Raising Southend: a Festival of Conversations is back from 26 – 30 June 2024!

We are planning five days of fun FREE activities across Southend for families, expectant parents and children aged 0-3. We aim for a fun-time for all, but also the opportunity to engage with our services and meet other Organisations ready to support families.

Below, an ABSS Parent Champion shares her experience of attending our last Festival in 2022, how it helped her family feel more connected with the community, and how she is looking forward to its return!

The Festival of Conversations was the event that warmly welcomed me to Southend. Having recently relocated to the area, I was unfamiliar with this festival, and was highly impressed by the co-production of the event and the diverse activities it offered.

Throughout the sessions, I had the opportunity to learn about the various services available in the community and to network with professionals from Southend City Council. This allowed me to enquire about the various issues from health sector to child care, and the numerous voluntary services available in the community.

Additionally, my children had the chance to interact with other children and engage in different activities provided at the event.

The scheduling of the events was ideal, as it allowed me to drop my older children at school and spend quality time with my younger ones. We experienced a full week of enjoyable activities, engagement, and extensive networking. The most remarkable aspect was that the event was completely free, which is a significant support given the current financial challenges many are facing.

I would like to extend my congratulations to the funders, organisers, and community members who contributed directly or indirectly to ensure the event run smoothly.

It was a pleasure to attend, and I am looking forward to the next one.

To find out more about the Festival’s programme of events and sign up to the Festival newsletter, head to our dedicated webpage HERE.