We want young people and adults with learning disabilities to lead healthy, happy and fulfilling lives, and provide support that allows Mum and Dad to be Mum and Dad. This insight sits at the heart of what we do.
Hamelin Trust is an Essex based Charity, founded 40 years ago by two families raising children with learning disabilities. They wanted to provide life enriching support that was not readily available, affordable or easy to access, for families just like them. This mission still drives us today.
We are proud to support families and the community across Essex via our day and community outreach service. We offer development, independence and high quality personalised care for young people and adults with learning disabilities. We also have a respite offer for families in need of a much valued break, safe in the knowledge their loved ones are being cared for by a talented, trusted and dedicated team.
The fact that the vast majority of our families have retained the Hamelin Trust as their care provider gives our team a unique insight into the needs, opportunities and challenges faced by those with learning disabilities as they go through life.
This is why we want to make a difference together as a compassionate community: to make meaningful connections and provide fulfilling activities that allow individuals with learning disabilities to live the happy, healthy lives they want.
The support services provided by the Trust have expanded to encompass young people and adults of all ages, working in the community and within 3 centres located across the county of Essex. Our team deliver personalised care, development, life skills and experiences for those with complex needs so that they can live their lives to the fullest – alongside much valued support for families and carers.
Sue looked after Jon at home but when her husband died 3 years ago she spoke to the Trust team about her options for residential support.
“I knew I couldn’t carry on without some support, and I was worried about what would happen to Jon if anything happened to me. I feel so lucky to have found The Bungalow as there really is nowhere else like it. The team here are amazing. I love coming to visit Jon here because it is so relaxed, just like being at home – and Jon loves the attention.”
At our Billericay centre we provide daytime activities, training and life enriching experiences on site and out in the local community. We provide individuals with learning disabilities a safe space to enjoy independence, development and social interactions with others.
Our grounds on the Gowlands Sutton Farm site provide unique access to a thriving, growing community garden project “Roots and Shoots.” Supported by volunteers, we grow fruit, vegetables and are planting a new meadow and wooded area. Being part of the gardening project offers fantastic physical and mental health benefits for the individuals we work with. Not to mention the opportunity to make friends and have fun with our volunteers from the wider community.
Swimming is fun and a great way to support our mental and physical health. Our unique Hydrotherapy pool is particularly suited to those with mobility issues, heated to a slightly higher temperature to allow swimmers to move more freely whilst supported by the water. The pool is open to all individuals we work with as well as those in the local community.
Gowlands is our respite service, a home from home that allows families and carers to have a much valued break.
Individuals staying at Gowlands can enjoy a range of activities like baking with our team, play in the sensory room, fun and exercise in the Hydrotherapy pool and gardens in the safe space afforded by our countryside location at Sutton Farm.
Our Community Support Service works with individuals from their own homes. We encourage people to develop independence skills, access community facilities of their choice and to develop and maintain relationships, maximising the opportunities young people and adults with learning disabilities have to engage in community life.
The Exchange is our day service designed to encourage and enable individuals with learning disabilities who are living at home.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy, active, fulfilling life. We want young people and adults with learning disabilities to feel empowered to make their own choices. We aim to enable all those who stay with us to achieve their best, encouraging each individual to reach and maintain as much independence as possible.
We have a fully equipped sensory room, one to one teaching rooms, computer, art and woodwork studios. In addition, there are two main areas where individuals can take part in music therapy, receive specialist support such as physiotherapy / mobility exercises or simply enjoy making friends in the safe space afforded by The Exchange.
Our location close to the heart of Billericay also provides the opportunity for individuals to engage in creative and active projects out and about in the local community. Our team enjoy the great outdoors and can often be found leading group and individual trips to get fresh air and exercise.
We cater for additional support needs of individuals with physical and/or sensory impairments and behaviours that may present as challenging. The number of sessions anyone attends is determined by an assessment of need, which is carried out by the Local Authority and Hamelin Trust in partnership.
Gowlands is our 9 bedroom short stay centre set in 5 acres of grounds at Sutton Farm Rochford. We offer a home from home for families who are looking for respite care, from an overnight stay to a 2-week break.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy, active, fulfilling life. We want young people and adults with learning disabilities to feel empowered to make their own choices. We aim to enable all those who stay with us to achieve their best, encouraging each individual to reach and maintain as much independence as possible.
Our care is personalised and each guest is allocated a Keyworker. The Keyworker is responsible for information gathering and updating the individual care and support plan that enables the staff team to provide the best person-centred care and support. The Keyworker will liaise with friends and relatives as well as other professionals involved in the individuals care. All activities are discussed with each individual and they are encouraged to choose what they would like to do during their stay.
Inhouse – arts and crafts, sensory room, film nights, cooking and baking, garden games, parties, Wii and PlayStation gaming and swimming in our very own Hydrotherapy pool.
In the community – we have a variety of wheelchair accessible vehicles which are used daily for cinema trips, ten-pin bowling, meals out, seaside trips, sports, picnics, park trips, petting zoo visits and trampolining.
Sutton Farm Rochford is also home to our Roots and Shoots gardening project, which offers training and practical experience to develop confidence, creativity and life skills for those with learning disabilities. Not to mention a fantastic way to bring people together – giving the individuals we work with the chance to make friends and have fun with each other, and our volunteer gardeners who live and work in our local community.
Swimming is a fantastic way to keep active, maintain physical mobility and have fun!
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy, active, fulfilling life. We want young people and adults with learning disabilities to feel empowered to make their own choices. We aim to enable all those who work with us to achieve their best, encouraging each individual to reach and maintain as much independence as possible.
So, we are proud to have a purpose built Hydrotherapy pool at our Sutton Farm site at Rochford, which is open to our young people and adults with learning disabilities, their families and the general public.
Set to a slightly higher temperature than traditional swimming pools, our Hydrotherapy pool is a fantastic way to strengthen mental and physical wellbeing in a safe, relaxing environment.
The pool is wheelchair accessible with a ceiling hoist which can support individuals from the changing rooms directly into the water. We have specially equipped changing facilities with large showers, changing beds and toilets.
We are open to the general public on the following days & sessions. Please note due to limited space in the pool you need to prebook.
Tuesdays: 13:00, 14:15, 15:30 and 16:45.
Thursdays and Saturdays: 9:15, 10:30, 11:45, 13:00, 14:15 and 15:30.
Please contact us for information and prices if you wish to attend with a physiotherapist.
The Bungalow is a beautiful, warm, welcoming space set in a quiet residential community setting of Wickford. Our 5 bed purpose built forever home is for young people and adults with severe learning and physical disabilities.
The Bungalow staff team provide 24-hour a day support to residents which we ensure is dignified, compassionate and bespoke care that encourages residents to be as independent as possible and live their lives to the fullest.
The Bungalow prides itself on being welcoming and homely. The home is well equipped to meet the needs of our residents with ceiling hoists, profiling beds, a jacuzzi bath and is wheelchair accessible throughout. Residents enjoy spending time in our fully paved, secluded south-facing garden, which is perfect for having BBQs, using the lazy spa or just relaxing in, listening to music. Residents are able to participate in a variety of in-house activities reading, playing and swimming at our hydrotherapy pool nearby.
We actively encourage close partnerships with our families who are welcome to visit at any time. We also facilitate shared experiences for our residents and their families with home visits at Christmas, canal boat trips and holidays, supported by our team.
We have great support from our the local community and give our residents as much opportunity as possible to experience new activities and places of interest, all of which enables them to live their lives to the fullest.
The Community Support service is designed to meet the needs of young people and adults with learning disabilities by providing flexible services from, and within, people’s own homes.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy, active, fulfilling life. We want young people and adults with learning disabilities feel empowered to make their own choices. We aim to enable all those who work with us to achieve their best, encouraging each individual to reach and maintain as much independence as possible.
Forging strong relationships with the local community is a key aspect of the service. We encourage people to develop independence skills, access community facilities of their choice and to develop and maintain relationships, maximising the opportunities young people and adults with learning disabilities have to engage in community life.
The Community Support service provides whatever level of support is required to enable individuals with learning disabilities to live/remain in their own homes and live their chosen lifestyle.
Activities include:
Bowling, shopping and cooking, cinema, swimming, meals out, socialising with others, art and crafts, cycling, seaside visits, community walks, crazy golf and gardening at our allotment.
The bulk of our team work directly with individuals with learning disabilities to deliver care, development and experiences and are specialists in health and social care. We also have a small support team dedicated to recruitment, training, fundraising and managing the efficient use of our resources.
We are always looking for caring and talented individuals to join our growing and diverse team. We have current vacancies so if you are interested to explore opportunities as a support worker, fundraiser, volunteer or trustee please do drop us a line, we would love to hear from you.
Martin answered a volunteer advert 23 years ago to help restore and sell antique furniture gifted by our local community. He now manages the maintenance across our estate and is currently leading the build of a new team room for our Roots and Shoots garden project.
Mother of 5, Trina, joined our team 8 years ago as a cleaner. Inspired by the work of our team, she applied to join them and be trained as a carer. Trina’s commitment and talent was quickly spotted and she is now proud to hold one of our key leadership roles as Deputy Manager at the Gowlands respite centre at Sutton Farm.
Shannene’s father was cared for at a day centre where she saw first hand the amazing care delivered by staff. When her father passed away she decided to dedicate her career to giving back. She made the leap from management training in the corporate sector to running our Garden project, "Roots and Shoots". Shannene is currently looking to recruit volunteers with a passion for gardening to help develop the project. If you have the time to give, doing something you love, please do get in touch.
Meet Colette Black. Colette holds the position of Chair of our Trustee Board which oversees the effective and efficient running of the Charity. Colette is a mother of 2 from Billericay and brings a wealth of experience from her full time role as Director of People/Culture at Essex Fire & Rescue. She also has a very personal reason for working for the Hamelin Trust. "Throughout my life I have been a 'volunteer' of some sort. From volunteering in a retreat centre for a year in the mid '90s, being a 'befriender', being a tea maker and now to chairing boards. In all these roles, I have found that volunteering has been about connecting, sharing expertise and building relationships. Volunteering is one of those rare activities where I think all participants benefit - the volunteer, the beneficiary, the service. As we look forward, I hope that we can attract more volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences who will support us as we develop."
Meet Alice, Mary, Kat, Trina, Pat and Gemma. Our team at Gowlands, our respite centre at Sutton Farm.
Meet Frances, manager of our Community Support and Day Opportunities Services. Frances began her career working as a nursery nurse before moving on to work with young people with disabilities living in residential homes for Essex County Council. She loves to be a part of the progress the people using our services make and to support staff progress in their care careers. At home she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, reading and experimenting with new recipes.
Meet Louise, manager of The Bungalow who has worked for Hamelin Trust for over 20 years. Louise’s passion for supporting children and adults with learning disabilities was ignited by the Australian Sporting Disability Association, where she assisted those with physical disabilities to swim, float independently and participate without fear. After a short stint travelling around Europe, Louise settled in Essex, retaining her Australian accent and love of vegemite! Louise has brought up her family whilst developing her career with Hamelin Trust and is now proud to lead the team at our residential centre, The Bungalow. As she says, “it is such a unique place to work. It is our residents’ forever home and they become part of your own extended family."
From those who have donated funds to help our beneficiaries and services grow, to those who volunteer for our gardening project and gift their time to provide advice and support for our families and our team. Giving which is both much appreciated and incredibly rewarding.
If any of these stories inspire you – and you would like to give some of your time, expertise or funds to support our beneficiaries to life healthy, happy and fulfilling lives in the future – we would love to hear from you.
You can make a donation via our JustGiving page or by getting in touch with our team using the contact form below.
We were delighted to receive a grant from the team at Sanctuary Housing to transform an area of green space at our Sutton Farm centre. This will help us to plant a wild flower meadow designed to enhance the development, mental and physical health of our services users - and provide a safe space for them to make friends and have fun.
Meet David one of our Trustees who has volunteered with us for over 19 years. David is a former lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University and a cricketer, with a strong sense of fair play and a passion for helping others to achieve their potential. He organised two events with a local law firm, TBH Legal, for our community of families and carers. The events offered advice and best practice to support the long term financial and legal interests of loved ones with learning disabilities. If you are interested in either organising or attending events for our community please do get in touch.
We are always hugely grateful to our families for their generous donations. We helped one of our residents to go on holiday with their family. They loved the experience, and the cherished memory it provided for their son and brother Mark. When Mark died, his family gifted the Bungalow a large donation so that other families could have the same opportunity.
If you would like to get in touch to discuss how we can grow and develop our community in partnership, please drop Ru a line using the contact form below.
A lovely time was had at The Peaceful Pony this week, we always enjoy seeing the animals! 🐴🐐
Hamelin Trust will be attending the SEN Careers event hosted by Castledon School on the 28th of September at Wat Tyler, from 2:30 pm. Come along to learn about all the opportunities open to your young person within careers, training, education, wellbeing, community access, and future living options.
The rest of the residents from the Bungalow enjoyed their trip to Paradise Wildlife Park - a lovely day was had by all! 🦫🦝🐘🦏
The people we support at Roots & Shoots have been busy moving wood chippings from the wood chip pile to be added to our new fairy and cottage garden 🥀🌷
Someone recently donated a car to us through Giveacar thank you!! You can also turn your car into a donation in support of Hamelin Trust!
* visit giveacar.co.uk and tell them about your car
* they'll arrange free collection across the UK
* depending on its condition, it'll be auctioned or scrapped
* Giveacar donate the proceeds to us
