Recipients of 2026/27 Community Grants

We are delighted to now announce the organisations that we will be supporting with funding from our 2026 / 27 VVU Community Grant Programme.

There are organisations in every district, borough and city in Essex and the projects range from youth work and mentoring, to outdoor learning and art therapy; from youth clubs to carpentry project and gaming through to boxing.

The full list is below

Organisation	Brief description
MYOTAS (Basildon)	Woodland Warriors, a twice-weekly outdoor programme held at Memorial Park, Wickford designed for neurodivergent children and young people aged 5 to 16. Each group has a maximum of 12 participants ensuring a calm, inclusive, and supportive environment. Activities include crafting, tree climbing, balancing, problem-solving, campfire cooking, and safe use of woodworking tools. Themed sessions cover essential life skills such as self-defence, online safety, self-advocacy, and recognising grooming behaviours.
Bar N Bus (Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford)	Mobile youth outreach work, making use of bespoke mobile youth vehicle providing a safe space for young people in the places that they frequent. Providing five weekly 2-hour community sessions and one 2 weekly in-school sessions during term time.
The Hermit Club CIC, Brentwood	Empowering young people through creativity. Friday Night Music Club at Youth House, which runs during school term time, an inclusive space for young people aged 10–19.
Doddinghurst Road Community Church (DRCC) Youth, Brentwood	DRCC Youth, funding of the Youth and Community Pastor role. This role leads a programme of face-to-face youth work, including face-to-face youth engagement, detached work, school sessions, mentoring, and sports activities. In addition, it covers responsibility for line-managing the wider team alongside developing the infrastructure and securing funding to sustain the work for young people locally.
The Third Space Youth CIC, Braintree	Braintree Youth Club delivered every Friday evening, for two hours, at the Chapel Hill Youth Centre in partnership with Essex County Council Youth Service, provide food every week; deliver sports and games; drama workshops; arts and crafts, cooking and provide a space where young people can be together, and forge positive relationships.
Canvey Island Youth Project (CYP), Castle Point	CYP Yellow Door Youth Worker, supporting the delivery of two weekly youth clubs during school term time (39 weeks per year); Friday Night Open Access Youth Club and Thursday Night Youth Club for more vulnerable young people.
YMCA Essex, Chelmsford	Y-Club, supporting this youth provision in Chelmsford, an open access youth provision that enables young people to discover their passion and purpose through engaging workshops and activities run by trusted adults. Y-Club is open to 10–17-year-olds, 6-9pm every Friday during term time.
North Avenue Youth Centre, Chelmsford	Friday seniors’ session and detached work, with seniors sessions held at the youth centre every Friday from 6-8pm. During these sessions young people are supported to plan and cook a hot meal. The session aids the development and strengthening of young peoples’ relationships with trusted adults as well as with their peers; detached youth work team to be out in the local community in the areas where young people choose to socialise together such as local parks, either before or during the session on a Friday, to reach those young people who may be harder to reach and do not attend the session.
Essex & Suffolk Youth Enquiry Service (YES), Colchester	YES Life Skills Development Project, funding a Life Skills Development Officer (Youth Worker) to research, develop and deliver a pilot programme of Life and Social Development Skills for young people referred to YES. Recognising the value of education as a key protective factor against isolation, anti-social behaviour and violence, to support young people disengaged from education.
Tiptree Wednesday Youth Club, Tiptree, Colchester	Tiptree Wednesday Youth Club, an open access Wednesday Youth Club (WYC), includes a provision, in a separate room of the facility which targets older (15+ years old) members, particularly girls, and aims to keep them engaged with the youth club, and run targeted programmes and discussions to help them make good choices and stay safe as they get older. It is staffed by two sessional youth workers employed specifically to run this additional provision.
Spark, Epping Forest	Art Therapy Project, offering 1:1 therapeutic art sessions and a weekly group creative art therapy session, provided by Creative Art Therapists.
Youth Unity CIC, Epping Forest	Unity – THRIVE, delivering a dedicated Youth Hub at Limes Farm Community Centre alongside targeted outreach support through Youth Unity’s Mobile Intervention Service. The Hub provides a safe and structured space for children aged 8 to 11 years old to engage in positive activities after school and on Friday evenings.
Rainbow Services Harlow	Rainbow Youth Project, delivering a 12 week carpentry programme, offering eight sessions per week in a safe and structured workshop environment. Participants work toward level 1 Gateway qualifications in Health and Safety in Construction and Carpentry Hand Tools, along with considering employment prospects as part of the support offered.
Maldon CVS Maldon, Burnham, Tollesbury	Community Gaming Initiative (CGI), inclusive spaces for young people to connect, build resilience, and develop problem-solving and teamwork skills. Sessions include not only computer gaming but also card games, role-playing games, and creative practical activities, all designed to foster shared experiences and meaningful relationships. CGI weekly sessions in Maldon, fortnightly in Burnham and after-school clubs with a monthly session planned in Tollesbury.
Raw Learning, Rochford	Forge in the Forest project – funding an Outdoor practitioner to run a boy’s group and teach them woodwork, practical and bushcraft skills, in the organisation’s 20 acres site. For teenage boys from 11 years who are transitioning to secondary school.
Trust Links, Southend	Youth Links, Southend, delivering two weekly peer support and positive activity sessions for young people aged 11 to 18 years old, who are struggling with their mental health, wellbeing, and social isolation. Mondays for younger teens and Wednesdays for older teens. Sessions run after school hours for two hours at Growing Together Westcliff site.
Wellbeing at Garon Park CIO, Southend	Garon Park Youth THRIVE (Talk. Heal. Reflect. Inspire. Value. Empower) project, a prevention-focused youth wellbeing programme combining sport, nature, mentoring and creative support. THRIVE runs for 12 months, engaging young people aged 8 to 16 years old in Southend, with targeted support for those showing early signs of vulnerability. Activities include: green gym and nature mentoring; sport; training and opportunities for young people to co-design, co-deliver and volunteer in sessions, supported by youth workers and mentors.
Teen Talk, Harwich, Tendring	Youth Club and Mentoring Programme, Harwich, supporting a combination of youth clubs and mentoring for young people aged 11 to 25 years old in Harwich.
Riverview Charitable Trust Thurrock	EmpowerHer Project, supporting vulnerable girls aged 11 to 16 years old through sport, creative activities, and mentoring. Sessions run once weekly for 1.5 hrs and include wellbeing informed sport, crafts, and personal development workshops. Offering specialist workshops in safety, self-care and career pathways, alongside lasting mental wellbeing opportunities.
ATF (Achieve, Thrive and Flourish), Thurrock	ATF Youth Club – delivering an open access youth club in Thurrock (Brisbane House, near Koala Park), providing safe, supportive, and engaging spaces for young people most at risk of social isolation. Run for 1.5 hours one evening per week, offering a consistent programme of positive activities.
Enterprise East Group CIC, Uttlesford	Youth Empowerment Network, expanding youth café provision, an inclusive environment for young people, particularly those at increased risk of abuse or exploitation, and those with learning, sensory, and physical disabilities. The café offers activities and workshops helping young people socialise, make friends, and learn valuable life skills, including staying safe.
Bar N Bus Basildon, Rochford	Young People’s Inclusion Programme, delivering three targeted youth programmes over 12 months: one ‘reducing exclusion programme’, a 24-session programme for young people at risk of school exclusion, offering alternative education, building in-school support, and changing attitudes and behaviours. Two ‘PLAAY Programmes’ (Preventing Long-Term Anger & Aggression in Youth), a 12-week programme helping young people understand and manage emotions, build support networks, and develop healthy responses. Delivered in partnership with local secondary schools.
ATF (Achieve, Thrive, Flourish), Basildon, Castle Point, Southend	Positive Futures Course, eight-week programme for young people at risk of exploitation. Each weekly session includes discussions on key themes (including choices, county lines, life in prison) and structured boxing sessions led by qualified coaches. Delivered in partnership with local secondary schools.
Essex Boys and Girls Clubs (EBGC), Colchester, Harlow, Thurrock	Respect Project, four-month early intervention programme, improving school engagement, behaviour, and reducing risk and vulnerabilities. Young people (age 13 to 14 years old) supported during an eight-week life skills course covering peer pressure, communication, gangs, drugs, exploitation, and healthy relationships, followed by a weeklong residential trip to Wales or the Lake District with ASDAN accreditation. Concludes with a final presentation event to celebrate achievements and signpost to further opportunities. Delivered in partnership with local secondary schools.
North Avenue Youth Centre, Chelmsford	NAYC In-School Mentoring, delivering long-term, 1:1 in-school mentoring for young people identified as having low school attendance or being at risk of disengagement. Mentoring is tailored to individual needs and includes goal setting, arts and crafts, outdoor activities, and reflective work. It engages families and schools to ensure a holistic support approach. Young people can continue accessing youth centre services after mentoring ends, maintaining continuity of support. Delivered in partnership with local secondary schools.
Wilderness Foundation UK, Chelmsford, Colchester	TurnAround, a nine-month wilderness therapy programme designed for young people aged 16–24 in Essex who face multiple disadvantages, including mental health challenges, educational disengagement, and complex social issues. Delivered in partnership with local secondary schools.
UTurn4Support (Tendring)	Motion 4 Change, a 48-week programme delivering four 12-week mentoring blocks for vulnerable young people. Focuses on gender-based violence, exploitation, and harmful behaviours. Includes trauma-informed mentoring, peer-led Youth Ambassador Programme, and outreach engagement. Delivered in partnership with local secondary schools.