Connecting Communities

Based in Southend’s Central Library, Focal Point Gallery is a contemporary visual arts organisation that promotes and commissions exhibitions that reflect the context and heritage of Southend-on-Sea. The gallery has multiple venues across town and runs a comprehensive programme of events, projects and exhibitions throughout the year, many of which are free to attend and suitable for all ages.

Focal Point has become a recognisable fixture on Southend’s cultural map, with a variety of events happening throughout the year that bring people together from across Southend and the broader region. Thanks to regular funding from Arts Council England, the centre is able to support community projects and exhibitions which provide local people with workshops, activities and events, helping to inspire a love for art and culture in the next generation.

Focal Point Gallery is open to all ages and audiences, with a programme of workshops and free access to gallery spaces, a library and on-site café. The centre also offers a range of mobility aids providing ease of access for all.

Find it on Google Maps: Focal Point Gallery

Find out more on the website: Focal Point Gallery

Catch the bus: 1 Shoeburyness to Rayleigh

Welcome to the Hampson Park Community Centre, a space dedicated to helping local people meet and get involved in community projects and events. The centre has two halls, a kitchen, and community café, all offering a diverse range of events, meet-ups and workshops to all members of the community throughout the year.

Whether you’re looking to keep fit, join a specific mentoring class or simply have a chat with like-minded people, the Hampson Park Community Centre offers a warm welcome to all. Hampson’s popular coffee shop, which serves a range of hot and cold drinks and light snacks, is open 7 days a week, and there’s always someone around for a chat.

Hampson Park has regular groups aimed at those with memory issues, including GEMMS, Dementia Café and Tuesday Music Group.

These volunteer-led groups provide a lifeline for some of Stevenage’s most vulnerable citizens, giving them a safe, inclusive space where they can share their experiences and talk with others who may be in a similar situation.

Find it on Google Maps: Hampson Park Community Centre

Find out more on the website: Hampson Park Community Centre

Catch the bus: 2 Stevenage Town Centre to Martins Wood | 3 Stevenage Town Centre to Martins Wood

Join in with the fun and laughter at the Stevenage Community Arts Centre and be part of its thriving community. From flower-arranging to theatre and a locomotive society, there’s so much going on at this community centre.

The Community Arts Centre was built in 2002 as a purpose-built facility for rehearsals, performances and local events, and has since grown to become a much-loved community hub in the Stevenage community. The centre is revered for its arts programme (its history dates back to the 1950s!) but is also well recognised for its community and wellbeing events, which include Sewing Dementia, Garden House Hospice, community dance classes, and baby sensory groups.

From babies to seniors, all ages are catered for at the Stevenage Community Arts Centre, and there is a regular programme of affordable events, the majority of which are overseen by a team of dedicated volunteers. So, whether you’re looking to join in the fun or volunteer your time to help out with a community project, why not pop down and find out what’s going on.

Find it on Google Maps: Stevenage Community Arts Centre

Find out more on the website: Stevenage Community Arts Centre

Catch the bus: 301 St Albans to Stevenage

Showcasing the rich local heritage of Southend-On-Sea, Southend Museums comprises four historic sites in the heart of the town, including Prittewell Priory, Beecroft Art Gallery and Southchurch Hall, as well as Southend’s Central Museum and Planetarium.

Not only do the venues document the town’s past, they inspire the next generation to take an interest in where they are from.

Whether you’re interested in literature, art, local history or the natural world, you can explore an amazing array of ever-changing exhibits.

There's also opportunities to get involved in workshops and events which are all about building communities and inspiring the next generation of artists in Southend.

There’s always something new to discover across the Southend Museums’ venues, so why not pop down and find out what’s going on?

Be sure to head to the organisation’s website for all the details about what’s going on in your local area.

Find it on Google Maps: Southend Museums

Find out more on the website: Southend Museums

Catch the bus: 8 Shoeburyness to Rayleigh

Southend has a large number of children’s centres dotted around the town that offer a variety of free sessions to families up to 5 years old. The journey begins pre-birth, with the centres running many antenatal clinics every day, which you can be invited to by the health team.

Once the baby arrives, the centres offer a wide range of services for young babies and families, including health clinics, baby sensory sessions, baby massage classes and weaning workshops.

Once they’ve grown, you can take them to a variety of sessions aimed at children up to 5 years old, including stay and play, messy plays, cooking, gardening and story time. Most of these sessions are free to drop in, so no booking is required.

The centres also work in partnership with many organisations such as Welcome to the UK and Little Heroes to offer speech and language support and parenting skills. As well as this, the welcoming crèche teams at the Southend Children’s Centres are always on-hand if you need some support or just a friendly face to say hello to.

You can find out more about Southend Children’s Centres here:

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The U3A (The University of the Third Age) boasts several great activity groups throughout Herts and Essex, providing people of retirement age a series of groups in which to build skills and learn something new. Discover if you’re close to a U3A group using our table below.