This September, the Aspirations Program are proud to host a month-long art exhibition at The Forum in Southend-on-Sea as part of National Recovery Month. The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the realities, challenges, and achievements associated with addiction and recovery, while celebrating the strength and resilience of those affected.

Throughout the month, visitors will have the opportunity to view a diverse collection of artwork across a range of mediums. The pieces have been created and donated by artists and individuals whose lives have been touched by addiction and recovery, either through personal experience or through their connection to the wider community.

Alongside the exhibition, they will be holding an art auction featuring selected donated works, as well as a raffle running throughout the month. All funds raised will directly support their charity’s essential services, enabling them to continue providing care, support, and recovery-focused programs that make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and families within the community.

They invite everyone to visit the exhibition, engage with these powerful stories expressed through art, and help them raise awareness and support for recovery

What is the At Risk Mental State (ARMS) Service? We are a mental health service offering support to people aged 14 to 35 who are struggling with unusual experiences which may have led to some difficulties with their social, educational, and/or occupational functioning. Our service refers to these experiences as an ‘At Risk Mental State’ as we recognise that these difficulties, without the right support and interventions, may lead to a more serious mental health difficulty. Our aim is to prevent people from needing more intensive support in the future.

Who do we support? You will be registered with a GP in South East Essex and you have been having difficulties with functioning and managing day-to-day activities within the past year, or have been struggling with these things over a few years. AND • Are having some unusual experiences that are distressing. These may include having unusual thoughts, hearing or seeing things that others cannot, feeling paranoid, or feeling increasingly perplexed or confused about the world. OR • You have a parent or sibling with a diagnosis of psychosis.

Private Fostering is when a child/young person under 16 (or 18 if they have a disability) lives with someone who is not a close relative for more than 28 days. A close relative is a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt or step-parent. It is a legal requirement for parents and private foster carers to notify the Local Authority about private fostering arrangements in order for us to assess that children and young people are being safeguarded and to offer advice and support

The last Friday of every month, call in to the Southend Salvation Army Sanctuary at 42 Clarence Street. It's a great way to meet new people in a relaxed setting and best of all it's free!

St.Vincent's centre is looking for volunteer Luton van drivers to collect surplus food from local supermarkets and help support people facing hardship across Southend

Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) and the SEND Local Offer Team are thrilled to invite you to their 2nd Southend SEND Information Day on Tuesday 16 June 2026, from 9.30am to 2.30pm, at the Civic Centre.

Whether you’re a parent carer or a professional, this is the place to be. They're bringing together local support services, expert teams, and a lineup of informative talks, all under one roof.

They know how vital it is to have clear, accessible information. That’s why they've organised a packed day full of:

• direct access to local support services

• informative talks on key topics

• a space to connect with other parent carers and professionals

Find out more and register for the event on the Livewell website.

The Health4Life team within Public Health at Southend City Council is looking to work more closely with local community groups to better reflect the diversity of Southend. We are currently developing a resource bank to support residents in making healthier food choices, while ensuring this includes and respects a wide range of cultural foods. To do this well, we want to work directly with local communities to gain a genuine understanding of the foods people eat, as well as how mealtimes and celebrations may differ across cultures.

Our aim is to ensure that any advice we provide is relevant, realistic and supportive. As our work mainly focuses on children and families, we would really value the opportunity to speak with both young people and their parents or carers to help co-produce these resources together.

Reducing Parental Conflict Workshops

We’re pleased to offer a FREE one day, face-to-face training session to support those who work with families in strengthening family relationships and improving outcomes for children.

Venue: Southend-on-Sea Civic Centre Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm

The training will cover:

• Understanding parental conflict and its impact on children and families
• The difference between parental conflict and domestic abuse
• Building confidence in discussing co-parenting and relationships
• Practical tools from the Amity Relationship Toolkit
• Strategies to reduce conflict and improve communication

To book your place, please click on one of the dates below.

• Monday 13th July 10am – 3pm
• Tuesday 6th October 10am – 3pm
• Friday 4th December 10am - 3pm

To find out more about reducing parental conflict, please click here

For any problems in signing up to the workshops, please contact AlexandraAllen@southend.gov.uk

Join the celebrations of 140 years of the Salvation Army with an afternoon of fun and music in Southend's Priory Park.

Fore Get Me Not Golf - 2nd Thursday of every month

The Dementia Golf Sessions will run monthly (2^nd Thursday of every month), are completely free for those with Dementia and their carers and will include hot drinks and cakes/biscuits. It is a 1-to-1 volunteer format.

Note: Our Volunteers are trained by FGMNG, but are not medical professionals. Our Dementia Golf sessions are designed to be inclusive and enjoyable for all participants, but as a minimum we kindly ask that attendees; 1. Have an individual carer to bring them to the session (we cannot facilitate groups from care homes for example) 2. Are able to manage their personal needs independently, using the toilet without assistance is kind of a benchmark that FGMNG use. The last thing we want to do is be exclusive, but these restrictions are put in place to help us maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone involved.

Contact Matt at Garon park for more information:

matt@garonparkgolf.co.uk

01702 - 601701