Fiona Strong Memorial Fund
The Fiona Strong Memorial Fund was set up in Fiona’s legacy, to champion her strength and determination, and to provide vital support to those in need in Surrey.
Fiona Strong
Fiona was a strong willed, kind and generous young woman, who was diagnosed with an exceptionally rare form of cancer in 2015 and sadly passed away in 2018.
“Fiona will always live in our hearts and minds and her enthusiasm for life remains infectious to this day. She will never be forgotten, and to commemorate her life, a Carol Service is held every December at St Mary’s Church, Battersea.”
This allows her friends, family, and the wider public to not only come together to remember her, but also contributes to raising vital funds for the Memorial Fund.
Fundraising
From time to time Fiona Strong’s family and friends come together to celebrate her life and raise funds. This has been on an ad-hoc basis but is essential in gathering monies for the Fund’s chosen charities. Apart from the Carol Service, other events which have been held include a day at Bocketts Farm where a memorial bench and plaque are located in the Kitchen Garden. Friends, family and visitors are invited to ponder their thoughts from the bench as they gaze across the Surrey Downs. Others have taken part in physical challenges such as cycling LEJOG, the Three Peaks Challenge, walking the entirety of the River Thames National Path, running the London marathon and the Camino de Costa Rica amongst many other worthy challenges.
Fiona’s family worked with the Community Foundation to create the Fund, tailoring the criteria and priorities to ensure that it achieves their charitable goals which were very much to do with supporting disadvantaged youngsters whether in financial difficulty or illness/disabilities. The Fund has in the past supported such charities as the Riding for the Disabled, Look Good Feel Better, and React amongst many others.
How the Fund is changing people’s lives
The Fund Committee has chosen to focus its efforts on a single charity, ensuring that its support not only meets funding criteria but also aligns closely with the charity’s mission and long-term objectives. By concentrating resources in this way, the FSMF aims to create a deeper, more meaningful impact for those it seeks to help.
For 2026–27, the Fund will support Cherry Trees, a Surrey-based charity that provides exceptional, home-from-home respite care. Through specialist short-break visits, Cherry Trees supports children and young people aged 0–19 with a wide range of complex disabilities, including learning, physical, and sensory impairments.
If you would like to contribute to Fiona’s legacy then please use the donation form above. This is a simple and secure online giving platform that allows you to make an immediate online payment.
You can also contact us at any time on 01483 478092 should you need further support.
Make a donation.
Donations can be made at any level, either as one-off donations or spread over a period of time. They can be donated as gifts of cash, legacies, shares, property or land.
The easiest way to give is through the form at the top of the page, which will direct your donation directly to Fiona Strong Memorial Fund. If you would prefer to make a bank transfer, please contact us.
Don’t forget Gift Aid! Using Gift Aid means that for every pound you give, Community Foundation for Surrey will receive an extra 25p from HM Revenue & Customs, helping your donation go further.
Apply for funding
Applying for funding is easy. Simply fill out a quick Expression of Interest Form (EOI) to start the application process.
Tell us what you want to do, and how much you would like to apply for. The EOI is designed to save you time and provide us with a little more information about your funding needs prior to making a full application.
The grants team will then review your EOI against our fund criteria and advise you if we can invite you forward to make a full application.