Your Essex at home

Welcome to a slightly different edition of Your Essex.

In light of the current situation, we're taking this chance to share some fun ideas and positive news from around the county, so you can enjoy Your Essex at home.

To find updates about our services or the latest coronavirus guidance in Essex, please visit our coronavirus hub.

Otherwise, read on and get stuck into some good news and activities to try at home.

Essex is #UnitedInKind

United in Kind aims to tackle loneliness and help Essex residents feel connected with their communities through kindness. Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, we've been sharing positive stories on Facebook to show just how amazing our communities are. Here are some of our favourite stories.

Steve from Tendring is using his 3D printer to make face shields for key workers. He's made hundreds already, and his daughter Ella has helped him deliver them to people who need personal protective equipment (PPE) in the Tendring area.

Have you spotted this new addition to the road outside the Chelmsford Ambulance Station?  The artwork was created by Henderson & Taylor, an Essex Highways contractor, to reflect the lasting respect and appreciation we all have for NHS and care staff.

Brentwood Tangent, a local women's organisation, has been hard at work making scrubs for frontline workers in Essex. With a former professional seamstress in their ranks, the team had the expertise to make 126 sets of scrubs for Southend and Basildon Hospitals.

Stay healthy

Get fit with Active Essex's live workouts

Active Essex has launched a YouTube channel to help you get fit from home. There's a workout for everyone, whether you're getting back into exercise or setting new fitness targets. Try seated aerobics, get the family involved with children's classes, or brush up on netball skills with an England Netball trainer.

Check out the full schedule of free classes on the Active Essex website, which is updated every Sunday.

Don't walk: Stride!

Virtual walks with Simply Stride combine yoga, pilates and mindfulness with walking to offer a unique exercise that will have you feeling better than ever.

Their approach is designed to work both the body and mind, reducing stress while improving physical health. When you join a virtual walk on Facebook Live, a coach will talk you through the exercise and provide top tips as you go. Live walks take place Monday to Thursday, with a seated session on Wednesdays. Find out more on the Simply Stride website.

Keep learning

Try a taster session with ACL Essex

ACL is offering a huge range of online taster sessions so you can learn new skills and decide on a course you'd like to pursue.

Get creative with a photography lesson, learn a new language, or refresh your tech skills with a free online class. Find a taster session to suit you on the ACL website, and follow ACL Essex on Facebook and Twitter for learning tips and advice.

Learn to unwind with your Library card

If you’re looking for something to help you relax and unwind, or if you’re interested in learning a new skill, try a free online learning course with your library card.

You can access over 500 courses with Universal Class for free, including Yoga 101, The Art of Breathing, Learn How to Meditate, Relaxation 101 and many more. Search for a topic that interests you and select a course today.

Get to grips with home composting

Typically, food and garden waste makes up 25 per cent of household waste. Home composting is an easy way to reduce your waste and protect the environment. Join in and learn how to compost at home with Love Essex.

For families

Essex Library Services has gone digital!

Essex Libraries has gone digital to make sure you can enjoy their books, games and services from home.

There's plenty to keep the little ones busy, from new stories, Rhyme Time and fun craft sessions you can join in with. While the children are occupied, grown-ups might enjoy our one-minute, spoiler-free book review videos. Subscribe to the Essex Libraries YouTube channel to get more from your local library service.

Talk, Listen and Cuddle: helping children learn through play

Talk, Listen and Cuddle (TLC) is an Essex-based initiative to help parents, carers and families give their children the best start to life by developing communication skills through playful learning at home.

The Talk, Listen and Cuddle website offers a wide range of activities for children, guidance for parents, and downloadable resources to improve your child's communication skills.

Be inspired

Play the Essex Lottery to support good causes in Essex

Charities and good causes across our communities are doing fantastic work during this period of uncertainty, and many of them are faced with a lack of fundraising opportunities.

By playing the Essex Lottery for just £1 per week, you can be in with the chance of winning big cash prizes while also supporting a cause close to your heart. Head to the Essex Lotter website to discover some of the great work that lottery players are helping to achieve in Essex.

If you work or volunteer for a good cause in Essex, you can boost your fundraising by signing up for free with the Essex Lottery.

"My foster family made me believe I could achieve"

In difficult times, children need loving and caring families more than ever. We urgently need new foster carers to support our children and help transform their lives.

Our latest inspiring story comes from Kerry, a new mum who was fostered at the age of 13. "I thank my foster carers from the bottom of my heart because I know if I haven't lived with them, my life would've been so different." Read Kerry's story on our website.

You don’t need any specific qualifications to foster: just patience, time and a commitment to improving a child's life. We match children to your family, offer local training and 24/7 support, and you can receive up to £483 per week, per child.

If you're interested in fostering with Essex County Council, come along to one of our online information events.

Essex 2020: Our celebration of science and creativity has moved online!

Essex 2020 is a year-long celebration of STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) designed to inspire and engage people of all ages, and we're excited to say many events will now be taking place online.

Side Quest, which launches tomorrow (Saturday 2 May), is a new UK-wide initiative to encourage teenagers to explore science and creativity through the world of computer games. You'll learn how to build a game in seven days using free software, regular live-streamed masterclasses and the support of an online community.

Essex 2020's flagship event Moonhack is also coming up on Saturday 30 May, and offers the chance for young people to be part of a world record breaking coding event. Perfect for beginners, Moonhack is a fun way to learn coding skills and connect with like-minded people.

Find more exciting events on the Essex 2020 website, including weekly Toddler STEM, a Coding and Tech Meetup for Girls, and a Cybersecurity amid COVID-19 workshop.