Sainsbury's Colchester via Urbis Romanae Local

- Community fridge and food pantry -Cooking clubs -improving well being - The general public/mankind - Provides advocacy/advice/information The Boaz Project operates a community fridge and food pantry from the address: Customs House, Hythe Quay. Colchester. CO2 8JB The Boaz Project has both the Greenstead and Hythe in Colchester for four years, including all through the lockdown and is well known in Colchester. Unfortunately Greenstead falls within the ten percent most deprived communities in the UK and food need a major issue. Individuals and families in difficulty are referred to us from various organizations and professionals and can self-refer. We prioritize getting to know why people need us in the first place, which help us to know how best to support them. We provide support with benefit reviews, we run cooking skills sessions regularly, through our various schemes, such as the Slow cooker club, Wok club etc. These teach people how to shop affordably and make use of food items in their cupboard and or fridge that they will not normally use. We provide befriending practical support and reduce loneliness through our Neighborhood chaplaincy project. All our services and provisions are free of charge to every member of the community who need it. We currently collect surplus food from Fareshare through Foodiverse but recent rapid increase in the number of people needing our support means that we need more food Please see a post to a local press release that demonstrates our organisation's work in the local community: https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/20126851.colchester-boaz-project-community-fridge-free-food/

We are not for profit Community Organisation. We support children, families on low income and run sports, wellbeing and mental health classes. The food will be part of our Tea and Chat zone and will help the elderly, families on low income to grab some food and chat in a safe place. We are based in the Centre of Colchester. We are the beat of the town!

Stepping Stones Play and Learn Group is a small charity based in Colchester, Essex in an area which is recognised as poor. Our main service is an integrated nursery for children with additional needs and mainstreamers aged 2 - 5 to play, learn and develop alongside each other.  We also run a weekly Tots Group and sensory group for 0–2-year-olds with special needs, school holiday respite and a monthly Family Stay & Play session. We have recently started a Sensory Processing Support Group which can be accessed by health visitor referral. The Group therefore supports children/young people from 0 - 5. We are a registered charity and non-profit making.    We are open five days a week and children attend full days depending on the child’s individual needs and parental aims.  We have a very high staff ratio as our children with additional needs have a one-to-one key worker which enables them to access the activities in the Group and benefits the mainstream children. We work with outside agencies e.g. physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists.  We teach all our children Makaton signing and use visual communication tools. Our children’s needs range from children with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, various syndromes which result in developmental delay and limited lifespan, sensory impairments, and children with little or no language skills. We have children who are hydrocephalic or who are terminally ill and some who present challenging behaviours.  Some children are tube fed, we administer drugs and can manage catheters & stomers. Just under half our nursery children have additional needs.   Mainstream preschool children also benefit hugely from our total communication environment with an emphasis on inclusion, sensory play, modelling, exploration, and engagement. Our mainstreamers also become role models, learn about the value of compassion and kindness for others. Our ethos is to create an environment enabling all children to enjoy developing to their full potential. Mainstream children learn to be non-judgemental and accepting of those with differences. Many of our mainstream children have support needs related to their social circumstances.   We also offer a monthly Saturday Stay & Play session on a Saturday where the whole family can attend, play, and relax in a safe environment free from judgement, mixing with other families who experience similar challenges. We provide advocacy to families; giving practical support, listening, and guiding them to the