We are indebted to Essex County Council for two grants received in August to support the continued development and extension of our services. The first is a grant which will enable us to set up a volunteer programme to support our core services in mid-Essex. We plan to build a bank of volunteers whose skills, qualities and passions we can draw upon to consolidate and enrich our existing work. The second grant is to enable us to extend our service into south-east Essex. We have numerous contacts in this area and an increasing number of enquiries. There is therefore some urgency about establishing a base and an outreach across Southend, Castle Point and Rochford in order to kickstart the service in these areas. Watch this space!

This has been an extraordinary autumn. In September 2009, Christchurch URC in Braintree adopted us as their chosen charity of the year. Debbie and Tessa went to the church to talk to the members, some of whom took church collecting boxes and have been gradually adding to them over the course of the year. We hadn’t realised that 12 months had slipped by, and were therefore taken aback (but very touched) to receive a cheque for £600. We are unlikely ever to know who gave, but we want to extend our grateful thanks to all church members who so generously contributed.