Meet the Love Essex Fund winners!

The Love Essex Fund offers £500 micro-grants to projects that reduce household waste. The fund is available to individuals, schools and organisations. Since 2019, the Love Essex Fund has provided funding to nearly 200 projects across Essex! 

This February, the Love Essex Fund achieved record success after receiving 105 applications. These applications were highly impressive and showcased the array of community projects tackling household waste across the county.  

This round, projects promoting reuse and repair were prioritised. Due to the large number of applications, we couldn't fund them all. However, we’re pleased to have funded 41 brilliant projects! The successful applicants include repair cafés, library of things, preloved uniform swaps, and many more. Check out the full list below:  

Basildon 

• Baby Basics Billericay 
• Laindon School Uniform Bank 
• Sociability’s bike repair project 
• Sunnymede PTA’s previously loved uniform shop 

Braintree 

• Baby Stuff Braintree 
• Braintree District Mencap’s preloved item swap shop 
• Climate and Nature for Stisted’s library of things
• Friends of St Michael’s preloved uniform shop 
• St Nicolas Church’s pop-up refill shop 

Brentwood 

• Key Lime’s preloved prom pop-up shop

Castle Point 

• Canvey Island School Uniform Bank 
• Kingston Primary School’s preloved uniform shop 

Chelmsford  

• Jean Genie Denim 
• Refill Town  
• Roots to Hope's community clothes cycle 

Colchester 

• Bridgeway Mission’s sewing hub 
• C3 Impact's community market refill 
• Colcheco 
• Consciously Clothed 
• Colchester Toy Library 
• Friends of Lexden Primary School’s preloved uniform project 
• Mersea Community Repair and Make 
• RAMA’s clothing repair shop 
• Tiptree Community Hub’s preloved uniform exchange 
• Wivenhoe Library of Things 

Epping Forest 

• 3Food4U Waltham Abbey’s second-hand item bank 

Harlow 

• Harlow Community Men's Shed 
• Integration Support’s recycling workshops and reuse kits 
• Rainbow Services’ second-hand prom event 

Rochford 

• 4th Rochford Scout Group Repair Café  
• Cake Club Parenting Support 
• East Essex Hackspace CIO 
• Hockley Parish Council’s baby basics 

Tendring  

• Clacton School Uniform Bank 
• Holland Park Primary School PTA's preloved fancy dress bank 
• The Active Wellbeing Society’s bike repair project

 Uttlesford 

• Berden Repair Café 
• Friends of Newlands Spring’s preloved uniform shop 
• Great Easton Primary’s clothing and equipment bank 
• Radwinter Repair Café 
• Uttlesford Children's Clothing Bank’s preloved prom event

Why not give one of these community groups or businesses a visit? Your support makes a difference! 

If your application wasn't successful, keep your eyes peeled for the next round. Your project may be a perfect fit next time.  

Read more about the Love Essex fund on our webpage. You can also read about the Waste Strategy for Essex and our aim to support businesses and communities to deliver local reuse and repair services.