Epping Forest Community Hub

Since the Civic Offices reopened in July 2021, Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) has provided additional ways to access services that offer support and guidance. We are delighted to be working in partnership with so many great organisations to bring our services together and give easier access to residents. Services you can access in the Epping Community Hub are:

• Adult Social Care – an Essex County Council service

• Alzheimer’s Society

• Changing Pathways

• Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)

• Epping Forest Foodbank

• CHESS Homeless

• Epping Forest Citizens Advice

• NHS Mental Health Services

• Family Solutions – an Essex County Council service

• Papworth Trust

• Phoenix Futures

• Peabody Outreach Support

• Voluntary Action Epping Forest

Each partner organisation is in the hub on different days. This is to ensure there is a range of services available; still allow for responsible distancing whilst in the building; booking of confidential meeting space and staff allocation across other sites. We’ve received some fantastic feedback from residents who have already visited The Hub and received the support, guidance and help needed.

We have already had success stories, such as a resident who was soon to be made homeless. By visiting the Epping Community Hub they were able to see and work with Peabody and EFDC Homelessness Team in one place. Over the course of a few weeks they continued to visit The Hub and were eventually provided with somewhere to live and the appropriate follow up support was put in place. In the coming months, look out for awareness campaigns such as Mental Health Awareness Week in May that EFDC Services and the Epping Community Hub partners will be promoting and actively supporting.

For more details, please visit: www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/eppingcommunityhub, or scan the barcode, which will take you to the Epping Community Hub page.

Epping Chorus: 50th Anniversary Concert

This year, Epping Chorus celebrates its 50th anniversary with a summer concert at St John’s Church on Saturday 9th July. The choir, which originated in 1972 as the ‘Epping Church Choirs Association’, quickly gained a strong reputation and sings a wide variety of music, both sacred and secular. During that time, it has been providing choral music in Epping with a variety of concerts and this summer will mount a celebratory concert at St John’s, Epping to mark the occasion. A short programme of well-loved pieces including Mozart, Vivaldi, Handel and Rutter will be followed by a reception. Despite its 50 years, the choir is still as ambitious as ever, with plans for more concerts and an expanded repertoire. They welcome new members and anyone interested in choral singing should contact them on www.eppingchorus.org where you can also see full details of the programme. Rehearsals are on Friday evenings.