Essex News update – May 22nd 2015

Essex County Council has issued the following news update covering half term events, their Let’s Get Moving scheme promoting healthier lifestyle, Foster Care fortnight,  Small Grants Scheme update and grass verge trimming:

Have an action-packed half term with Essex County Council

Join in the fun at our huge range of action-packed activities for children of all ages this half term. From canoeing to a dinosaur recycling day, there is something for everyone (and all weathers!) taking place near you at Country Parks, Essex Libraries, Essex Outdoors centres and Hadleigh Park Mountain Bike Centre –  some activities are free!

Date				Activity	Location	Cost
Saturday 23 May				Nature Club. Monthly club for children aged 7 to 11.	Danbury Country Park	£3 per child
Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 May				Magical Mysteries Trail. Have fun exploring and experiencing the woods, enjoying the magic and mystery.	Thorndon Park South	£3 per trail guide
				Animal Detective Trail. Work out which animals have been visiting the park and what they’ve done.	Belhus Woods Country Park	£3 per trail guide
Monday 25 May				Iron Age Roundhouse open afternoon.	Hadleigh Park	Free
Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May				Activity Days. Try four outdoors adventure activities in a day.	Essex Outdoors at Danbury, Harlow and Mersea	£30 per child a day (buy four days get fifth free)
Tuesday 26 May				Nature Rangers Event.	Wickford Library	Free
				Essex Summer Evening Series – Travers Bikes. Mountain bike race.	Hadleigh Park	£13 Senior Riders, £8 Under 16 (£2 extra if you need a day license)
				Climbing Day.	Essex Outdoors at Harlow	£30 per child
				Activity Day.	Essex Outdoors at Bradwell	£30 per child
Wednesday 27 May				Wild Wednesday	Danbury Country Park	Free
				Pirate and Princess Treasure Trail. Pick up a treasure map and lead yourselves through the woods. Come in costume.	Thorndon Park South	£4 per child
				Kite making. Make your own kite, then test it in the park.	Belhus Woods Country Park	Free
				Canoeing and Kayaking.	Essex Outdoors at Harlow	£30 per child
				Survival for Softies: Make a shelter and light a fire. Cook your lunch on your own campfire.	Hadleigh Park	£7 per child
Wednesday 27 May and Thursday 28 May				Jester School. Juggling skills, jester themed crafts, scratch art magnet, make a mask/hat or follow the trail.	Cressing Temple	£7.50 per child
Thursday 28 May				Climbing Day.	Essex Outdoors at Harlow	£30 per child
				Canoe Day.	Essex Outdoors at Bradwell	£30 per child
				Dinosaur Recycling Day.	Colchester Library	Free
Friday 29 May				Canoeing and Kayaking.	Essex Outdoors at Harlow	£30 per child
Sunday 31 May				Birds, Bugs and Blooms. Discover a wealth of plant life and wildlife.	Hadleigh Park	£4 per adult, £2 per child

Find out more here.

23,000 more people getting active across the county

The Essex Let’s Get Moving schemes aims to get up to 23,000 residents leading healthier lifestyles. Starting in a week’s time in the West of the county, we’ve got physical activity experts lined up and ready to help people benefit from getting more active. Support on offer includes one-to-one sessions with exercise professionals, community activities and peer-led group sessions.

Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Anne Brown said:

Evidence shows that nearly half of Essex residents do not take part in any sport or recreational activity. We know that inactivity can have a serious impact on people’s health, with an inactive person spending on average 38% more days in hospital than an active person.

More information about Let’s Get Moving can be found here.

Could you offer a child a loving home? Foster Care Fortnight kicks off on 1 June, and features a Fostering Fiesta on Sunday 7 June at Danbury Centre for Outdoor Learning. Activities are taking place across Essex where you can meet foster carers and their families and find out more.

Councillor Dick Madden, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said:

There are still many myths about who can foster but all that really matters is that carers have the time, commitment, space and personal qualities to offer a secure and stable home to a child or children who have been separated from their birth family.

Find out more about Foster Care Fortnight here. 

Culture benefits from cash boost

Essex Boys and Girls Clubs are the latest group to be awarded a grant of nearly £2,500 for cultural activities, thanks to the Essex Small Grants Scheme. The grant is one of 16 awards worth £30,000 which will benefit 16 culture-based projects.

County Councillor Roger Hirst, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Libraries, Planning and the Environment, said:

Culture in Essex is thriving and it is important that we contribute to it by encouraging and incentivising through grants such as these. I look forward to hearing outcomes from all of the projects that have benefitted during this round of grants.

Read about the other grants awarded here.

Summer grass verge and weed trimming programme begins

Motorists are being asked to be extra careful as Essex County Council begins its summer roadside grass verge cutting programme.  Grass verges on all of Essex’s priority routes are cut to improve safety and the appearance of the highway. The cutting programme includes verges next to footways and roads, as well as central reservations and sightlines at junctions. Around 6,100 miles of verge will be cut throughout the programme.