Community spirit is at the heart of an event aimed at bringing people together.

On Saturday, September 29 Harlow MP Robert Halfon will attend the Nazeing Community Celebration held at the St Giles Church, Nazeing.

The aim of the event is foster a fresh sense of togetherness, with Mr Halfon to speak about the importance of community alongside district councillor Richard Bassett

Reverend Helen Gheorghiu Gould, Nazeing’s parish priest, said: ‘An essential part of our well-being is a strong community, a place which will watch over our children as they grow, a place that will look after us and those we love, and care for us when we are old or frail.

‘But for a number of years we have noticed a decline in Nazeing.

"Our local community organisations are struggling through lack of people who are willing to volunteer to help out.

"Even our Parish Council has found it difficult to recruit.

‘Many people say how wonderful Nazeing community was in the past, but that now it is losing its community spirit.

"People are not coming out to community events, getting involved in local organisations, or volunteering time to make our community a better place to live. If every person in Nazeing got involved in community the new life and energy which would come from that would transform Nazeing.

"One event isn’t going to change this overnight, but we hope it will remind people of the importance and fun of sharing our community life, they can meet other people, and really see how they can make a difference to Nazeing parish."