Welcome to the first edition of our Partner & Community Newsletter!
We’re Mid and North East Essex Mind – your local mental health charity.
We’re excited to launch this newsletter as a way to keep you, our valued partners and community contacts, informed and connected. In each edition, we’ll share updates from across our services, highlight the positive impact we’re making together, and signpost helpful resources that support mental health and wellbeing in our local communities.
Visit our website
Service Spotlight: The North East Essex Sanctuary
Since launching in October 2024, the North East Essex Sanctuary has supported hundreds of people experiencing mental health crises. Open every day from 10am to 11pm, including weekends and bank holidays, the service provides immediate support in a non-clinical setting.
It is designed to support adults (18+) who are distressed, overwhelmed, or struggling to cope, but who do not require emergency medical attention.
The service is available to residents of North East Essex and Tendring.
Access:
- Self-referral: 0300 330 9492
- Professional referral: Via our Community Referral Form, or by calling 0300 330 9492 (with consent).
We aim to contact referred individuals within 24 hours. Please note, follow-up calls are made from a private number.
Examples of recent referrals:
- Self Referral: A client experiencing suicidal thoughts contacted the Sanctuary while en route to a railway station. A staff member kept the person engaged while British Transport Police were alerted and able to intervene. The individual was assessed by the Crisis Response Team and then supported further at our Colchester hub.
- Ambulance service handover: Paramedics attending a non-life-threatening mental health incident referred a person directly to the Sanctuary. The individual received immediate in-person support at our Colchester site.
- Out-of-hours support: A housing association tenant in distress contacted us after 5pm, outside the organisation’s working hours. Our team offered emotional support and stabilisation until further help could be arranged the next day.
- Community partner referral: A Clacton Foodbank volunteer, concerned about a client’s wellbeing, submitted an online referral via our website. We followed up and provided appropriate support.
- Primary care referral: A GP submitted a referral through System One after a consultation raised concerns around a patient’s mental health. Our team contacted the patient within 24 hours to offer support.
Please note: The North East Essex Sanctuary is open to adults aged 18+ living in North East Essex.
We welcome drop-ins, but where possible, we kindly ask individuals to contact us in advance so we can ensure the right support is available.
Coming soon: Our new Colchester City Centre hub will open later in June. We look forward to announcing details with all partners as soon as the move date is finalised.
Watch this space: A North East Essex Sanctuary service introduction video is in production and will be shared with our partners shortly.
Visit the North East Essex sanctuary website
New: Bereaved by Suicide Service (Launching July 2025)
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Mid and North East Essex Mind, in partnership with Suffolk Mind and commissioned by Suffolk County Council, is launching the Bereaved by Suicide Support Service on 1 July 2025.
This free, confidential service will support adults and young people across Mid and North East Essex and Suffolk who have been affected by suicide, including family members, friends, colleagues, and witnesses.
Support includes:
- One-to one practical support
- Bereavement counselling and peer support groups
- Advice around inquests, funerals, and personal affairs
- Tailored support and sign posting to local organisations
We welcome referrals from community partners. Please contact us for more details or to discuss how we can work together to support those in need. Please email Simona Bota at s.bota@mnessexmind.org.
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Walking for Wellbeing Groups
Our Walking for Wellbeing groups, led by Shawn Leek (The Mental Health Runner), continue to offer a welcoming space for gentle physical activity and social connection.
No registration is required. The groups meet in:
- Colchester: Mondays at 11am, St Peter's Street, CO1 1WD
- Clacton: Wednesdays at 11am, The Mill, 355-359 Old Road, CO15 3RQ
These gentle walks are open to all and provide a space for movement, connection, and community.
Walking for Wellbeing Group
New Event: Men’s Mental Health Breakfast Event – Tuesday 10 June
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In partnership with The Colte Partnership, we are hosting a Men’s Mental Health Breakfast Event as part of Men’s Health Week.
Tuesday 10th June 2025 , 8am - 11am, Colchester Rugby Club
Guest Speakers include Ezra Hewing (Head of Education, Suffolk Mind) and Shawn Leek (The Mental Health Runner)
We’re working alongside community partners including HealthWatch Essex, The Robin Cancer Trust, iCARP, Essex Shed, and Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust to highlight the importance of men’s mental health and explore how we can support men more effectively, together.
This event brings together professionals, community partners, and advocates to open up conversations around men’s mental health, and to explore how we can work together to support men's mental health.
Whether you work in health, care, education, community services, or simply want to better support the men you work with or care about, we’d be delighted to welcome you.
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Time to talk about Mens Mental Health
Mid Essex Service Updates
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Personality Disorder Support Service
Our Personality Disorder Support Service is designed to help individuals manage the everyday challenges that can feel unmanageable when they’re struggling with their mental health. We provide short-term, practical support to adults living in Braintree, Chelmsford, and Maldon.
Through a mix of one-to-one sessions and group support, we work alongside each person to develop a support plan that meets their individual needs and goals.
We offer help with:
- Employment and education challenges
- Benefit and financial issues
- Housing-related concerns
- Attending appointments, meetings, and phone calls
Support is tailored to individual needs, and our team can also connect clients to local community groups and services, and support them to engage with these.
Who is it for?
This free service is open to adults living in Mid Essex. Individuals can self-refer, or referrals can be made by professionals, family members, or carers (with consent).
For more information please visit mnessexmind.org/personality-disorder-service, or email
pdservice@mnessexmind.org
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Expanding Our Welcome Café Service
We’re continuing to grow our Welcome Café service, with new locations being developed to reach more communities across the region, and we welcome your ideas on where we should go next.
Our weekly Welcome Cafés provide a warm, non-clinical space for people living with low to moderate mental health challenges. Facilitated by experienced wellbeing practitioners, these sessions offer a chance to connect with others, reduce feelings of isolation, and access informal emotional support in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
We currently run Welcome Cafés in Colchester, Chelmsford, Harwich, Brightlingsea, and Clacton, and we’re always looking to build on this foundation by working with local partners and communities.
We are particularly keen to extend our Welcome Café service in Mid Essex. If you have suggestions for new Welcome Café locations or have a suitable venue which could host a weekly group, please contact our Anna Lambert, Business Development Manager at a.lambert@mnessexmind.org
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Personality Disorder Support Service
We're looking for new trustees to join our Board!
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We’re looking for new Trustees to join the Board at Mid and North East Essex Mind.
If you care about mental health and want to make a difference in your local community, this could be a meaningful way to get involved. You’ll help guide our work, support our leadership team, and play a part in making sure we’re doing the very best for the people who need us.
We’re particularly keen to hear from people with experience in:
- Finance
- Health or Social Care
You don’t need previous Board experience, just a commitment to our values and a willingness to get involved.
Closing date for applications: 20 June
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Local Mind Support Across Essex
Did you know that wherever you are in Essex, there’s a local Mind service here to support you?
If you’re based outside of Mid and North East Essex, Mind in Essex can help connect you with your local branch. From talking therapies and crisis support to wellbeing activities and practical advice, local Minds are rooted in their communities and offer a wide range of services.
To find support in your area or learn more, visit: www.mindinessex.org.uk
Together, local Minds across Essex are working to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone.
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Have You Heard About Our Award-Winning Mental Health Training?
The Mental Health Toolkit: The Essentials is our popular, award-winning half-day workshop designed to help individuals and organisations better understand and support mental health and wellbeing.
Through this interactive session, we explore the Mental Health Continuum, introduce the Emotional Needs & Resources approach, and cover key topics like sleep, depression, trauma, and resilience.
Participants will leave with practical tools to:
- Challenge common mental health myths
- Understand their own emotional needs
- Better support others
- Contribute to a healthier, more supportive workplace
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If you’re looking for referral guidance, access to resources, or opportunities to collaborate, we’d love to hear from you, our team is here to help. Get in touch with us by emailing enquiries@mnessexmind.org.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with your colleagues and wider networks. Anyone can sign up to receive future editions and stay informed about our services, impact, and partnership opportunities by completing this short newsletter sign up form.
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