Each year, the Essex Community Foundation Acorn Fund helps voluntary and community organisations working in Essex that provide a wide range of support to people in need. Your donations will be matched on a 2 to 1 basis. If Gift Aid can be claimed on your donation, it nearly doubles the value. This is a great way to support your local charities. Thank you. Grant A Smile, based in Epping Forest, recently received a grant to help them continue giving free, practical support for eligible families whose home life is affected by serious illness. Joyce Obaseki from Grant a Smile said: The help we give can be life-changing, particularly for children who have had to become young carers because they have a parent who is seriously ill. We are very grateful for the grant from Essex Community Foundation. There are so many families who need the type of help we can provide which is impossible to find elsewhere.