While news circulates that fast food chains and pubs consider re-opening their doors, work in Essex to ensure local families have access to essential food continues because for many, the Coronavirus has caused additional financial hardship making everyday food worryingly out of reach.

The UK economy is fragile with a drop in sales and furloughed workforces leaving businesses short, but this hasn’t stopped them doing what they can to help keep people safe and well during the pandemic. With vulnerable people self isolating, and under-privileged families struggling for income, the support from local businesses is proving to be a life-line and really helping us to support more and more people every day.

We have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of our local businesses and would like to extend our thanks to our community partners too. Our volunteers are working hard to help people in crisis, but this would not be possible without the phenomenal support we have received.
Carla Andrews, Managing Director of Motivated Minds said “You can measure the strength of a community when a crisis hits, and we have seen remarkable unity in the Basildon Borough.”

She added, “from food donations from Asda and Tesco, to financial support from Essex Association of local councils (CIF) and Essex Community Foundation to name just a couple, it all helps us continue our work within the community, and proves that we are stronger together.”

Our new Motivated Minds emergency foodbank in Laindon has now supported over 150 households since it launched at the beginning of April and we have supported 141 people with food parcels and medication, but without ongoing community partnerships, this wouldn’t have been possible. We are incredibly grateful to our volunteers and supporters for their continued support.

To find out how you can support Motivated Minds, contact Carla on 07846 209 846 or email carla@motivated-minds.co.uk. 

We are thrilled to announce that we have been recognised as a valued partner of the Royal Society for Public Health.

This news follows a nomination for ‘Health on the High Street Award’ last year where we were runners up in a campaign to recognise work being done to make our high streets more health promoting places. 

Our HAPPY Hub in the heart of Basildon may be temporarily closed, but we are working hard to ensure that we are still engaging with our community throughout this lockdown, and this recognition has come at a wonderful time for our staff and volunteers working on the front line.

Our team are currently responding to the crisis with free practical and emotional support for hundreds of people in the Basildon Borough, and they will continue to do so while it is needed. We have set up a new emergency food bank already reaching out to over 150 households, and have around 400 volunteers supporting people with shopping and medication needs. 

But at Motivated Minds we have a positive attitude to change and are already looking at ways we can develop our existing services to continue supporting people long after the Coronavirus has gone. 

Our Managing Director, Carla Andrews, said “We are thrilled to have received recognition from the RSPH and will continue to work hard to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the people in our community. Right now we are having to live very much in the moment and respond to the current crisis, but we will ensure that there is also ongoing support available to help our community adjust over the coming months.”

 "We are calling this next step 'post traumatic growth’ as it is an opportunity to build on what has happened, and make positive change as a result. From crisis, through to recovery, we will be there to support our community take the steps needed to rebuild itself and build a better future.“

She added "We are keen to hear from Universities and research parties that might want to support us as we explore the effects that positive psychology can have on strengthening our communities post pandemic; not only will this give us vast learning opportunities to improve crisis management, but it will also allow us to ensure that wellbeing provision develops with our evolving community needs.”

If you need support, or would like to get involved in the work we are doing, contact Carla at carla@motivated-minds.co.uk.

We are so excited to be hosting a free 2 month challenge called ’Get Motivated and Get Moving with Motivated Minds’ and encourage you, your friends and your family to all get involved to make the next two months a positive time. 

Our HAPPY Hub in the Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon may be closed, but we have a virtual network that can connect us all and give us that little boost and encouragement we may need right now.

It has been a tough month for everyone, and the pandemic looks set to continue for the weeks ahead, so focusing on your wellbeing is vital right now.

Rather than getting engrossed in the news, we want people to step outside in the fresh air and take a look at all the positivity around us. With windows plastered with rainbows, neighbours sharing a weekly applause for our brave keyworkers, and schools making wellbeing calls to their pupils, there is more to Covid-19 than just negativity.

Exercise is a vital part of your wellbeing and will help to boost your mood, and decrease stress levels, so join our challenge and get motivated and active with Motivated Minds.

The Motivated Minds ‘Get Motivated and Get Moving’ challenge is free for everyone. To find out more, email carla@motivated-minds.co.uk or call 07846 209 846

Motivated Team Member, Lisa, gets stuck in to the challenge with her family.

She. A story of gratitude.

She asked me for the time, “midday” I softly said, and with a sigh, she grunted, “oh no! Only 10 hours until bed!”

Intrigued I asked what she had planned for the day ahead, ‘cos I was tired and couldn’t wait for the safety of my bed!

“I lost a friend a year ago before her time was here, I promised not a day I’d waste, and it’s been my favourite year!”

“But madam” I interrupted “that’s all well and good, but we all need to rest sometimes, your friend would have understood”

“There’s just so much to do and see” she said with a little haste. “Even the days I’m tired, I make sure it’s a not a waste”

“If I can’t leave my bed, I play a long forgotten song, and if it’s raining out I look for rainbows, as the sun can’t stay away too long” 🌈

“Enjoying life is easy, when you’re thankful for the sun, and when a morning song from a nesting sparrow, makes you sing along”

“Or when you’re counting out your pennies, and you haven’t got that much, but then someone kind holds your hand, and you feel the warmth of their touch”

She changed my life that lady, I think of her everyday. I look for the good, I try real hard, and all that I can say…

Some days are harder than others, some days can be real tough, but everyday I look for the good and fill my world with love ❤️

One month in lockdown with Motivated Minds…

It’s been one month since the UK went into lockdown and we have seen an amazing transformation in the way we work. From video conferencing to telephone counselling, lockdown hasn’t stop us reaching out to those that need support with their wellbeing.

Our HAPPY Hub in Eastgate shopping centre may be temporarily closed, but our team have been busy spreading cheer across the borough and we are overwhelmed by the response.

At the beginning of April our volunteers pulled together to open a brand new food bank in Laindon after discovering that it is the only town in the Basildon Borough to not have such a service.

Already we have had 100 households stop by for essentials and Easter treats courtesy of supporting partners. The financial strain on the UK is rife with many families, business owners, and local providers suffering a drop in income, so a little extra help to stock up the cupboards can be both a physical relief when you have hungry mouths to feed, and a financial relief too!

But this has taken immense community spirit to achieve and we couldn’t have done it without our partners, supporters and volunteers. We estimate over a 1000 hours have been dedicated to supporting people through the pandemic over the last month by our core team.

So far we have gathered around £16,000 in emergency funds that will be continually invested into the work we do. Much of this money has been spent on (or ring-fenced for) our new food bank. Whilst we have gratefully been in receipt of ‘foodshare’ items from Asda and Tesco which equate to over half a tonne of food a month - food that would otherwise go to waste- we have also purchased items such as infant toiletries and nappies, cleaning essentials, fresh items, and store cupboard ingredients for our food bank visitors.

This funding will also really help toward ongoing free one-to-one counselling and mental health support, but with the lockdown extended, we are working hard to secure additional funds to meet the growing need for our services.

Currently, through the Essex Welfare Service we are co-ordinating around 400 additional kind-hearted volunteers who are being paired with local people in need to keep our community safe and connected; and we have been hearing wonderful stories of people coming together in solidarity.

Whilst a challenging time, we are in awe of the gratitude, spirit and strength we are seeing and have decided to proudly add a rainbow to our marketing materials to thank our keyworkers and volunteers on the front line, and remind everyone of the power of hope. Just like how the sun breaks through a grey sky on a rainy day, our community will pull through this virus, because we are resilient, and stronger together.

We’re one month in and immensely proud of what we have achieved. If you are able to support our ongoing work with a donation, no matter how small, you could be the reason someone smiles again during these dark hours.

To make a donation towards our Coronavirus Emergency appeal, click here >>> https://localgiving.org/charity/motivatedminds/project/corona/

Corona Community Support | Localgiving

Motivated-Minds launch new food bank in Laindon to support local people in need

Volunteers from Motivated-Minds based in Basildon have pulled together at this time of crisis to launch a new food bank in Laindon, the only town in the Basildon Borough to not already have a service like this running.

Our Managing Director, Carla Andrews, has been working with Basildon Council over the last few weeks to ensure that there are fresh and store cupboard items available for local people that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and we have already supported 77 households since the beginning of the month.

Carla said “we are proud to support the Basildon community and enjoy our work very much, but these are worrying times not just for those that we usually support at our Happy Hub in Eastgate Shopping Centre, but for so many people across the world!”

She continued “When we identified that there was not a food bank already operating in the Laindon area, our volunteers and partners rallied together to get one opened immediately. There are hundreds of people in our Borough that are struggling, and the additional stress the pandemic is causing is phenomenal.”

The Motivated-Minds food bank is situated at King Edward Community Centre on King Edward Road in Laindon and is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 3pm - 6pm and is open to anyone struggling through the crisis.

Carla added “we’ve been working hard to secure essentials for the foodbank but were delighted to have had Easter Eggs donated from the Rayleigh Lions, and Holland and Barrett too! Plus the Basildon Round Table kindly donated £500 to help further our work, but there are still so many people that need our support!”

If you would like to make a donation to Motivated-Minds to help us reach out to those most vulnerable during these uncertain times, visit: www.localgiving.org/charity/motivatedminds/project/corona.