue highlights. Equally striking is their change in behaviour. Territorial males will not let rivals come anywhere near, nor in fact will they permit anything red, alive or dead, to intrude on their patch. They are guarding nests made from scraps of weed and other vegetation, in the hope that passing females will be tempted to spawn there. Should a potential mate appear, they seal the deal by zigzagging through the water to show off their fitness and the location of their boudoir.
No more than 11cm long, sticklebacks are like miniature pike, in the sense that they are solitary predators. By contrast, minnows – another little freshwater fish – form shoals that often swim up to inspect the feet of wild swimmers and paddlers. Sticklebacks can be found in a wide range of streams, ditches and ponds, even if the water is not very clear.
Beaches, much like lawns and road verges, fall victim to a peculiarly British obession with tidiness. Piles of seaweed along the strandline are seen as unsightly, so are cleared away, when in fact they represent a valuable habitat for species such as the turnstone, a chunky wading bird that does exactly what it says on the tin.
Virtually the whole of the British countryside is, or has been, managed in one way or another which means that there are no truly natural habitats left. Some areas have been under the influence of man for many thousands of years. However the management of the land for farming has left a mosaic of 'semi-natural' habitats, where plant and animal species, both natives and introductions, can find a home. Semi-natural habitats are those where the management alters the natural succession to woodland, but does not alter the nature of the habitat.
Unfortunately modern arable farming tends to be less sympathetic to wildlife. However before 1950s agriculture was not so intensive as no artificial fertilisers, pesticides (which kills insects and fungus) or herbicides (which kills 'weeds') were used. This allowed plants, insects and birds etc. to thrive.
Very few areas in Britain have retained this style of extensive farming and many of these are fragmented pockets which often attain a conservation designation, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Such farming is most widespread in upland landscapes where the environment is harsh and there is little arable farming.
Each habitat has a characteristic form of management. Arable farming is one where there is a high level of disturbance to the ground as fields are ploughed, prepared and sown with cereals then harvested. Modern farming does not even leave the ground fallow or alternate crops.
The plants that can be found in such conditions are those which can grow from seed, flower and set seed again in one season. These are called annuals. Often plants of interest are confined to the edges of fields where the the crop has not been sown and where chemical application is reduced.
Hedgerows
When the land was originally cleared of the extensive wild wood farming plots were relatively small and separated by woodland. Clearing increased and all that was left of many wood was a thin strip used as a boundary from the neighbours. The Anglo-Saxon ancient field system that developed was complex and intricate with fields of upto an acre. Hedgerows delineated land parcels, but also play and important role in corralling livestock. Some areas with such systems can be found e.g. The Lizard peninsula.
ex-arable: medieval plough ridges (ridge and furrow), now under permanent grass
A sizable proportion of the arable\crop farming of Medieval times was however carried out in a much more open landscape than we are now accustomed to. This was because there was a different way of allocating use of cultivatable land for crop production.
Only with the advent of the enclosure Acts between 1720 and 1840 was there a land grab by the rich land owners. They could claim land by establishing partitions using walls or hedges, thus dispossessing many. About 200,000 miles of hedges were planted with hawthorn being a common constituent.
Mixed landscape of hedgerows and woodlands
Hedges provide a fantastic habitat for insects, small mammals, birds and plants. Larger animals use them for shelter or to provide a source of food. The older the hedge the more tree and shrub species can be found growing in it. Those which are really old will support woodland ground flora and are likely to be on banks with ditches and not straight.
Hedges commonly are made up of hawthorn with any number of other species, such as blackthorn, field maple, spindle, willow (where it is wet), hazel, dogwood and bramble. English elms no longer grow as large trees but can be found, along with other trees such as oak, sycamore, elder, ash and beech for instance.
ex-arable: medieval plough ridges (ridge and furrow), now under permanent grass
A sizable proportion of the arable\crop farming of Medieval times was however carried out in a much more open landscape than we are now accustomed to. This was because there was a different way of allocating use of cultivatable land for crop production.
Only with the advent of the enclosure Acts between 1720 and 1840 was there a land grab by the rich land owners. They could claim land by establishing partitions using walls or hedges, thus dispossessing many. About 200,000 miles of hedges were planted with hawthorn being a common constituent.
No bird has inspired more English poetry and music than the skylark – well, apart perhaps from the nightingale. This nondescript, streaky brown bird of rough grassy places is often in full voice by March and may sing right through the spring and summer months. It frequently begins before first light, pouring out its melody from the pitch-black sky while spiralling higher and higher. Eventually, the bird hangs in midair 50m or so above the ground, still singing, before it plummets to earth.
Most skylark songs last around three or four minutes, but performances of as long as a quarter of an hour are not uncommon. The birds are able to sing non-stop for so long thanks to the unique structure of the avian voicebox, or syrinx, which enables them to produce sound even while inhaling fresh air. It is the male skylark that sings – a sign that he is defending territory and hoping to attract a mate
omfrey is perhaps the single best plant you can grow for bumblebees – they absolutely love it. Comfrey is found across Europe and temperate Asia. It is widespread in the UK, but most common in England. It flowers between May and July, with purple, pink or cream flowers. It also makes a great liquid manure!
Where to plant: full sun or partial shade; moist but well-drained or poorly drained soil; sand, chalk, loam, clay
Dandelions have bright yellow flowers, and are naturally found in grassy places and waste ground across the northern hemisphere. They are an important food source for many insects including bumblebees, solitary bees, honeybees, hoverflies and beetles; and as a larval food source for moths. Dandelions flower between April and June.
Where to plant: full sun/partial shade; clay, loam, chalk soil
Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre is the gateway to the Daws Heath Woodland. The centre provides a space for schools, groups and families to learn about south Essex’s fantastic ancient woodlands in an interactive way.Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre Eastwood Road NorthLeigh on SeaSS9 4LR📷Size469 hectaresP
Limited and disabled parking available
Bike parking available Disabled parking available, various routes around the reserve. Contact the centre for further details.
Dogs permitted Please note that dogs are permitted on the reserve but are not allowed inside the Nature Discovery Centre.i
Visitor centre ToiletsShopCafe/refreshments Picnic area Accessible toilet Baby changing facilities Outdoor play area Electric car charging point Wifi
Just before first light, thrushes and Robins begin to sing. It’s the opening act of nature’s greatest show. For a breeding bird, energy is valuable, and singing is a costly exercise. If a male bird can hold a strong tune, he proves to prospective partners that his larder is well stocked.
This month marks the crescendo of the Dawn Chorus as migratory songsters, like Whitethroats and Nightingales, have arrived back on their breeding territory. But plenty of resident birds and early arrivals can still be heard, as they’re still on the lookout for their dream date.
On Sunday 5 May, we celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day. Listen to the Dawn Chorus from the comfort of your local patch (you can even lie in bed and open a window!) Or head on down to an RSPB reserve to hear a different lineup of singers in each unique habitat. With their smart blue caps, yellow breasts and white cheeks, blue tits are one of our most colourful garden visitors. They are also wonderfully acrobatic – clinging, swinging and pecking for food at remarkable angles on bird feeders. When combined with their busy ‘ti-ti-ti-chuuuuuuur’ calls as they move around a neighbourhood, we have one of our liveliest and most exciting garden birds.
Six thrush species can be seen in the UK, with four resident all year round, and an additional two visiting in winter and occasionally remaining throughout the year.
Although you may instantly associate thrushes with birds with speckled breasts, this is not the case for every thrush family member spotted on UK shores.
All the British finches mentioned below can be observed in the UK. However, whilst some are widespread, others are only seen in particular, localised areas and aren't present throughout the entire country.
Spending a little time in the garden this month? You might have a tiny shadow following you around, nipping down for the choice worms and grubs you uncover as you work. Robins are one of our most common garden birds, and are unmistakable with their round white tummies and stark red chests.
While Robins might seem chirpy and fluffy to us, they’re actually tough as nails. They’ll fiercely defend their patch from other robins, singing loudly to warn trespassers, and chasing off would-be worm stealers!
ROBIN Pictured among snow-dusted holly berries or on a garden spade or chair, fluffed up against the cold, or nesting in a discarded rusty teapot or battered boot, the robin enjoys iconic status in British popular culture. Especially so at Christmas, when this perky member of the chat family holds a special place in our affections.
There can be no mistaking that winter is finally upon us in December, as frost grips the countryside and the trees are bare. It is from now until next spring that the battle for survival is at its most extreme for most animals, as food is scarce and temperatures are low. There are a number of tactics to get through this lean period. One is to migrate to a warmer location, another is to stick it out on stored food reserves, and what is still available, whilst another is to sleep it out, i.e. hibernate. Only dormice, hedgehogs and bats truly hibernate.
Another of our smallest garden birds, and one of the most common, Wrens will be busy this month, frantically searching for insects to fatten them up ahead of the breeding season. Relying solely on insects can make for a tough winter in the UK, but the tiny Wren is industrious. Creeping into nooks, crannies and holes, wrens manage to pick out tiny tasty morsels. In fact, the Wren’s scientific name is Troglodyte troglodyte, which means cave dweller.
Look out for these tiny brown birds hopping around on the ground, near walls and homes through January. With their short tail, which sticks up into the air, they’re easy to spot.
Bats are more complex in their requirements and each species seeks out specific conditions. Bats select caves (such as old mines), tree hollows or buildings. They like a relatively humid environment, where there is little temperature fluctuation.
During periods where the weather is mild (10+°C), and there is a chance of a meal, bats will break their hibernation to appear in any winter month. Hedgehogs will do the same, and can be seen before their March 'awakening', but less often.
Unfortunately, in spite of these winter strategies, between 30 and 60 percent of bats and hedgehogs do not make it through to spring.
The quick eruption of blossom in spring is a reminder of how fast the seasons pass by, and the importance of slowing down and savouring fleeting moments. When you’re outdoors, keep a look out for Blackthorn, one of the first blossom to come into flower, along with Cherry Plum, pear and plum. Lesser Celandine, a member of the buttercup family, is also a clear marker that spring is on its way, adding a splash of cheery colour to bare ground. Woodlands will soon be full of the rich scent of Ramsoms, as Wild Garlic flowers carpet the floor.
One way to connect with nature this spring is to get planting in your garden or green space. At this time of year, bees and butterflies will be seeking out a feast after the cold winter.
Galanthophile, otherwise known as a lover of snowdrops. These flowers are native to mainland Europe but have been naturalised in British woods for several centuries. According to Plantlife, they were first recorded in the wild in 1778, though are likely to have been growing here before that.
Snowdrops are adapted to midwinter flowering: a sheath protects their flower stem as it pushes up through the hard, frosty ground. This is a kind of modified leaf, and its botanical name is a spathe. The structure gives snowdrops their alternative name of ‘snow-piercer.’
Compared to other woodland plants flowering this month and next, such as primroses and violets, snowdrops are not particularly valuable for wildlife. They do attract the year’s first queen bumblebees, but rarely buzz with pollinating insects. So they usually spread by bulb division, which sidesteps the need for seeds.
One of the first birds you’re likely to see gathering nesting material each year is the long-tailed tit. The female will usually be on a clutch of between eight to 12 eggs by March, or early April further north, but before that the extraordinary nest has to be made. Construction takes up to three weeks, longer than in most other small songbirds, and the male and female work as a team.
They select a site low down in a thorny bush or hedge or hidden among the tangled stems of a rose or some other climbing plant, then start to weave an oval-shaped ball from moss, adding a small entrance near the top. They cover the structure in crusty grey lichen for camouflage, line it with thousands of tiny white down feathers – as many as 1,500 – and bind it all together with spider silk. A masterpiece!
But the most remarkable thing about this nest is that it is expandable, so it bulges to accommodate the growing brood.
Grey squirrels: do you love them or loathe them? In 2021, a Royal Forestry Society study worked out that these alien acrobats from North America cost an eyewatering £37 million every year in England and Wales alone, in terms of the cost of controlling them and the damage they do to timber, together with the associated loss of carbon storage the lost trees would have provided. That’s before one considers their impact on our native red squirrels. And yet. Grey squirrels probably bring more joy to more people than any other wild mammal in Britain.
The quick eruption of blossom in spring is a reminder of how fast the seasons pass by, and the importance of slowing down and savouring fleeting moments. When you’re outdoors, keep a look out for Blackthorn, one of the first blossom to come into flower, along with Cherry Plum, pear and plum. Lesser Celandine, a member of the buttercup family, is also a clear marker that spring is on its way, adding a splash of cheery colour to bare ground. Woodlands will soon be full of the rich scent of Ramsoms, as Wild Garlic flowers carpet the floor.
One way to connect with nature this spring is to get planting in your garden or green space. At this time of year, bees and butterflies will be seeking out a feast after the cold winter.
Planted as an ornamental tree (be aware that Prunus avium can reach 20m in height or more so is suited to large gardens), this species also grows wild in woods and hedges. Its red fruits are edible cherries. It is found from Europe to Asia Minor, Caucasus, and Western Siberia. It flowers between March and April, attracting bees, beneficial insects, birds, butterflies/moths and other pollinators. It also has seeds for birds and mammals and is a caterpillar food plant.
Where to plant: full sun; moist but well-drained/well-drained soil; sand, clay, chalk, loam
The rich lemon-yellow of a male brimstone butterfly is spectacular at any time – this is an insect that can nowadays be seen in the UK from February until November. But it seems especially fine in early spring sunshine, when the first freshly woken individuals are on the wing. The naturalist Michael McCarthy, one of the co-authors of The Consolation of Nature: Spring in the Time of Coronavirus, writes: “The brimstone is so bright it looks like a piece of sunlight that has become detached from the sun’s rays and freed to wander.” By contrast, the female brimstone is a subtle shade of greenish-yellow. Emerging this early in the year means brimstone butterflies need some clever strategies to heat their thorax muscles, which power the wings, to the 35°C necessary for flight. They do this by seeking sheltered sun-traps, such as the south side of a hedgerow or grassy bank. But even that is not enough. So the butterflies perch and bask, angling their folded wings towards the sun. After basking, they can fly in an air temperature as low as 13°C.
Often the red admiral will be your last butterfly of the year, as well as the first you see the next. It is no longer unusual to see the species active in November, especially in southern areas, perhaps sipping sugar from fallen fruit or imbibing ivy blossom nectar on a tree or garden fence.For such a common butterfly, there’s a surprising degree of uncertainty whether it can survive entire British winters, as either a dormant adult or caterpillar, or whether it relies on spring migrants to keep the population going.
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📷Jelly ear fungus. © Alex Hyde
Some fungi produce fruiting bodies year-round, and jelly ear is one. It grows weird, rubbery mounds on elder bushes and is most visible in winter and spring, being tough enough to survive frosts. The squidgy structures have an unsettling resemblance to wrinkly old human ears.Jelly ear is proof that, while we associate fungi with autumn, hyphae never stop. Hyphae are the mass of tangled fungal threads spreading unseen through wood, plant matter and earth in unimaginably vast numbers, harvesting nutrients for the parent organism.
📷Pygmy shrew. © Jelfer Heder/Minden/FLPA
This is easily the dinkiest British land mammal, usually no heavier than 6g. Close up, its long snout recalls a tiny tapir, albeit one with twitching whiskers and pinprick eyes. But the pygmy shrew is seldom glimpsed alive, as it spends spring and summer deep in the forest of grass stalks.A hyperactive lifestyle burns the calories, yet the shrew has little in reserve, so must hunt more or less nonstop, consuming one-and-a-quarter times its body weight in insects and spiders every day.
📷Golden plover. © Nigel Blake
In spring and early summer, northern peat bogs come alive with the plaintive cry of golden plovers. These quicksilver, arrow-winged birds fly fast – so much so, a debate in 1951 about their aerial prowess led Sir Hugh Beaver, of the famous brewing dynasty, to dream up the Guinness Book of Records.Peatlands are a vital habitat for ‘goldies’ and other wading birds, as well as important carbon sinks. But even now, they are still damaged by peat extraction for sale to gardeners.
Fair Havens provides care and support to adults living with incurable conditions in Southend, Castle Point and Rochford. Our services are provided absolutely free of charge and available from the day of your diagnosis and throughout your life’s journey.
Our specialist team can offer a wide range of care and support options for you and your loved ones, based on your needs and wishes. This can be in the comfort of your own home, in the hospice, or a combination.
We offer a wide range of nursing and wellbeing support, as an inpatient or through appointments. This includes life-enhancing therapies, help accessing benefits and local services, and emotional, mental health, social, and spiritual support.
We always start by asking, ‘What matters to you?’ and by listening carefully to what you tell us.
Fair Havens can care for people:
About our care
Little Havens provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people living with complex or incurable conditions from Essex and the surrounding boroughs.
Most of the babies, children and young people we care for have conditions that limit their life expectancy, making it even more important for them and their families to make every day of their lives together count.
The Little Havens team provides care and support for each child or young person and their whole family in their homes and at our hospice, in Rayleigh.
Our eligibility criteria is based on the Together For Short Lives definitions. Some children will need further assessment.
Our Wellbeing Team provides support for patients and families who have been referred to Little Havens or Fair Havens. We offer a range of life-enhancing therapies, help with accessing benefits and local services, and provide emotional, mental health, social, and spiritual support. We start by having a chat to find out what’s important to you, then we’ll suggest some options you can choose from.
Here’s a selection of the help and support we can offer:
The Wellbeing Team can only accept referrals from patients, families of patients who have already been accepted for our hospice care and adults and children living in Castle Point and Rochford who need bereavement support. However, we may be able to provide support by signposting to other organisations and resources that may meet your needs. Please use the form below to contact our Wellbeing Team
If you or your family member is already being cared for by one of our hospice services, a referral to the Wellbeing Team can be made by their Key Worker or you can make a self referral by emailing Wellbeingreferrals@havenshospices.org.uk
If you feel that you are at risk of harm or need urgent support then please do not proceed with this form and call 999 or your GP
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Since, Age Concern Southend opened the Haven Community Hub in the old Havens department store on Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, the charity has provided a number of services to both the elderly and the community as a whole. The Haven Community Hub is a space for everyone, regardless of age or ability – where a number of exercise classes, hobby groups, events and community groups meet. It is also a registered Warm Hub with a large onsite café.
A full timetable of classes can be found by CLICKING HERE. Booking for classes can be made by calling 01702 345373 emailing bookings@acsos.co.uk or made in person.
Janice Pitch, Community Investment Board member said, ‘After visiting The Haven Community Hub I was very impressed in their dedication and ability to bring the community together. They have plans that are well thought out and will see the extended hours be sustainable in the long term so that the space is utilised for the good of the community.’
Age Concern Southend’s Adult Day Service is also located within the Haven Community Hub building, offering quality respite care in full day, half day and hourly sessions for people with neurological conditions such as Dementia, Parkinson’s, Stroke and Brain Injury. Sarah Wilson, Supervisor said, “We are so excited to open on Saturdays too, and welcome new clients. A lot of effort from both staff, volunteers and the local community goes into keeping our doors open and to see the service expanding and the hard work paying off is incredible. Long may the support continue. We all love our clients and take pride in the care we provide – if we can help more people access respite care at weekends too, then that is great!” If you would like to learn more about this service or come for a free trail, please email sarah.wilson@acsos.co.uk.
*Yoga Session at The Haven Community Hub, available throughout the week – now including a weekend offering.
*Tai Chi, a new class with weekday and weekend classes.
Charity Welcomes Back Guiding Training
Sighted Guiding Training is Finally Brought Back After COVID Southend in Sight held their first face-to-face guiding training session with staff and volunteers, since COVID. Penny and Mike Hefferan, and guide dog, Questa ran the muchneeded session at the charity’s centre. With many years of experience between them, the pair offered advice on how to safely guide the people the charity supports daily through their services. Penny, who has been registered severely sight impaired since birth, gave her main tips when guiding which were, to think about the importance of describing your surroundings and to treat everyone individually to ensure a safe and positive experience. Community Coordinator for Southend in Sight, Liz Payne, says ““If anyone was out and about on Hamlet Court Road last week, they may well have come across 6 people with blindfolds, tentatively being guided across the road and back again. We even managed a spot of retail therapy in our charity shop to test our descriptive skills!” CEO of Southend in Sight, Lucy Martin, adds “As a sight loss charity, we think it imperative that staff refresh their skills, and any new volunteers receive guiding training as a matter of course. It gives us all a greater understanding of the challenges blind and partially sighted people face daily”. For more information on Southend in Sight and the help and care provided, please call us on 01702 342131.
We are thrilled to announce the start of our new youth group locations – Youth Links Rochford, and Youth Links Rayleigh!
Youth Links is a positive peer support group for young people of secondary school age. We run a range of activities including cooking, crafts, sports and provide a safe space for young people to talk about their feelings. Young people attending Youth Links have found that it has been a really helpful space to talk about issues such as exam pressures, anxiety, depression and identity, enabling them to develop better coping strategies.
• Rochford Youth Group: Fridays 4:30-6:30pm at Rochford – 11-18 year olds
• Rayleigh Youth Group: Tuesdays - we are accepting referrals, and time/location to be confirmed
We are delighted to announce we have been awarded a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund. The grant helps secure our work for the next three years and allows us to offer a Sight Loss MOT to those seeking help with their visual impairment.
Our new project – Working Through Sight Loss Together – is headed up by CEO, Lucy Martin and aims to ensure the relevance and sustainability of our work in the community for years to come. The project introduces an assessment for anyone coming to the charity for help and advice with any sight loss issues, whether newly diagnosed or having existing conditions. This assessment, the Sight Loss MOT, will enable the charity to plan an individual, tailored pathway for each person and offer a joined-up service with other local charities and groups which can also provide help and support for those living with sight loss.
News from Southend in Sight - National Lottery Grant Celebration
Local independent sight loss charity Southend in Sight is celebrating after it was awarded a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund. This helps secure the charity’s work for the next three years and allows it to offer a Sight Loss MOT to those seeking help with their visual impairment.
Southend in Sight’s new project Working Through Sight Loss Together is headed up by the charity’s CEO, Lucy Martin and aims to ensure the relevance and sustainability of the charity for years to come. The project introduces an assessment for anyone coming to the charity for help and advice with any sight loss issues, whether newly diagnosed or having existing conditions. This assessment, the Sight Loss MOT, will enable the charity to plan an individual, tailored pathway for each person and offer a joined-up service with other local charities and groups which can also provide help and support for those living with sight loss.
Lucy Martin, Southend in Sight’s CEO said “The grant from the National Lottery has given us and the local community reassurance that for anyone who experiences sight loss issues, we will be there to help navigate their journey together and offer support and advice.”
Southend in Sight has remained connected to its members all through lockdown with its Talk and Support service which has seen volunteers and staff contacting local residents who belong to the charity’s various groups, by phone on a regular basis to check on their health and wellbeing. The charity’s base at 117 Hamlet Court Road is now open for pre-booked appointments and it is able to make some deliveries of essential equipment and even offer advice on the doorstep if the need arose. The charity’s shop is also open again at the Hamlet Court Road site and welcoming shoppers keen to grab a bargain.
Southend in Sight can provide training for businesses and organisations to enable staff to assist customers and service users and provide the most appropriate help and advice for them. For information about this and all the services and assistance available through Southend in Sight, please call on 01702 342131 or go to www.southendinsight.org.uk.
Sight Loss Awareness Training gets cash boost Rayleigh Town Council awards grant to Southend in Sight
Local independent sight loss charity Southend in Sight have received a grant from Rayleigh Town Council to deliver sight loss awareness training to community groups, schools and businesses across the town. The grant of £850 will extend the charity’s work to Rayleigh and help people understand the differing needs of those living with sight loss. Southend in Sight’s Community Engagement Officer, Georgie Haynes can offer practical advice on meeting, greeting and guiding anyone that is visually impaired. This free training makes a real difference to someone living with sight issues as help can be offered in the most beneficial and correct way when they are out and about. The charity’s CEO, Lucy Martin said "We are delighted to have been given this grant by Rayleigh Town Council. It’s great to be back out in the community again and we’re all so pleased that we can offer face to face training. We look forward to meeting businesses and community groups and helping them to understand what it is like to live with sight loss. Simple actions and small changes can make such a big difference." Groups, schools or companies that are interested in booking Sight Loss Awareness Training, should call the charity on 01702 342131. Demand is expected to be high so early application is advised.
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Our centres support clients with all types of cancer at all stages, whether newly diagnosed or longer term, throughout and after completion of treatment. Founded in 1999, the charity is the legacy of BBC broadcaster Helen Rollason, whose vision was: “Good quality of life while coping with cancer is the most important gift a sick person can receive. It should be available to everyone.”
This is a unique event whereby all guests have the opportunity to choose from 4 distances whereby they can enjoy a beautiful walk or trail run amongst the stunning Essex countryside. All routes promise to offer wonderful sights, sounds and smells of nature in Spring. All tickets include a delicious cream tea which you can enjoy in Hatfield Place within the grounds.
Rural Ramble welcomes keen walkers and runners, those who would like a casual stroll and families. We cater for all capabilities.
Each registration supports those living with cancer within your local area. The success of our fundraising events is imperative in enabling us to continue providing the care we do, without you there would be no us. We are currently supporting over 1200 clients, with 1 in 2 of us facing a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime, sadly that number is ever increasing. We will not be able to be there for everyone who needs us without the community supporting us each step of the way.
Book Rural RambleBook Trail Run
Start Times:
10 mile Ramblers and Trail Runners: 9:30am
6 mile Ramblers and Trail Runners: 9:30am
4 mile Ramblers and Trail Runners: 10:30am
1 mile Ramblers and Trail Runners: 10:30am
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Start your new year in a positive way by signing up to take part in one of our 6 distances which all encompass the beautiful sights, smells and sounds of the Essex countryside. Each registration supports those living with cancer within your local area. The success of our fundraising events is imperative in enabling us to continue providing the care we do, without you there would be no us. We are currently supporting over 1200 clients, with 1 in 2 of us facing a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime, sadly that number is ever increasing. We will not be able to be there for everyone who needs us without the community supporting us each step of the way.
Ride for Helen 2024 will take place on Sunday 12th May with this year hosting a new addition of a staggering 100 mile route!
Chose from six cycling routes to suit all capabilities, including; 6 miles, 15 miles, 30 miles, 50 miles, 65 miles and of course the new 100 miles! All routes are circular starting and finishing within the stunning setting of
The Crix in Hatfield Peverel, Essex.
Within the event itself you will notice that we have partnered with fantastic local companies to ensure that we have a wide variety of snacks and refreshments. Our event hub will feature food stalls and entertainment as well as special guests to greet you on arrival! All routes are sign posted and manned by wonderful volunteer marshals to encourage you on your journey.
Together, every pedal is making a huge difference to those living with cancer. We do not wish for anyone to need to use our services, however we need to be here if or when they do. Every registration helps to ensure the future of the charity.
Ride for Helen Essex, the biggest cycling event in the county is back and celebrating its tenth year! To mark this special anniversary the Fundraising Team promises the event to be the best yet! It will be taking place on Sunday 12th May 2024, starting and finishing at within the beautiful setting of The Crix Estate in Hatfield Peverel.
Cyclists will be offered a choice of five cycling routes to suit all capabilities; 6, 15, 30, 50, 65 miles and a brand new 100 mile route! All of which travel through stunning countryside, offering amazing Spring views and scenery.
There will be a buzzing event hub, dedicated volunteer marshals on route, refreshments and a prestigious celebratory medal for all participants.
Registration Fee: £34 + Booking fee
Minimum Sponsorship: £50
Come and run at Colchester Zoo, home to over 160 species and set in 60 acres of parkland and lakes.
The Zoo is proudly listed in the top 2 zoos in the UK and listed as the 11th best zoo around the world as part of the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Attractions.
Event Date: 28th April 2024
Registration Deadline: 19th April 2024
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If you're interested in attending the May Fayre or one of our future events as stall holder, apply now by clicking here! For any questions email to Fernh@trustlinks.orgFind out more!
With the launch of Trust Links Basildon just around the corner, we are so pleased to announce that Growing Together referrals are now open!
We can't wait to open this wonderful site and we want you to join us at our launch event on Wednesday 24th May where we will be welcoming the community for the first time to visit the garden and learn about the beneficial projects available in Basildon. Find out more here.
Dig It Youth return to Trust Links Shoeburness for the summer season!
Dig It is a free seasonal activity club for ages 8 to 14 from April to October, and it's lots of fun! See the poster below for details, and please complete a referral form today to get involved!Find out more
By enjoying a delicious 3-course meal, you and your friends will be helping to raise valuable funds for our projects!
Join us at Zen City for 3 courses consisting of a starter course, duck course, and main course (vegan options available) of delicious Chinese food. You can also be "in it to win it" with a raffle!Get your ticket now!
We are thrilled to announce the start of our new youth group locations – Youth Links Rochford, and Youth Links Rayleigh!
Youth Links is a positive peer support group for young people of secondary school age. We run a range of activities including cooking, crafts, sports and provide a safe space for young people to talk about their feelings. Young people attending Youth Links have found that it has been a really helpful space to talk about issues such as exam pressures, anxiety, depression and identity, enabling them to develop better coping strategies.
• Rochford Youth Group: Fridays 4:30-6:30pm at Rochford – 11-18 year olds
• Rayleigh Youth Group: Tuesdays - we are accepting referrals, and time/location to be confirmed
Find out more
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In a new ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign that is the first of its kind nationally, NHS England is encouraging people who have been sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit to complete the test.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, and detecting it at the earliest stage makes you up to nine times more likely to be successfully treated. But, almost one-third of people who were sent an NHS bowel cancer screening test in England last year did not go on to complete it
SAVS are thrilled to announce the ‘Active Southend-on-Thames’ programme which aims to encourage and increase participation levels in activities on the water or by the water’s edge. Following a successful funding bid (led by SAVS and supported by a variety of partners), Active Thames has generously provided us with funding to deliver on a variety of activities to support our most disadvantaged residents to access water-based activities.
We are very fortunate in Southend to have a plethora of sports and activities that run along the Thames. Through the fund, a consortium of partners identified a great opportunity to build on these strengths and enable more people to access them. Southend-on-Sea is one of Essex’s most deprived areas with 25.8% of residents living in 20% of the most deprived areas in England. To help break down some of the barriers, we have identified the existing opportunities and looked at the key reasons that prevent many of our residents from accessing activities on the water.
The funding will be used to support subsidised activity sessions across six different sports and provide coach development and free training. To kick off the programme, there will be an “Active Southend-on-Thames” launch event which will be followed by a series of taster sessions to give our residents the chance to try out some of the fantastic activities ahead of the Summer.
This is a very exciting opportunity for Southend and we are very grateful to Active Thames and The Port of London Authority for enabling us to bring our vision to life. Our ultimate goal is to generate a buzz about our fantastic offering and have more of our residents engaging with these activities to create a tangible legacy to this funding.
Throughout Active Southend-on-Thames, we will use the funding to deliver:
As part of our delivery, we are inviting organisations and groups to register their interest in providing an activity by using our online form. The activities can be free or have a cost attached to them, all you need to do is fill out the form and let us know how you can support Active Southend-on-Thames. The submissions that we receive will then be matched with the needs of our residents and a panel will determine which activities will receive funding from the programme. So please do let us know how you can support or pass this on to somebody who could benefit.
As well as a call out to activity providers, we are also seeking the views of the voluntary sector and residents to help inform the activities that are chosen. We are keen to engage the community to ensure that we deliver what our residents feel would benefit them the most. Click here to have your say
Our Growing Together gardens are at the heart of Trust Links.
The Growing Together therapeutic community gardening project provides a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for adults, improving mental health, physical health and wellbeing. Our members enjoy a range of gardening activities and can complete horticulture qualifications.
We have six therapeutic community gardens: Westcliff, Shoeburyness, Rochford, Thundersley, Cressing Temple and Basildon.
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I’ve been coming to the gardens since 2013 and I know everyone here – they’re all lovely people, like one big happy family – Fran, Trust Links member
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As a Growing Together member you can benefit from workshop activities at each site, helping you build confidence and skills. Groups include music, art, yoga, creative writing, woodwork and a women’s group. There is also access to vocational training and employment support.
We believe that everyone has something to contribute, whether you are a keen gardener or you simply enjoy being outdoors. No matter your skills, we’ll work with you to find the best way for you to benefit from the project. Our members include adults with a wide range of mental health conditions, learning disabilities, dementia, physical disabilities, sensory impairments and neurodiverse conditions.
Our members produce wonderful fruit, vegetables and plants, which are then sold at our on-site shops and at our regular community events open to children, young people and families. The gardens have been frequent winners of the Green Flag Awards, Southend in Bloom and Anglia in Bloom competitions, and are also open to the public.
The Growing Together study
In 2021 and 2022, researchers from University of Essex worked with Trust Links to evaluate the impact and outcomes of the Growing Together project. The Evaluation sought to identify the project’s impact on wellbeing, social isolation and life satisfaction. To find out more about the impact of Growing Together, click here!
In July 2017, Focal Point Gallery gallery founded Twenty One: an alternative cultural venue for live art, events and exhibitions. Located on the seafront, the venue is situated next to the acclaimed Southend Pier; the longest pleasure pier in the world.
The Royal Hotel Friday, 5 April 20249.00 pm to 11.00 pm
Book A Comedy Night Out @ Royal Hotel Southend Essex Friday 5th April
The Official Comedy Club as seen on TV is one of the most recognised and respected names in the comedy industry and for over 28 years has worked across the UK and abroad with the best of the best.
For Fabulous Friday they have hand-picked some of their favourite five star laughter makers in the UK and brought them together for you in one full show!
Be prepared, get buckled up and get ready for one of the funniest nights of your life!
Food is available pre show
The Forum, Southend-on-SeaFriday, 22 March 20242.00 pm to 3.30 pm
Southend Library welcomes six fantastic Essex authors to discuss their books, their writing and their creative lives.
Discover where they find their inspiration, how they juggle family and publishing, how they respond to reviews and what they believe to be the secret to writing a best-selling story!
These questions and more will be answered on the day.
The writing panel comprises authors: Lizzie Chantree, Lorna Cook, Carrie Elks, Julie Haworth, Lizzie Page and Emma Robinson.
A limited number of tickets are available from The Forum Reception – please call 01702 534111, or drop by to reserve.
In July 2017, Focal Point Gallery gallery founded Twenty One: an alternative cultural venue for live art, events and exhibitions. Located on the seafront, the venue is situated next to the acclaimed Southend Pier; the longest pleasure pier in the world. In September 2021, Twenty One relaunched under the new management of Elwira Middleton, to build on the successes of the original vision and work towards ‘Twenty One being a cultural centrepiece in Southend, a place for originality and creativity, nurturing local artists and performers and driving to be a nationally recognised venue. The eclectic schedule of cultural events will be set to a background of amazing coffee and great food, focusing on high quality locally sourced ingredients, with plant based and gluten free options.’
Come and watch excellent live acts in our special venue by the sea.
Would you like to perform at Twenty One? Get in contact with us to chat.
The Old Trout
Times 19:30 – 23:00O -Fortnightly Thursdays 56 London Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1NX Transport Southend Victoria phone 01702337000 Host phone 07794913523 EntryFree
Saks
19:00 – 22:00 The Second Sunday of each month 23-25 Clifftown Rd, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1AB Transport Southend Central Venue phone 01702 332179 Host phone 07361792357
SARAH MOORE
Whether you're an upcoming Musician, Artist, Actor, Poet, Comedian, new to the scene or just enjoy live performance, the Live and Loud! Open Mic Night is the place for you to be! Every last Sunday of the month: 7pm - 10pm at The Sarah Moore Pub.
Milton, Chalkwell and the Crowstone is a reprint of a book by Marion Pearce. Originally published over 20 years ago, by the same author, this new edition has been completely revised with new chapters, additional text and a range of brand-new illustrations.Over the years, the hamlet of Milton (or Middletun) has been lost in the mists of time. Yet traces of the 'middle town' can still be found between Leigh-on-Sea and Southchurch. The name Milton still survives in road names in Southend and the electoral ward of the same name. Chalkwell centres around Chalkwell Hall and its park. The present Chalkwell Hall, is the third house on the site. Until the coming of the railways nearly all of Chalkwell was farmland. When the railways were built in the 1850s an empowering act required two level crossings to be built along with a special siding to accommodate the farming community.
Extract from Milton, Chalkwell and the Crowstone by Marion Pearce.
The history of Southend, the seaside town in Essex. Available to pre-order from Waterstones or direct from Essex Hundred Publications.
Have you ever thought what was behind a simple road sign in Southend Essex. The Scratton Road, Southend, is named after the Scratton family.
The family was very wealthy and influential and were great
benefactors of Prittlewell, donating among other things, in 1727 the land for the first public school in North Street, Prittlewell. This school catered for the poor children of the town, giving education to ten needy children on the condition that they should be taught, "To read, and write, and instruct them in the catechism and principles of the Christian religion according to the usage of the Church of England."
In 1739, the Lord of the Manor, Daniel Scratton, made a further donation of land, increasing the North Street site to nearly twenty-one acres enabling the free education of sixteen children. The school was described by the Parliamentary Commissioners, reporting from 1819 to 1837 as, ‘The premises consist of a house of lath and plaster, situate in the village, near the bridge; it comprises a schoolroom of about 30 ft. in length and 20 ft. in breadth, and several rooms which are appropriated to the use of the schoolmaster.’
The school grew to accommodate the education of between forty to fifty boys and between thirty to forty girls. The children were taught reading, writing, ciphering, and religious knowledge, the girls additional needlework. The school
proved very popular growing to one hundred and seventy-five pupils in 1872 and outgrowing its site near the village pump in North Street.
Prittlewell Church of England School moved to a new site near St Mary’s Church in East Street. There is still a Church of England school in East Street, now called St Mary's Prittlewell Church of England School.
Claire is a multi-genre author and poet. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 setting her writing career in motion.
Claire is also Deputy Editor for Write On! magazine.
Dodie Hamilton, The Spiritual Midwife, is known throughout the world for her work in psychic counselling and Healing, her particular interest being the Near Death and the Out-of-Body experience. Over thirty years she's given countless private consultations and appeared at the Mind, Body & Spirit Festivals. All her books and writings, no matter how real, how flesh and blood, as in say, A Second Chance, the first in the Gabriel Books, are borne of years of study and personal exploration, the late Robert A Monroe, of the Monroe Institute, Virginia, author of Journeys Out of Body, Far Journeys, and The Ultimate Journey, her mentor.
Thank you, Robert for All That Is..
http://www.chillwithabook.com/2017/08/perfidia-by-dodie-hamilton.html
Three of my novels have one Reader's Awards:
A Second Chance won The Chill Reader's Award
Fragile Blossoms also won A Chill Award
Perfidia, the sequel to A Second Chance won a Chill Award and A Diamond Award.
Reluctant Angels, the Prequel to A Second Chance, and Dodie's latest novel has received The Readers Chill Award.
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Famous Essex Authors You Have Never Heard Of.
Confused? This book is a series of mini biographies of authors from the recent and distant past who were born in Essex or who have lived in Essex, or are associated with Essex in some way, with some trivia about books that have featured Essex. The content reflects my personal love of books combined with my love of Essex, my adopted county.
It is a sad fact that Essex does not have a great reputation for culture and I wanted to show what memorable authors the county has produced down the centuries from 17th century eccentrics like Margaret Cavendish to 20th century bestselling novelists like Warwick Deeping. I am hoping it will inspire admiration for those men and women who have, in many cases, achieved huge success with their work. The emphasis throughout is on their Essex connection, obviously – some having merited blue plaques, but many, sadly, not.
Even non-readers could recognise characters from popular television series for example Lord Peter Wimsey created by Dorothy L. Sayers from Witham, or Detective Jack Frost created by R.D.Wingfield from Basildon. We can also boast an East Enders script-writer, creators of Hollywood screenplays, and successful poets and playwrights.
I confess to having included some of the biggest names in the literary world because they have spent time here in Essex or written about the county – these will be the ones you HAVE heard of, like Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare – because I am justifiably proud of their connection as all Essex folk should be. It has taken several years to collect these names together, but absolutely worthwhile. Enjoy.
Available from essex100.com and Amazon as well as local bookshops.
Link to Dee’s interview on BBC Essex re FEA - https://youtu.be/qRCY-1IOykQ
www.deegordon-writer.com for more about Dee and her books
Syd Moore is best known for her Essex Witch Museum Mysteries (Strange Magic, Strange Sight, Strange Fascination, Strange Tombs and later in 2020, Strange Tricks). The series was shortlisted for the Good Reader Holmes and Watson Award 2018. She has twice been shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2019 and 2020. Her debut screenplay, Witch West, which she developed from an original idea, has been optioned by Hidden Door Productions and will be released in Autumn 2021. She lives in Essex.
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visit the website at https://www.isabelbeebooks.org/ Isabel grew up in Leigh and completed after a Foundation in Art and a design I studied Fine Art at Quicksilver Place (Middlesex University) BA HONS/MA. she then took up a position at the Whitechapel Gallery and moved back to Leigh to raise her family. "I took up the position as Assistant Director after my PGCE at Focal Point Gallery. Ill health cut my career short. I suffer the debilitating illness known as ME. I became bedbound in 2017. I became ill in 2003. It’s been half my life. Unable to even sit up for ten years I was unable to do anything". My books are a miracle to me. After a decade and well enough to sit up, I began to draw again from bed. I believe these stories , especially The Butterfly Who Wouldn’t Open Her Wings , came to me fully formed. I just had to find a way to do the work! Over a period of three months I worked for half an hour a day when I could. Somehow the first book got published (September 2020) Then the second - Fox and Dog four months later (January 2021) then third The Plum Tree April 2021. My first collection of poems last month. Titled Flesh. When something calls to be written I endeavour to write it. The drawings is what I love to do. I used to make very large scale work and work in 3D but my illness has changed most things. So now I work sitting up in bed with my materials brought to me Not surprisingly, the themes of my books are of the importance of silence, hope, darkness, transformation, patience, endurance and dreams. Fox and Dog is about how friendship and play overcome prejudice and The Plum Tree is about roots, growing together, family, the cycles of nature and what they teach is, fruitfulness, death, hope and the strength of love. My poems vary. The first collection contains poems in sections. Nature inspired, highly personal from the heart, reflections on death and transformation, some comedic observations of living in the suburbs and some scathingly political. Some are intended for restoration and hope. I am currently waiting on a publishing deal from Osbourne for my fourth book which is a much longer story I have written for children who may have lost a parent to death. I am currently working on the illustrations for Thai book. I can’t say any more about it yet but I hope it will be published some time next year. If you look on my website there are several images from each book there you can use as screen grabs Also the book blurbs are there too. I created three promo videos for the books which I will send (probably separately due to file sizes) If there’s anything else you’d like to know I’ve not included here then please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m very much looking forward to hearing news of if and when you publish anything about me and my work. So do let me know I also play the violin ! "
Daisy Bourne
"Daisy Bourne (Rose Griffin) is a creative writer, public speaker and the author of The Tales of Avalon series, a collection of nine fantasy books inspired by what may have happened after the death of King Arthur. Written under the pseudonym of Daisy Bourne, Rose has created an enchanting world of magic and adventure around King Arthur and the people of Avalon, Merlin, Lennox the Unicorn, magical beings and many more delightful characters. The first three books in the series are already published and the 4th and 5th were be published in 2018." https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daisy-Bourne/e/B077SL2JN5/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
A Story Never to be Told, is the fourth book in the Tales of Avalon Series. What happened to Azgoose, the clever old witch, who created the clouds of goo which delayed the Trajaens at the Battle of Merlport? Although the Avalonians sent out search parties, she was not found. In A Story Never to be Told secrets continue to unfold. In this book we meet the Rabbart lll, the powerful King of Barrmin, and his family. King Rabbart rules all the former kingdoms and tribes in the northern lands. King Rabbart befriends Arthur and the magical people of Avalon. He offers one of his beautiful daughters in marriage to Edward. Is Rabbart lll’s friendship with Avalon sincere? Will Edward remain loyal to Daisy, or will he marry a Princess of Barrmin to strengthen the alliance between the two countries? The answers can only be found in A Story Never to Be Told
Quite surprisingly, however, it is neither of these features that have made Mary Ellis’s tomb such a local wonder. Rather, it is the tomb’s worn stone top.
The fascinating tomb is known locally as “the cutlass stone,” or “cutlass tomb,” due to the deep scores across its top. Marks that, according to many, indicate it was used by press gangs to sharpen their swords.
Press gangs were rough groups who travelled the country between the 17th and 19th centuries, forcefully conscripting, or pressing, people into the Royal Navy. Many of these gangs would loiter outside pubs and churches, waiting for young men, suitably fit for service, to leave before capturing them and taking them off to sea.
It is believed that such gangs would gather outside St. Clements during its Sunday services, and while waiting would hone their swords on the large stone tomb directly outside.
According to local legend, however, it was this absentminded and disrespectful sharpening that may have just saved the young male parishioners from a life at sea. The sound of the press gangs’ swords scraping on the stone could apparently be heard within the church. Alerted to the unwelcome presence outside, men would escape unnoticed through a tunnel under the church tower, meaning that only the elderly and unfit would be seen to leave the church.
diedon 3rdJune1609;awellknownandmuchlovedresidentofOldLeighwholivedtotheremarkableageof119.Her tombinablockshapewithaplinthontopwasusedbythepressgangstosharpentheirsabrespriortoconscriptingtheyoungladsin the church congregation, it is thought the actions of these swords on the top of the tomb are still visible
According to her tomb, Ellis passed away at the impressive age of 119. This is all the more incredible considering Mary Ellis died in 1609, after living through the entire 16th century and the reigns of every Tudor monarch. In addition to her longevity, her tomb’s inscription includes the odd detail that she remained a virgin throughout her life.
Lady Olivia Sparrow
Lady Olivia Sparrow was the Irish born eldest daughter of the Earl of Gosford. Her inheritance of the estate of Leigh came through her father-in-law Robert Sparrow of Worlingham in Suffolk. With her husband, Brigadier General Robert Bernard Sparrow, she had three children, one of whom, Millicent, married George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester and so in Leigh we had Duke of Manchester Drive, now Manchester Drive. Millicent and George's eldest daughter married Lord Tankerville and hence we have Tankerville Drive in Leigh.
Olivia's husband died on active service leaving Olivia his estate of Leigh. Although it is not thought that Olivia lived in Leigh at any time she was a compassionate person and had great concern for the welfare of the Town.
She had special day schools built and opened in December 1834 even though some people thought education for all was a dangerous thing.
She introduced the Rev Ridley Haim Herschell, a Jewish believer in Christ from Poland to Leigh, as a teacher. We now have Herschell House and Herschell Road as a reminder of his stay in Leigh which, surprisingly, was only about eighteen months, although he made a tremendous impact on the little isolated community.
Lady Olivia gave Leigh two new water supplies in wells on the Strand and near Bell Wharf. She died in 1863 and her heirs sold the estate.
This grade II listed building is in what was the ancient hamlet of North Shoebury. It was not until 1933 that North Shoebury was officially united with South Shoebury to form Shoeburyness and incoporated into the Borough of Southend. North Shoebury was still a rural area in 1980. Following much public debate, an ASDA ‘superstore’ was built in 1981. Two years later, the lone survivor of the old farm buildings was converted into a public house named Parsons Barn and the surrounding farmland covered by new housing. In the year of Our Lord 1763 James Bowis, carpenter, was commissioned by one Thomas Drew, agent for Christopher Parsons Esquire, to build a barn on that gentleman’s estate at North Shoebury. The fee was set at £57, to be paid on completion; “and if the barn be well finished, Mr Drew to give Mr Bowis £1-11-6d more”. This fee included the sum of one pound for the taking down of the site’s existing barn, which dated from the fifteenth century, and the selling of its timbers for laths. The new barn was to be built in three parts: the first and main part for the storage of hay and straw, to measure 70 foot long and 22 foot wide; the second part, the granary, to measure 20 foot long and 10 foot wide; and the third part, the porch, to be 15 foot wide and to project 12 foot out from the main part. For the timber, Bowis was assigned certain growing trees which he was required to fell, cut, hew and saw within the month of November, thereafter seasoning the finished planks for two full months. The barn was then to be completed by Midsummer’s Day – save only the bricklaying. If any materials from the earlier barn were incorporated, they were only to be those specifically marked by Mr Parsons. The site chosen lay just to the north of the parish church of St Mary, itself adjoined by the farmyard of North Shoebury Hall (Called ‘Essoberia in the Domesday Book where it is recorded as having wood sufficient for a dozen swine and pasture for a hundred sheep). Within the church stand the tombs of many of Christopher ‘Parsons’ forbears and descendants, for this was his family’s burying place for the most of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. He himself was laid to rest in the chancel when he died in 1787, aged 88 (and so the man who gave the barn its name still lies within a furlong of it). With the agreement for the new barn signed by Drew and witnessed by Parsons and another, the carpenter and his mates set to work taking down the old barn, sorting and laying up the materials as agreed. They set the new foundations in the ground; they prepared the timber; and then, through the spring and early summer they erected the structure, assembling the posts (measuring eight inches by nine), the colls (measuring seven inches by eight), the massive beams (measuring a full eight inches by twelve), the plates, gists, rafters and studs exactly as directed. At each end of the barn were hung pairs of great doors, sufficient in height to allow a laden wain to pass beneath their lintel. The joints were all morticed and pinned in a good and workmanlike manner and to the framing, weatherboarding was affixed, each board being nine inches wide and nailed so as to overlap that beneath it by two inches. By the appointed date, Parsons’ Barn was complete; though it would seem that Mr Parsons was not easily parted from his money, for Bowis did not receive payment until May of the year following. For some two centuries, Parsons’ Barn fulfilled the purpose for which it was built – storing the corn, the straw and the hay harvested from the surrounding fields. But then, as the village of Thorpe Bay expanded to encompass those fields, it was increasingly neglected and fell into a sad state of decay. Its end might have been near, save for the fact that, on 23 December 1982, the freehold was purchased by Clifton Inns Limited, a company dedicated to the revival of traditional public houses. In consequences of their efforts, on 6 December, 1983, Parsons’ Barn was wholly restored and refurbished, ready to open its doors as one of the finest taverns in the country. shoebury garrisons
The Conduit - Leigh
The water supply to the old village used to be provided by a conduit from a spring rising on the summit of the cliff, known as the Tikle or Tikel, a corruption of Tile Kiln Meadow.
At the fountain head was a stone inscribed –
This stone is placed at ye Spring Head belonging to the cundit by desire of the parishioners of Leigh, 1712.
The water passed through several cisterns from its source until it reached the reservoir in the High Street.
As the population grew and the demand for water became greater the spring was insufficient for the Old Town's needs and so in 1832, Lady Olivia Sparrow, the Lady of the Manor, gave a piece of ground in the middle of the Strand for a well to be sunk. This was still not enough and another well was sunk on King’s Strand (Strand Wharf) four years later.
The well on Strand Wharf
The site of the Conduit was restored in 1975 by the local branch of the Royal Institute of British Architects to mark "European Heritage Year". The stone pillar came from Rectory Grove where it had marked the head of the spring.The conduit is managed by the Leigh Society.
SOUTHEND PIER
The first pier was planned in 1828 and and a 600 foot wooden section opened in 1830. The length had increased to one and a quarter miles by 1846, making it the longest pier in Europe. A baggage line was adapted for passenger use.In August 1885, a replacement iron pier was planned and work began in 1888 to the design of James Brunlees. The pier opened on 24th August 1890. £10,000 of the £80,000 cost was spent on the new electric railway.An extension opened in 1898 making it the longest pier in the world at 7080 feet. On July 25th 1908, the upper-deck of the pier extension opened, followed by the doubling of the rail track and the Prince George steamer extension in 1929.During World War II, the pier was used by the Navy. Huge popularity followed the War with the electric train carrying 4,713,082 passengers in its first season (1949/50) and an additional one million people passing through the turnstiles. However, falling trade led to a financial survey in 1970 and the pier’s entertainments were franchised.
In July 1976, a fire badly damaged the pier-head with repair costs estimated at £1.4 million. In October 1978, the pier railway (now single-track) was closed for safety reasons. The council planned to close the entire pier in September 1980 but a rescue package was agreed with a local firm and rebuilding had begun by November 1984. The work included a new 3 foot gauge railway. The pier was temporarily sectioned in June 1986 when the 180 foot ‘King’s Abbey’ collided with it. Also that year, the refurbished pier was opened by Princess Anne.
In 1989, a museum was opened near the shoreward end railway station. Fire destroyed the the adjacent Bowling Alley and walkway on 7th June 1995. The railway was also damaged and forced to close. It later re-opened with a council promise of general rebuilding.
Plans for a new pavilion and the development of the entrance area suffered a setback with the rejection of a 1997 Heritage Lottery Fund application. The fire damaged area at the shore-end was rebuilt in 1998.
A new RNLI station and gift shop were built at the pier-head in 2000 and the pier illuminations were switched on in November of that year. The Southend Cliff Lift re-opened in 2001 and in 2003 a new £1.9 million entrance with full disabled access was completed.
Fire struck again in October 2005 destroying the pier-head station and 130 foor section of the pier.
The pier was voted NPS Pier of the Year in 2007.
In May 2009, Southend Council announced an international landscape architecture competition to choose a design for the Pier Head which was destroyed in the fire of 2005.
September 2009 saw the opening of a new £2.4million station at Southend pierhead and a Council announcement that a further £830,000 would be spent on refurbishments including reinstating windbreaks dating back over 50 years, repainting windows in the Pier Museum and a large amount of other repainting which would be completed by early 2010. Also in September, it was announced that Swedish company White Arkitekter had won a competition to design a new pierhead which would have included a cultural centre and a restaurant. However, in November, the Council was told it had missed out on the £5million from the Government’s Sea Change grant which was needed to build the White Arkitekter project.
In December 2009, a redevelopment plan which included a roller-coaster, plus new entertainment and leisure facilities at both ends of the pier, was turned down by the Council.
Then in March 2010, the Council announced it had decided to press ahead with the White Arkitekter plan for the pier head with completion, hopefully by 2012.
In March 2011, Southend Pier joined in the Party on the Pier celebrations to mark the launch of British Tourism Week.
In May 2011, long-awaited plans to redevelop Southend’s historic pier were delayed by months because of nesting birds – ruddy turnstones. Then in July, the whole project which included a new cultural centre had to be scaled back to protect the interest of the birds. A further setback was announced in September 2011 when it was announced that the presence of the birds meant that the lights on the new cultural centre would have to be switched off in the winter months.
Also in September, the pier had to be closed temporarily following a collision by a barge. The pier suffered further damage afte being struck by a fishing boat in February 2012 and was again closed temporarily while repairs were made. It reopened in late March.
Posted on March 15, 2024 by Anon Guest • 0 Comments
Southend-on-Sea based Baptist minister Ivan King explains why he has written a book honouring some of the ordinary people who have welcomed him into their world as a pastor – and his hope that readers may catch sight of the God who can sometimes be glimpsed in the events of everyday life.
As a visit to your local library will confirm, biographies are very popular. We are fascinated by glimpses into the lives of others. Those serving in pastoral ministry are privileged to meet all kinds of people in the day-to-day but most particularly at points of crisis in their lives.
In my time in Baptist ministry, I have served churches in east London and Essex and have had the joy of meeting many varied people who have invited me to accompany them as a pastor. Almost none of these were ‘movers, shakers or decision-makers’ in society; they were mostly ordinary people facing the kind of challenges common to many, trying to puzzle out where God is in difficult times.
A year or two ago I felt I wanted to honour some of these dear folk by sharing their stories – discreetly, respectfully and with affection. So I wrote a book which has just been published: it is a series of short sketches of my friends, each paired with a brief reflection from the gospels. Meeting those named in the book has shaped both my faith and my character.
I hope that sharing these stories will not only honour my friends but, through them and their life experiences, others may also catch sight of the God who may sometimes be glimpsed in the events of everyday life.
I am convinced that reflection is essential for anyone in pastoral ministry. Without reflection, we may only see a multitude of faces or – worse still – only the problems that people have. When we stop and think about our interactions with the people we encounter, we open ourselves to the possibility that we may see and hear God in their situations. We move away from simply being problem-solvers and return once again to being pastors.
I am indebted to two senior Christian leaders who have offered commendations of the book, including Baptists Together General Secretary, Revd Lynn Green. Lynn comments:
‘This is a wonderful collection of heartwarming stories of precious people. In times of much uncertainty and change, Ivan’s book will re-connect you with the foundational truth that love is at the heart of things.
‘The encounters and reflections shared so beautifully in this book will encourage you to trust that love expressed in a myriad of small moments like these are infinitely valuable and touch lives; embodying God’s coming Kingdom.’
Bruno & Other Friends: Encounters and Reflections is independently published on Amazon, with the author listed as Ivan Morgan King to avoid confusion with a similarly named author writing Christian material with a somewhat different emphasis.
It is priced £8 for paperback and £4 on Kindle, via this link.
Kindness Kitchens are run at the St Vincent’s Centre, Southend where we feed 80 – 90 people a night from 6pm – 8:30pm.
We are currently looking to fill our Sunday Night. We are looking to find groups that would like to plan, supply, cook and serve up meals for the guests of the centre in our new commercial kitchen.
We already have 2 groups but 3 more would ensure that the people who come are supported at the centre sufficiently.
For further information please contact the centre Manager Daniel Cauchi 07930287471 or email danielc@svp.org.uk
More info about the work of St Vincent’s Centre, Southend can be found on the website: www.svp.org.uk/st-vincents-southend
Go to link to see video clip
Posted on April 16, 2024 by Anon Guest • 0 Comments
Southend Christian Bookshop are offering a hardback study Bible with a very readable font size at a special price of £23.99 against its normal retail price of £33.50. Visit us to see for yourself!
Features of the NLT Student Life Application Study Bible in hardback include:
• 27,000+ study notes
• a reading guide that traces the Bible’s big story
• 81 biographical summaries of the lives of important people in the Bible
• 137 pictures illustrating objects and places
• answers to 59 vital questions about the basics of Christian belief and what it
means to live as a Christian.
Apart from the in-book study notes, maps, personality profiles etc, it also features an app which gives you access to videos, devotionals and a lot more study materials.
Southend Christian Bookshop
57 London Road
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS1 1PF
Telephone: 01702 344008
E-mail: scbookshop@talktalk.net
Opening Hours
Monday – Saturday 9.30 am – 5.30 pm, Closed on Wednesdays.J
Have a story idea for us? Would you like to write for us?
Send us a message and let us know what you are thinking about.
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