The Estates and Facilities Helpdesk team provide a dedicated customer-care facility for all three campuses (Colchester, Southend and Loughton).
Contact us by phone, email, in person or via our online fault report system. Students can also email ems-helpdesk@essex.ac.uk for faults in student accommodation.
To deal with your enquiry as efficiently as possible, please give details of:
Once the fault has been logged, you'll receive an email with a call log number, keep this number safe.
Please note that we do not usually transfer calls to maintenance supervisors or other technical staff. We will be able to help you in the first instance and know how to best support you.
Please be advised that essential maintenance will be taking place on Saturday 03 August from 22:00 (GMT) until 23:59 (GMT) on Sunday 04 August. During this time the web portals will be unavailable while work is completed.
Monday to Thursday 8am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 4.30pm
Friday 8pm - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 4.15pm
Between 12.30pm and 1.30pm, telephone calls will be directed to the Security Team.
Room: 6.003
Outside these hours a voicemail system operates and messages will be attended to the following working day.
For out-of-hours support, security, issuing of keys, lost property and visitor information contact the Patrol Officers in the Security and Safety Centre.
The Helpdesk team will respond to all communication enquiries within two working days, and we will ensure the customer is informed on what actions are being taken.
Please complete and return the relevant form below:
Events in the squares or grounds must be proposed via an events on campus permission form (.docx) and submitted to the ems-helpdesk@essex.ac.uk a minimum of one week’s notice for a small / non-complex event, and a minimum of three weeks for a complex event. This notice period allows plenty of time for the Customer Services team to review your forms and resolve any queries with you.
We ask that the following are submitted alongside your event permission form:
Where external providers are used, you will need to ask them to provide the following information for you to submit alongside your event permission form:
Please note that operational requests such as provision of furniture is free of charge Monday-Friday until 2.00pm, excluding bank holidays. If you are planning an event after this time, you can contact the team on softfmcos@essex.ac.uk for more information. Where you have pre-arranged operational support, please make this known to us upon submission of your event permission form
Provision of electrical hook up is free of charge until 7pm Monday-Friday, excluding bank holidays. If you would like to arrange electrical support outside of these times, please make this known within your event permission form and we will seek information specific to your event
Protests and/or Demonstrations in the squares or grounds must be proposed via a Protest and Demonstration Notification Form (.pdf) and submitted to the ems-helpdesk@essex.ac.uk a minimum of five working days prior to the date of the proposed activity. This notice period allows time for the Protest and Demonstration Operational Group (PDOG) to review your forms and resolve any queries with you.
Please ensure that you have read and understood your responsibilities as an organiser of a protest and/or demonstration as per the Protest and Demonstration Management Protocol available at Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech prior to completion of your notification form.
We ask that the following are submitted alongside your notification form:
The Estates and Facilities Helpdesk manage BBQ bookings for students and staff.
Get in touch via ems-helpdesk@essex.ac.uk to submit a form to hire the BBQ area (.docx). We ask for three working days’ notice to ensure that your booking has sufficient time to be processed. If you are expecting more 70 or more guests to your BBQ you will also need to submit an event permission form, with a minimum of one weeks’ notice given
Make sure to visit the Security and Safety team on Square 3 on the day of your event to collect your fire blanket. The Security and Safety team will shut down any unauthorised BBQs for your safety and the safety of others.