Mane Chance Sanctuary

6th June 2018

I recently had the pleasure of visiting one of the inspiring Surrey charities that we support – Mane Chance Sanctuary.

Based in Compton, Mane Chance rescue neglected and abandoned horses and seek to bring them back to health, both physically and emotionally. After helping the horses to heal, they provide therapeutic benefits to visiting children with disabilities and terminal illnesses. The charity offers weekly sessions for groups of children and their carers to visit and interact with the animals, currently home to over 30 horses of varying ages. At the heart of it all is the simple concept of ‘help us help them’.

The Community Foundation for Surrey have awarded funding to a number of Mane Chance projects, such as a nature pond that educates children on aquatic life, a barn that provides a safe and dry space for both uneasy horses and children, toilet and kitchen facilities for staff and visitors and core costs, to name a few. In total to date, we have allocated almost £39,000 to ensure this charity is able to continue to work with the vulnerable children and animals that are so evident in Surrey.

Established almost seven years ago by the charity’s founding Trustee, Jenny Seagrove, the charity has gone on to grow significantly and becoming a place to just let children ‘be‘.

Albeit one of the wettest mornings in Surrey for a while, I was delighted with my tour of this project. Wellies and waterproof jackets on, Fiona Clements, the charity’s Company Secretary, kindly led me around the fields to visit the beautiful horses and friendly staff that graced the green grass. This is where I realised that each animal that thrived here, often had a tragic history of neglect, that could have resulted in a very different future had Mane Chance not taken action.

Fiona Clements:

The Foundation have supported Mane Chance since the charity began and their ongoing support has enabled us to improve both the facilities we have to offer and also the services we are able to provide. We are so grateful to them for having taken an interest in the work of the charity from the outset and for supporting us over the years.

One of Mane Chances’ strategic aims is to develop a global understanding of the unique relationship between horses and young people.

 

Victoria Kear
Marketing & Communications Officer

Keeping young people fit and healthy with Total Football

24th April 2018

We awarded a grant of £5,300 to Mole Valley charity, Leatherhead Youth Project. This grant funded their ‘Total Football’ programme, a weekly football project taking place for young people aged 11-17 on Friday evenings. This project is a key gathering point for local teenagers to engage them in a healthy activity and prevent them from taking part in antisocial behaviour on Friday nights.

The project provides a fun, energetic and positive activity for young people, to play a team sport and keep healthy and active. The project also offers support from the team of youth workers and volunteers from Leatherhead Youth Project to build positive relationships with the group of young people, offering them advice, support and help with issues they are facing. This is particularly relevant for the beneficiaries that LYP are targeting, which mainly involves young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The grant has also funded extra coaching that has helped young people develop their football skills and become more confident.

Total Football has also benefited young people who want to be involved with volunteering, allowing LYP to set up a young leaders programme allowing those who have become too old to take part as a young person to sign up as a volunteer, receive training and be the future of the project.

This is Ben’s story:

Ben* grew up living in a low-income, single parent household. He had limited opportunities and had to change schools, but despite this he was able to positively engage with LYP projects and begun attending the Total Football project 2 years ago. Ben is a very good player and the other boys looked up to him. LYP asked Ben to take on a position of leadership within the project and help the other boys with their skills and confidence. Bens behaviour and demeanour improved even more and he became a very positive role model.

Ben was struggling with what to do next after school, with his GCSE exams set to take place June 2017. His options didn’t look very bright as a result of poor predicted grades and lack of motivation to study.
However, in recent months one of the project leaders at LYP arranged for Ben to have a trial at the local football academy, which also offers a full time 2 year education course as part of the programme. Ben was accepted and will, with some hard work and consistent attendance, be in full time education for 2 more years. Ben has agreed to stay on at the Total Football project as a regular volunteer.

*Name has been changed

We are delighted to have supported this project, and hope that more young people like Ben, can go on to further opportunities and a healthy lifestyle because of Total Football.

Thank you for this support, it makes a huge difference. This project gives young people a safe, positive and healthy activity on Friday evenings which is hugely important in our community.

– Leatherhead Youth Project

Challengers Summer Youth Scheme provides enjoyment for all

We awarded a total of £3,247 to Challengers for their Summer Youth Scheme, an inclusive project supporting disabled young people aged 13-18, to access a range of fun and exciting activities that they are often excluded from by mainstream providers.

The summer holidays can be a particularly challenging time for disabled young people, many with nothing to look forward to or no friends to spend time with. Challengers is dedicated to supporting disabled young people to take part in the same fun activities as their non-disabled peers. Through this project, they were given the opportunity to have fun, make friends and develop social, emotional and physical skills essential in their transition into adulthood.

Challengers Guildford Youth Scheme delivered a range of fun and exciting activities such as dance and cooking workshops, afternoon tea and archery. They also visited exciting places such as The Living Planet Centre and Chessington World of Adventures.

The scheme ran from 1st August – 26th August and on most days provided an outbound trip and a centre-based activity. For many of the young people that attended, Challengers provided their only opportunity to see friends and try new activities during the long summer holidays. For their parents, carers and siblings, this project provided an essential short break from their caring responsibilities, essential to their own mental health and emotional wellbeing. Many parent carers say that they spend this time to catch up on the things that many take for granted such as cleaning, shopping or simply recuperating from their demanding caring responsibilities.

This is Toms* story, written by his mother;

We have 2 children, our youngest Tom has ASD and attends Challengers regularly. Our life revolves around making sure Tom is safe, cared for and has things to do. Initially we didn’t have a social life at all and pretty much lost all our friends.

Our family live at either end of the country so we had no support there either. Our eldest hated bringing friends home from school. ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) helped enormously – Toms behaviour changed and he became easier to take out. I went back to work so we could pay for his home programme. Our eldest wasn’t happy but he understood and preferred having a brother who didn’t lash out.

Over time we have started venturing out, we still struggle with babysitters. Our eldest will when he is home from Uni but it’s still the exception.

We first heard about Challengers from Toms school, Jigsaw in Cranleigh. The first time we dropped him off was much easier than expected as we visited first and one of the teachers from school worked there so I was pretty happy that someone knew him.

Tom loves activity so I usually book him in for the outdoor trips as much as I can. When he is there it means we have a day to do things! Tom needs someone with him 24/7 as he doesn’t recognise danger so on days when he is at Challengers my husband and I can do things together. All other times one of us has to be with Tom or we have to take him with us.

*Name has been changed

We are delighted to see the impact our grant has had on improving the quality of life for disabled young people such as Tom, through taking part in Challengers Summer Youth Scheme, as well as providing parents and carers some much needed respite from their caring roles.

Through the eyes of our Donors – Nigel, Alison and family

Sharing the joy of giving across generations

We work closely with a number of generous donors that want to give back to their local communities and support causes that they are passionate about.

This is Nigel and Alison’s story:

Following careers as an actuary and teacher respectively, Nigel and Alison helped to establish a youth project in one of the most socially deprived areas of Surrey.

We have been very fortunate and we wanted to share our luck with some of those who were less privileged. Through establishing a youth charity in Surrey, we learned how a small amount of money could make a difference to the lives of those experiencing disadvantage.

Applying for funding for the charity brought the family into contact with the Foundation for the first time.

After making several grant applications, it was clear that the Foundation provided an indispensable service bringing together those who had money to give with those who needed funding. Most importantly, they were professional in making sure that the money was used appropriately by the charities. Establishing our own fund with the Foundation seemed the right thing to do.

The fund includes Nigel and Alison’s children, Carol and David, and their families and so their endowment will continue making gifts on behalf of the family well into the future. They have particularly loved visiting the projects that they have awarded grants to, and seeing the positive impact that their money has had within the community.

Nigel, having worked in business his entire career, wanted the best return on their money.

The Foundation was the perfect solution. No one else is as effective in linking donors with charitable organisations and ensuring that our support is used to the best effect.

Not only have Nigel and Alison received great pleasure in giving with us, they have been able to meet with other donors that have given up their time for the benefit of others. We asked Nigel how philanthropy has changed their lives;

We have met lovely people including other donors. It is a privilege to know all of these people. Most of all, it has been fun!

You can read more about the Nigel and Alison’s giving with us in our Philanthropy Brochure.

A Stroke of Genius at The Therapy Garden

2nd June 2017

A stroke of genius at Normandy Therapy Garden

A grant of £3,800 has supported The Therapy Garden in Normandy in offering a therapeutic horticulture course to 12 local stroke survivors. The group took part in a range of gardening activities such as growing, harvesting and maintaining the gardens. They enjoyed activities at their own pace, in a peaceful and supportive environment supported by volunteers and experienced horticulturists.

A Stroke of Genius

The Therapy Garden is a horticulture and education charity that uses gardening to generate positive change. The ‘Stroke of Genius’ project offers social and therapeutic horticulture to a group of stroke survivors and their carers. It provides stroke survivors with gentle exercise and physical activity whilst they learn about gardening. Stroke sufferers are prone to becoming isolated while they are recovering. This project offers an opportunity to socialise and connect with new people, whilst being inclusive of carers.

It had previously partnered with the Stroke Association to run a taster course for eight stroke survivors. When the pilot ended, the group expressed a desire to return. The grant enabled the course to run for a further six weeks and to expand the number of attendees. Volunteers enjoyed seeing the group return, building relationships with the group and seeing how they progressed during the course.

A Stroke Association support worker encouraged Nicholas* to attend Therapy Garden. Nicholas has always been a keen gardener and explained “It’s nice to get back into gardening and now I’m encouraged to do more in my own garden.”

Referrals to The Therapy Garden are made by local coordinators of national charities such as the Stroke Association. Alternatively a GP can refer you, or it is possible to self-refer. To find out more about The Therapy Garden, the services they offer and how to get involved, please see their website.


*Name changed

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Grants to get GoodGym in Woking up and running

24th November 2016

Establishing a GoodGym in Woking

A grant from the Surrey Sports Fund and The Pargiter Trust Fund has awarded a total of £12,500 to GoodGym. GoodGym is a community of runners who get fit by doing good, by doing physical tasks that benefit their community. The funding from the Community Foundation for Surrey will cover the core costs of establishing GoodGym in Woking – the first in Surrey.

What will a GoodGym in Woking do?

GoodGym members run:

  1. In groups to do manual labour for community organisations.
  2. To make social visits to isolated older people referred to ‘coaches’ because they motivate runners to keep going.
  3. Missions for older people; such as clearing gardens, changing lightbulbs and doing odd-jobs for people who struggle to do them alone.

An area of need that GoodGym has particularly focused on is loneliness and isolation amongst older people, with over 1 million people aged 65 and over admitting to always or often feeling lonely, and 17% of those living alone seeing family and friends less than once a week.

Bringing this project to Surrey will advance GoodGym’s aim of getting people all over the world off treadmills and into their communities in addition to tackling isolation. The Community Foundation looks forward to seeing GoodGym “up and running” in Woking in the near future!

You can find out more about the tasks that GoodGym runners undertake in their communities by reading their run reports.

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Tech Cauldron Club Receives £2000 from Gold-i Fund for Innovation

23rd November 2016

Gold-i Fund for Innovation - Tech Cauldron

The Gold-i Fund for Innovation has awarded a £2,000 grant to the Tech Cauldron Club which helps children and young people in Ashtead and Leatherhead to learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) in workshops and after school clubs. The funding will be used to purchase educational STEM toys, games and products for a loaning system for club members. It will also fund a team to enter the IET First Lego League competition next year. The club plans to allocate some of the funds towards purchasing advanced equipment including a 3D printer to enrich members’ tech learning experience.

The Tech Cauldron Club (TCC) is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes technology learning in the local community in an affordable way. It was founded in January 2016 by a group of parents who were passionate about technology and had children who wished to learn more than schools could offer. TCC runs extra-curricular clubs for 8-15 years olds, covering a range of activities including electronics, inventing, science, crafting and coding. Current clubs are at Greville Primary School, Ashtead Scout Hut and West Ashtead Primary School. The TCC hopes to expand into a number of local secondary schools.

Venus Shum, Founder of the Tech Cauldron Club explains

Tech Cauldron was set up to give parents a low-cost option to get their children involved in STEM learning and, to be more in touch with the physical technological world, rather than the virtual world. The clubs are proving to be very popular and are really gaining momentum. We are so thankful to the Gold-i Fund for supporting us – this is the first grant we have ever received and it will be invaluable in providing resources to help the young people in our clubs to learn about technology appropriately.

Tom Higgins, CEO, Gold-i added,

A lot of parents know that their children are interested in technology but they do not know how to encourage and cultivate this interest. The Tech Cauldron is an inspiring initiative which encourages children to take STEM subjects more seriously in a fun and motivating way. We are delighted to support them with a grant from the Gold-i Fund.
As a prominent Surrey tech-based company which regularly recruits technology specialists from within our community, we place a high value on the skills which the Tech Cauldron Club teaches. There are definitely not enough technologists coming through from schools in Surrey and the Tech Cauldron is playing a significant role in enthusing young people about science and technology.

Kate Peters, Grants Manager, Community Foundation for Surrey adds,

The Gold-i Fund for Innovation was set up to provide funding to organisations in Surrey which push boundaries or do something remarkable to benefit those in our community. The Tech Cauldron Club exemplifies this and we wish them every success as they continue to flourish.

Grants from the Gold-i Fund for Innovation are currently made up to three times per year. If your group or voluntary organisation is interested in receiving funding, please see our pages on how to apply for funding.

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Support for Woking & Sam Beare Hospices’ new site on Goldsworth Park

21st November 2016

WSB Hospices - Goldsworth Park

Woking & Sam Beare Hospices have been awarded a grant of £15,017 from the Community Foundation for Surrey. The funding will go towards the installation of Alenti lift Chairs and Miranti lift bath trolleys in the patient assisted bathrooms in the charity’s new hospice in Goldsworth Park.

The facility will include two large, assisted bathrooms for patients with limited mobility. These bathrooms will be fitted with necessary equipment to ensure that they are not only fully accessible for the patients and the nurses who care for them, but are comfortable and enjoyable to use. Lizzie Loveless, Senior Trusts Fundraiser explains the importance of the donation:

“For many of our patients, such as those with motor neurone disease, their visits to the hospice are the only time that they are able to have a bath and therefore to have these assisted bathrooms dramatically improves the care we are able to give them by providing the space, privacy and equipment which they don’t have at home. We are delighted to have been granted such a generous amount from the Community Foundation for Surrey towards the equipment which will allow every patient to safely enjoy a bath.”

Wendy Varcoe, Executive Director of the Community Foundation said of the donation:

“The Community Foundation is delighted to be able to support this fantastic project that will enable better care for more people in the local community. By working with our local donors, we are able to support organisations such as Woking & Sam Beare Hospices that have a lasting impact for the people of Surrey.”

To find out more about the new build on Goldsworth Park, visit www.wsbhospices.co.uk/NewBuild

Elmbridge Community Fund supports Cobham based youth project

13th May 2016

The Elmbridge Community Fund, launched in January 2015 has awarded its third grant to the Cobham based SAY Youth Club. A grant of £2,400 has supported the club’s expansion to support older teenagers.

Elmbridge Community Fund panel member, Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton and Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice) presented representatives from SAY Youth Club with the grant cheque at an event promoting the local Fund at the House of Commons.

The grant will enable the Youth Group to expand their programme to provide weekly activities for teenagers in a safe environment, away from the streets, which can for some, ultimately lead to danger to themselves and crime.

 

Dominic Raab MP explains

We are delighted to have supported such a worthwhile local project and are excited by the huge potential of the Fund to support more and more local community and voluntary groups in the future.

Elmbridge Community Fund Panel Chair Richard Waller explains,

Although Elmbridge is often perceived as a universally wealthy borough there are pockets of very real disadvantage and many people need extra support. The Elmbridge Community Fund works with existing charities and community groups to provide a simple way for local residents to support local communities in need.

This is a permanent fund that will grow over time. Founding donors have already come together to establish the fund and supported us to award our first three grants. Now we are seeking others to come forward to build the fund further.

Wendy Varcoe, Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Surrey said

By maximising Gift Aid your donation to the Elmbridge Community Fund can go further to support even more people, providing a very effective way supporting the local community.