The November 2023 edition of the Future of Essex Newsletter looks ahead to the next Essex Anchor Network Reverse Jobs Fair, which takes place in Harlow on 21st November; welcomes the new Director of the University of Essex’s new Centre for Coastal Communities, and reflects on the ‘Faith and Blue Lights Conference’ which took place on Wednesday 18th October.
We details of Active Essex’s new ‘Move With Us’ campaign, as well as information on how you can take part in the consultation phase for the new Essex Waste Strategy and Essex County Council’s Carbon Cutting App, which offers users the opportunity to win vouchers worth up to £250!
Essex Anchor Network takes Reverse Jobs Fair to West Essex
The next Essex Anchor Network Reverse Jobs Fair is being held this month in Harlow!
The event will be hosted at Harlow College, Velizy Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM20 3EZ on Tuesday 21stNovember 2023,and will be delivered in partnership with the West Essex Health & Care Partnership. The event opens at 9:30am and close at 12:30pm.
A Reverse Jobs Fair is designed to assist those facing barriers into employment. It flips the idea of a traditional Jobs Fair by allowing jobseekers to create displays and presentations that demonstrate their talents, and then showcase them, at a Fair, to potential employers.
Employers then have the opportunity to circulate among the stands, introducing themselves to the jobseekers, and taking time to discuss opportunities and create connections where skills and abilities of the candidates match those required by employers.
These events highlight talent within groups who may face barriers to employment, and gives those individuals the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities in a supported environment.
Essex Cares Limited, Essex County Council’s Inclusive Employment provider, are bringing a cohort of potential candidates, all of whom have Learning Disabilities and/or Autism.
If you would like more information on the upcoming Fair, please contact essex.partners@essex.gov.uk
Director Announced for New Centre for Coastal Communities
Health inequalities expert Dr Emily Murray has been appointed as the Director of the new Centre for Coastal Com-munities at the University of Essex.
The new centre will be established in Clacton by the University of Essex as part
of the £20m town centre improvement project being backed by the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The centre will harness the strengths of the university to deliver research, innovation and impact, focusing on addressing the particular challenges and opportunities of coastal communities.
Its aim is to become a national hub of excellence for championing coastal communities and will form part of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, which was established by the university in 2022.
New Director Dr Murray, who will be leaving her current role as a Senior Research Fellow at University College London Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be appointed as Director of the Centre for Coastal Communities. I am very much looking forward to joining Essex, meeting new colleagues, and working together with partners to address the unique challenges of coastal communities.
“As someone who grew up in a coastal community, I was immediately drawn to Essex’s commitment to creating a national centre of excellence for championing coastal communities. My vision for the centre is one of inclusivity. That the research questions we ask, the data we create and the solutions we offer are truly in-formed by and for coastal communities.”
The university was one of the partners which supported Tendring District Council’s successful bid for the transformational funding from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The University of Essex is committed to supporting economic growth, regeneration and innovation in coastal communities near to its campuses.
As part of this, the University is a founding partner of Freeport East, one of twelve Freeports being established in the UK.
Belief and Blue Lights Conference
On Wednesday 18thOctober 2023, the Essex Faith Covenant (EFC), in conjunction with Essex Mind and Spirit (EMS), staged the first ever Belief and Blue Lights conference at Chelmsford Cathedral.
It proved to be an extraordinarily effective and well received event, bringing together the police, fire and ambulances services, caring agencies and various faith communities under one roof, to explore issues including race/hate crime, community resilience and the role of faith communities in partnership, with the emergency services in engagement for the common good and in the event of future community crises management. As such it was probably the biggest set piece event demonstrating the principles of the EFC to bring faith communities and public services together for mutual dialogue, cooperation and joint working.
The various faith communities present appreciated the chance to hear directly from the police, fire and ambulance services why this conference was important to them, the importance they placed on the role of faith communities, and what they can con-tribute to the common good and how each of the services was seeking to reflect this in their policies and procedures.
Where do we go from here? Well, there was widespread agreement that we mustn’t stop there: another conference at some point is a distinct possibility, and all the delegates have been asked to return a questionnaire to the EFC to see where and how it might be able to take forward and develop this work.
Watch this space….!
Active Essex launch ‘Move With Us’ Campaign
Come and #MoveWithUs!
Explore your local opportunities, be a part of something, and take time to support your mental and physical health. Whether it be cricket or trampolining, running or Zumba, informal or organised activity, we want to help support you in finding ‘the one’.
The Move With Us campaign, is here to change things. By sup-porting young people in their endeavours to find an activity that’s right for them, and one they enjoy, you’ll be more likely to continue this changed behaviour and lead an active and healthy life!
Discover local opportunities to you through the Find Your
Active activity finder, try something new over on their online channel, or discover some support links to help you take the first step.
Dive deeper, here: www.activeessex.org/move-with-us/
Don’t Waste the Chance to Have Your Say
The Essex Waste Partnership is currently consulting on the draft Waste Strategy for Essex 2024-2054. This is an important document which sets out how the county and 12, city, district and borough councils in Essex propose to manage waste over the next 30 years. Proposals include delivering the waste hierarchy, with a focus on waste prevention and moving to a circular economy.
By reducing waste, we can protect the environment and save resources. The consultation is open to residents, businesses and organisations to share their views.
Learn more and take part in the consultation.
Please also share through any channels or networks as appropriate. The deadline for responses is 22nd November
Will You Take Action to Protect the Future of the Planet Today?
Discover small changes which we can all make to reduce our carbon footprint by downloading the Carbon Cutting Essex app today. The app is a fantastic way to broaden our knowledge on climate change and how we can take action through our daily lifestyles. The platform features a range of fun interactive activities, and the opportunity for users to keep track of their progress to cut their carbon footprint.
Each month, the app focuses on a different theme around climate action. This month, the theme of the app is how we can all reduce our food carbon footprint. There are many ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint from food. From buying foods from local suppliers to composting and eating more plant-based foods in season, the app provides many ideas on how we can take action. As well as looking after the environment, many of these actions can help us to save money. Users receive rewards for positive changes which can be used to enter prize draws to win vouchers of up to £250 from retailers or donate to a good cause.
Join hundreds of users by downloading the free app from Google Play or the App Store
Essex Community Foundation Host ‘Thriving Communites’ Symposium
Essex Community Foundation are delighted to invite you to their symposium, ‘Thriving Communities, Thriving Third Sector – Responding to Communities with Local experience’, which is part of two events being hosted on Thursday 23rd November 2023 at Hatfield Place, The Street, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford CM3 2ET.
You are invited to attend both of these events, but are also welcome to just attend the one that best suits you. ECF ask that you please register your attendance on Eventbrite here.
The Symposium
(1pm – 5:30pm) will host plenary sessions, panel discussions and networking zones, exploring the vital role of the voluntary sector, the opportunities and challenges they face.
Keynote speakers include:
Samual Kasumu, author of ‘The Power of The Outsider’ and former Special Advisor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Civil Society and Communities.
Professor Tony Chapman, Director of Research, Policy & Practice at Durham University and author of ECF commissioned report examining the energy and impact of the third sector in Essex.
ECF AGM (6pm welcome drinks, seated for the formal meeting at 6:30pm). After the presentations, canapés and drinks will be served and the evening will conclude at 9pm. The venue is fully accessible and if you are able to join us for the full day, we suggest you car share where possible to maximise parking spaces.
