Category: UCAN News

Great support for Volunteer Fair

Thank you to everyone who attended the Volunteer Fair at Saffron Walden Town Hall on Tuesday 3rd June 2025.

Particular thanks to the team at Saffron Walden Town Council who were instrumental in bringing the community together for this dual event celebrating the value of volunteering this #VolunteersWeek2025 and supporting local voluntary sector organisations to increase awareness of volunteer opportunities currently on offer.

Amongst organisations in attendance were: 8 Day Weekend, Action for Family Carers, Audley End House, Citizens Advice Uttlesford, CraftAbility, EACH, Home Start, Mind in West Essex, Saffron Hall, Saffron Cricket Club, Saffron Walden Museum and Uttlesford Community Travel.

For information on current volunteering opportunites with UCAN and other charities in Uttlesford, take a look at the Volunteer Essex website.

This event was our first collaboration with the new Mayor of Saffron Walden, Cllr Ahmed, who has chosen UCAN as his Charity of the Year 2025-2026, and we are looking forward to working with the Mayor’s team across the next twelve months.

Pictured above (L to R) are Richard Boyce, Chair of UCAN Trustees, the Mayor Cllr Ahmed, Deputy Mayor Cllr Jeanette Curtis and Clive Emmett, Lead Officer of UCAN.

Future of UCAN Walking Buddies scheme secured with National Lottery Funding

A new grant of £20,000 will help our community to thrive over the next two years.

Walking Buddies pairs up volunteers with beneficiaries who have lost the confidence to go out of their home for a walk by themselves. This pairing enables beneficiaries to get out walking whilst building new connections and friendships, thereby contributing to both improved mental and physical health and reducing social isolation in what is a very rural area of Essex.

We have had 175% increase in referrals in the last year and this demand is still growing. With funding for the voluntary sector in decline, it has been a difficult few months and we weren’t sure how much longer we could keep this programme running, but now thanks to The National Lottery grant, we will be able to dedicate a team member to managing Walking Buddies, we can recruit and train more volunteers, and increase awareness of the service and its health benefits.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer walker, please email volunteer@ucan.org.uk for more information.

People interested in being matched with a volunteer can call us on 01371 404525, apply through Uttlesford Frontline or email connect@ucan.org.uk

Volunteers Week 2025

UCAN will be promoting and celebrating #VolunteersWeek2025 in our role as the Volunteer Centre for Uttlesford

Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign held from the first Monday in June to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers. This year’s celebration runs from Monday 2nd – Sunday 8th June.

Launched in 1984, this initiative has been running for over 40 years, providing organisations and communities a platform to thank current and past volunteers for their invaluable efforts.

The campaign highlights the diversity and unity of volunteer work across the UK. In its 40th year, the campaign underwent a rebrand, introducing a vibrant identity to inspire continued engagement.

Our main event this year will the the Volunteer Recruitment Fair in Saffron Walden on Tuesday 3rd June, organised and hosted in connect with the fabulous team from Saffron Walden Town Council. Pop in to the Town Hall on Market Day to find out about volunteering roles available in the district with a host of voluntary sector partners available to meet and discuss the needs of their charity/organisation.

Incoming Mayor of Saffron Walden names UCAN his Charity of the Year

We were honoured to take part in the Saffron Walden Mayor Making civic service on Saturday 24th May 2025, when Cllr Ahmed was appointed Mayor and he named UCAN Charity as his chosen Charity of the Year for 2025-2026.

We are excited to have been given this wonderful opportunity to increase awareness of the work that UCAN undertakes in the community, and look forward to working with the Mayor over the coming year at a variety of events to raise vital funds in support of our charity.

Richard Corby, UCAN Business Manager who was invited to the Mayor making ceremony said “UCAN’s mission is to reduce loneliness, isolation and deprivation in our community. Our charity name is a message of hope – UCAN (you can) be happier, stronger, healthier and perhaps most importantly you can belong and be part of our community. The name is also a reminder to our team of staff and volunteers – UCAN make a difference.”

The Mayor’s office will be announcing a calendar of fundraising events soon, but we will start with the launch of the Saffron Walden Band Stand season on Saturday 17th June, and every Saturday following until September, when UCAN volunteers will be opening up the Jubilee Hub to serve tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits to bandstand attendees, in return for donations to the charity.

Thank you to everyone at Saffron Walden Town Council for a wonderful and historic day celebrating the appointment of the new mayor.

Work for UCAN as a Community Responder

We are looking to recruit a Community Responder to join our Community Hub/Ticket Home team.

Based in Dunmow, you will be a sociable and outgoing person, with the skills and experience needed to undertake simple maintenance tasks like install key safes, video doorbells, move furniture, deliver shopping and prescriptions and undertake fire safety checks. Occasional gardening also undertaken for people in need. We provide all the tools and equipment.

This is a part-time post working 22.5 hours per week. Appointment subject to Enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references, plus relevant experience.

Many of our service users are older adults or have additional needs and it is essential that the post holder is comfortable with communicating with and supporting sometimes lonely people, while observing confidentiality and professional boundaries.

Essential that postholder has a full driving license and is confident in driving small van and other company vehicles.

For more information and to apply email richard.corby@ucan.org.uk

E-Portal-Essex is now live!

E-Portal-Essex is your online hub for supporting Essex’s voluntary sector. From starting out to refining policies, we offer expert guidance and resources tailored to your needs

This new service will be a one stop shop for organisations of all sizes to find information on a range of topics relevant to the voluntary and community sector. From initial start up advice to health checking your policies and processes.

The E-Portal has been commissioned by Essex County Council as part of their new approach to voluntary and community sector infrastructure support. The project is being delivered by a partnership of Maldon and District CVS, UCAN, Pipe Media and Touch Point Change Consulting.

The E-Portal will be a continuous evolving platform with the aim of becoming the one stop shop for organisations of all sizes to find information on a range of topics relevant to the voluntary and community sector.

Visit E-Portal-Essex

Celebrating the life of Bev Emmett

We were all shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Clive’s beloved wife Bev, who died in January.

The family have planned a celebration of Bev’s life, which will take place at Old Park Natural Burial Ground, Coppice Lane, North End, Great Dunmow on Thursday 27th February starting at 12.30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. After the service attendees are invited to stay on and share memories of Bev. Light refreshments will be provided.

The family has requested no flowers. If you would like to make a donation in Bev’s memory, they have chosen an animal charity – The Cinnamon Trust – to benefit. An online giving page can be found at: http://beverlyemmett.muchloved.com/

Our thoughts are with Clive and family at this most difficult of times. Bev was not only a friend, but an energetic volunteer and before moving into the veterinary world caring for her beloved animals, was a much-valued Social Prescriber serving the residents of Uttlesford.

Inaugural UCAN Barn Dance is a load of fundraising fun!

We were delighted to host The Gentlemen of iO on Friday 29th November for our very first fundraising barn dance, which took place at Foakes Hall in Great Dunmow.

We were delighted to host The Gentlemen of iO on Friday 29th November for our very first fundraising barn dance, which took place at Foakes Hall in Great Dunmow.

Thank you to everyone who came and supported us and danced the night away. Much gratitude also to the UCAN fundraising team of volunteers who provided a splendid Ploughman’s meal for over 120, and the lovely people who operated the cash bar for us. In total we raised £1,800 on the night – much needed funding that will support our work with lonely and isolated people in Uttlesford.

If you were unable to join us this time, but would like to support the work of UCAN, please consider making a donation by clicking here.

Reaching Communities with our mobile hub

On Wednesday our community outreach team were in Newport with the UCAN Charity Mobile Community Hub. Across the week we are out and about visiting rural communities in Uttlesford, bringing to them services and support they might not otherwise be able to access. Our team includes Community Responders, Advisors and Social Workers and we carry with us a raft of information on help that is available to residents – most of it free!

Thank you to the people of Newport for being so welcoming and responsive – especially local resident Susan Vance who helped us make the arrangements and raise awareness of our visit. We had a bumper day with our highest engagement numbers so far.

If you’d like our mobile community hub to come to you, drop an email to connect@ucan.org.uk and we’ll arrange a visit.

Thanks also to our UCAN Volunteer Centre team who recruited a great bank of volunteer supporters to help us deploy the mobile hub and support members of the public.

Next week we are in Great Dunmow outside the Coop, with thanks to Dunmow Town Council for the invitation.

See you soon!

Ticket Home – Evaluation of a hospital discharge service

A new report has been co-produced by staff from Uttlesford Community Action Network (UCAN) and social scientists at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) as part of a consultancy evaluation of the Ticket Home hospital discharge service provided by UCAN.

The report presents a summary analysis of the academic and policy literature relating to the challenges involved in the safe and timely discharge of patients from hospital, as well as an evaluation of the achievements and challenges entailed by UCAN in supporting safe and timely discharge of patients from Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), Harlow, to their homes across West Essex, from December 2022 to November 2023. Detailed information is provided on actions undertaken to support patients who were discharged by UCAN’s Ticket Home initiative.

A copy of the evaluation can be downloaded here.

Acknowledgements

UCAN would like to acknowledge and thank the Hertfordshire & West Essex Integrated Care System and the specific Commissioners involved, Michelle Bullman and Sara Chaudhry, in agreeing to fund this initiative across the West Essex area, along with the ongoing support in its development provided by Sara Chaudhry and Amy Jackson. We would also like to thank the Transfer of Care Team at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, for their support and partnership working. Specifically, Kay Cobbold, the TOC Matron, who played a distinct role in the successful integration of this initiative within the hospital as a whole