Cost of living and community support

Cost of living and community support news

Epping Community Hub

Oakwood Hill Community Hub

Waltham Abbey Outreach

Warm places

COVID-19

Oakwood Hill Community Hub

Oakwood Hill Community Hub is an in-person one-stop shop for residents to access a wide range of services for help and advice.

How it works

The hub is open every Thursday from 9.30am to 1pm.

It is at Oakwood Hill Community Hall hosted by Restore Community Church and attended by Community Engagement Officer, Claire Evans:

Let’s Get Together is a social drop-in session run by our community development and wellbeing team. It is held every Wednesday from 12.30pm to 2.30pm as a social and warm space to provide people with support and company.

Services at Oakwood Hill Community Hub

Affordable Counselling Services

Sessions are run during hub hours. To book a session:

Citizens Advice Epping Forest District

Citizens Advice offers free, impartial, confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person. The issues they cover include energy and issuing the of foodbank vouchers, housing, immigration, work, benefits, debt and money, family and consumer. They have specialist advisers covering employment, benefits and debt problems and can refer to other specialist services if they are unable to advise on the presenting problem.

Citizens Advice will be offering initial conversations with people who come to the Hub. An appointment would be scheduled if further help is required.

At the hub:

  • Thursdays from 9.30am to 1pm

Contact Citizens Advice Epping Forest District:

Epping Forest District Council services

All Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) services are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm however, some services will have an enhanced presence at the Hub.

Housing, tenancy and estates

The tenancy and estates team deals with tenancy, and with issues which relate to estates and land acquired or held under Housing Act powers.

Contact the tenancy and estates team for issues relating to:

  • Estate inspections
  • Clearance of communal areas following fire risk assessments
  • Estate enhancements
  • The use or misuse of the council’s housing land
  • Tenancy sustainment
  • Tenancy breaches
  • Tenancy succession
  • Tenancy audits
  • Joint tenancy applications
  • Changes to tenancies

Revenue and benefits

Get advice and support with claiming housing benefits, Council Tax support, disabled relief, single-person’s discounts, and the issue of foodbank vouchers.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT)

EPUT is providing community mental health services that will provide triage, assessment and treatment for individuals with mental health needs in the community.

Mindful Art Space – with community mental health nurse.

At the hub:

  • Fridays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Employ-Ability

Employ-Ability is a specialist employment support charity working with people experiencing mental ill health.

Monthly at the Hub:

  • On the 4th Thursday of each month from 9.30am to 1pm

Contact Employ-Ability:

Open Road (West Essex)

Open Road is a charity covering Essex, East Anglia and Kent. Providing support and signposting, wellbeing initiatives, counselling, and practical help for people affected by drug or alcohol addiction and other health and social problems.

At the Hub:

  • Thursdays from 9.30am to 1pm

To make an appointment contact:

Peabody Outreach Support

Essex Outreach Support offers a short-term support service to people over the age of 16 years, living within Essex who are experiencing a range of problems that are impacting their health, financial and housing wellbeing.

To make an appointment:

Phoenix Futures

Phoenix Futures are a charity and housing association which has been helping people overcome drug and alcohol problems for more than 50 years. They provide residential, prison, community, and specialist services. They believe in being the best, they are passionate about recovery, and value their history and use it to inform their future.

At Oakwood Hill Community Hub on alternate Thursdays.

Contact Phoenix Futures:

Qualis Property Solutions

Delivering quality maintenance services – day-to-day repairs, planned maintenance and emergency repair services for customers renting their homes from Epping Forest District Council.

Report a repair

More information