The Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Surrey, Wendy Varcoe, has been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s 2016 Birthday Honours list. The Honour has been awarded to recognise Wendy’s dedication and hard work in supporting local communities across Surrey.

Wendy said

 It has been a privilege to have been involved with building a Community Foundation for Surrey and to have had the opportunity to work with such an inspiring and dedicated team. Building the Community Foundation has been a joint effort over 10 years with many people involved. I would particularly like to recognise and thank our Founding Chairman, Professor Patrick Dowling, our current Chairman, David Frank, and our amazing Donors, Trustees, Staff and supporters.

Wendy was involved in initiating and developing the Community Foundation for Surrey and was inspired by the need to build permanent community resources through local philanthropy. Wendy said “This is about local people supporting other local people and helping to build thriving communities that are so vital to the quality of people’s lives. The funding so generously given by our donors supports projects at the very local level across the width of need and ensures funding gets right where it is needed to help those in most need and to change lives”.

Over the past 10 years the Foundation has inspired Surrey families, businesses, trusts and individuals to come together and invest in their local communities now and for generations to come. Since it was established in 2005, the Community Foundation has awarded over £6 million in grants to local voluntary groups, community projects and individuals across the width of community need in Surrey and has built permanent community resources of £10 million which generates on-going funding in perpetuity.  Last year alone, the Community Foundation awarded over £1 million in grants to local communities across the county.

David Frank, the Community Foundation’s Chairman, said

It is very appropriate that Wendy’s work in the local community should be recognised during our tenth anniversary year. Wendy has worked tirelessly since the inception of the Foundation to promote local philanthropy and the results that she has achieved to date speak for themselves. She has been an inspiration to the whole team and I am very glad that this has now been publicly acknowledged.

Wendy  said

The Foundation has continued to build year on year and we have ambitious plans to help even more of Surrey’s communities going forward.