On Friday 10th January 2025, we visited Laindon Community Centre with a van full of knitted items to give to Laindon residents in our first ‘Winter Wraparound’ visit.
Knitted hats, scarves, gloves, blankets and children’s jumpers were available for free. They were all knitted by another charity, Knit For Peace, which matches knitters with good causes. As well as picking up some warm clothing, people could talk to our staff to get information and guidance on health and social care services or seek support for their caring roles.

Healthwatch Essex staff, Sara and Lily, with Richard Holden MP and Councillor Henry
Local councillors are given a pot of locality funding each year to directly invest in local schemes or groups that benefit their residents. Councillor Jeff Henry, County Councillor for Laindon Park and Fryerns, chose to use his funding to fund this initiative, with the hope is that other councillors will chose to do the same. He brought the local MP, Richard Holden, along with him to the event to show the community space in action.
The community centre offers other initiatives to support local people, including a new community supermarket where people can buy discounted groceries for a small membership fee.
Sharon Westfield de Cortez, Information and Guidance Manager at Healthwatch Essex, said:
“It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to work in partnership with Councillor Henry to provide practical aid to the residents of Laindon during these cold winter months, and we hope that this sets a precedent which can be replicated in other areas of Essex to benefit more citizens.”