Financial learning sessions with Affinity Connect
We are working in partnership with Affinity Connect to provide a range of free online interactive workshops about financial topics, aimed at people working in the public sector.
The sessions provide information only and do not include or constitute regulated financial advice.
If you have any issues registering for any of the sessions, contact Affinity Connect with the date and time that you would like to attend.
Taking control of your finances course
This 1 hour 30 minutes online course is designed to help you clearly identify steps towards becoming financially well that can support your through working life and beyond.
The session will help you to:
- understand personal taxation and take home pay
- budget and review financial outgoings
- manage borrowing, improving credit scores, and reducing debt
- create savings strategies and understanding investment risks
- gain clarity on pensions and planning for retirement
At the end of the course, you will get an interactive workbook to help you apply your learning directly to your own finances, explore budgeting tools and take actionable steps toward financial wellbeing.
Course dates
25 September 2025
12 November 2025
Book your taking control of your finances session on Affinity Connect.
Planning for retirement course
This 2 hour 30 minutes online course will encourage a positive and realistic approach to a financially secure retirement and help you to make informed choices about retirement.
During the session you will:
- explore changes in lifestyles
- identify where income is expected to come from and how it is taxed differently in retirement
- understand the State Pension and different types of workplace pensions
- learn about the risks and rewards involved in savings and investments
- discover why increased life expectancy escalates the dangers of inflation and how to combat it
- find out how to ensure your estate is passed to your intended beneficiaries
- understand Inheritance Tax
- understand next steps and where to receive further guidance and regulated financial advice
Course dates
09 June 2025
13 August 2025
12 November 2025
03 December 2025
Book your planning for retirement session on Affinity Connect.
Effective tax planning for higher earners course
For employees earning £50,000 (fifty thousand pounds) or more, it’s common to encounter hidden tax pitfalls or miss opportunities for optimisation. Particularly those that extend beyond pensions.
This 1 hour and 15 minutes revised course ensures a more comprehensive understanding of these key areas.
Participants will gain:
- a clear, simplified understanding of tax and National Insurance
- awareness of common tax pitfalls affecting higher earners, and how to avoid them
- proven strategies for tax-efficient savings
- a full breakdown of pension contribution limits, and how to maximise them
- insights into upcoming changes to Inheritance Tax on pensions (effective 2027)
- practical, expert-led tax planning tips tailored for higher earners
Course dates
16 October 2025
Book your effective tax planning for higher earners session on Affinity Connect.
Contact Affinity Connect
Telephone: 0800 019 6076
Email: bookings@affinityconnect.org
If you attend a session, let us know how you get on by emailing wellbeing@essex.gov.uk.
You can find out more about financial workshops and courses in the learning and development section.