With the weather finally making a better turn, the Healthwatch Essex team have been making a great start, heading out and about across Essex. As we look forward to what this year has to offer, February has been a month filled with community engagement and meaningful conversations. So here are the February 2026 highlights.
Throughout February, our team visited hospitals, community groups, care homes, and local events across Essex, ensuring people had the opportunity to share their experiences of health and care services. As we now enter the spring, the team will be heading out even more as the weather gets nicer.
This month, the team have also been distributing the last of the slippers as part of our slipper swap events. These events gave the team brilliant opportunities to talk to the public throughout the colder months, whether it’s sharing concerns or just a friendly catch-up, the team very much enjoyed seeing so many friendly faces and making people’s days with new pairs of slippers and woolly items.
Our Fella’s Forums have been out and about this month, with the Braintree Fella’s Forum session having fun at Healthwatch Essex Office. The evening was centred around a quiz that involved men’s health and sports questions. The quiz enabled discussion around men’s health topics, which led to fantastic discussion among the men. As well as the Harwich Fella’s Forum, returned to their spiritual home, The Royal Oak, on Monday 23rd February 2026, from 6pm to 9pm. We had a record attendance of 20 people! The members played some darts and enjoyed some home-cooked food and great conversation. We had local councillor Dave Chable attend, who was extremely impressed and spent time talking with the men.
For more information about our Fella’s Forums, visit our Men’s Health page or contact our Engagement Manager, Scott Tatum on [email protected].
March Events
The Healthwatch Essex team will be heading out and about in March, so make sure to mark your calendar. Also, look out for the Healthwatch Essex van and take a look at the various events where you will be able to find our team:
4th March 10am-2pm, stand at Broomfield Hospital 
10th March 10am-2pm, stand at Colchester Hospital
18th March 10am-2pm, stand at Princess Alexandra Hospital
23rd March 10.30am-1.30pm at White Colne Village Hall Community Hub
25th March 10am-2pm, stand at Basildon Hospital
27th March 10am-3pm, stand at Asda Clacton
30th March 10am-4pm, Stay Safe & Well event at North Weald Village Hall
Our Information and Guidance team have been trained and accredited as partners of the Essex Sexual Health Service Umbrella Project and at each of the events marked by an umbrella, we will be able to supply care packages to anyone who advises us that they are involved in sex work, along with any information and guidance which may be required.