Orchid Environmental Trust Fund

28th April 2016

The Orchid Environmental Trust Fund supports projects across Surrey which conserve or improve the wildlife value of an area; and/or raise awareness of and access to the environment

Community environmental projects which have been supported by this Fund include community gardens and wildlife areas, as well as community orchards.

Grants are prioritised to small, volunteer-led community groups.

The Donors to this Fund (a local Surrey couple) are also interested in supporting the start up costs of new initiatives.

 

Examples of funded projects:

Guildford Environmental Forum – £1,000

The Guildford Environmental Forum work to make Guildford a greener and more sustainable place – by educating, informing, cutting energy use, reducing ecological footprints, helping wildlife and tackling climate change.

A grant provided the group with purpose built swift nesting boxes around the area. Swifts have become much less common in the countryside and have become largely urban birds. As well as providing a safe place for the birds to nest, there was an increased boost in the wellbeing of residents in Guildford and Woking involved in the project.


Autism and Nature – £2,000

Local charity, Autism and Nature, strive to tackle the lack of opportunities for children with ARD to learn about and experience the outdoors.

Funding was awarded for the production and distribution of a colouring book created specifically for children with autism & related disabilities (ARD), in order to help them engage with nature.

An initial grant helped produce ‘Alex and Rosie’s Adventures in Surrey’ – a pilot storybook that was found successful in helping parents and teachers in Surrey encourage autistic children to engage with the natural environment.

The books are aimed at children aged 5-11 and have been designed to improve communication with ARD children, encouraging them to stay calm, be self-expressive, aid in the development of motor skills and help them better relate to their surroundings.

Explore some of our other Personal Funds


Cyrus Fund

The Cyrus Fund, just like the Community Foundation for Surrey’s other Funds, was established by a local Donor.

The Fund awards grants to support local grassroots organisations to do things that they would otherwise not have the opportunity to do.

Grants are targeted to enable local groups to grow and develop, or improve the services they offer to local people.

Grants are focused in Waverley, and particularly around the Godalming area and fund capital costs or one-off items to improve or extend existing services and infrastructure, or to help develop a new initiative.

 

Examples of funded projects:

1275 Godalming Air Cadets – £2,000

The Air Training Corps is a voluntary uniformed youth organisation which is supported, in part, by the Royal Air Force. It provides the opportunity to learn valuable skills, receive training and gain personal development for young men and women aged 12-20.

Funding supported the purchase of a flight simulator to assist the Air Cadet Squadron in providing training for young air cadets. The simulator offered an opportunity to learn practical aviation skills alongside an established training process resulting in a BTEC in Aviation Studies. It facilitated better learning through physical and realistic demonstrations, as as acting as an exciting addition to the training programme.


Elstead Sharks Youth Football Club – £1,275

Elstead Sharks Football Club (ES) started operating in 2008 and is a youth football club that caters for 206 children from the Elstead area and surrounds.

Funding was awarded to replace the clubs 20 year old rusted steel goals. New FA approved aluminium goals were purchased in order to improve the safety of the children aged 13-18 that attend the club. Thick, but lightweight these goals also benefit other local teams such as the Elstead Ladies, Men’s and Vets teams.

Electronic Arts Educational Fund & Electronic Arts Youth Fund

27th April 2016

Electronic Arts has two Community Foundation funds to support skills and training projects in Guildford for young people as well as specific educational programmes; the Electronic Arts Youth Fund and the Electronic Arts Educational Fund.

The Electronic Arts Youth Fund supports projects which benefit young people between the ages of 11 to 18 years and is particularly focused on supporting equipment or activity costs. The fund prioritises projects which will benefit areas of higher need in Guildford which help young people to gain confidence and new skills through training and development.

The Electronic Arts Educational Fund makes grants of up to £1,000 to projects providing educational programmes to support children and young people up to 18 years old, in and around the Guildford area in the areas of:

  • Computer Science and Physics
  • Technology
  • Engineering
  • Arts (digital arts)
  • Maths and Multi-media

Thomas Trust Fund

The former Trustees of the Thomas Trust transferred the Trust’s capital to create a bespoke Community Foundation Fund in 2014 and continue to award grants to care for elderly, disabled and blind people in the Godalming area.

Betty Thomas was a forthright lady and very determined that the Trust she intended to set up should be run professionally and fully exercise her wishes and stipulations. Her concerns for the elderly, blind and disabled demonstrated her kindness and desire to assist on a long term basis.

The previous Trustees of the Thomas Trust are most encouraged at the enhanced awareness and profile brought to the charitable aspirations of Betty Thomas through having the privilege of being part of a larger and prestigious organisation in the Community Foundation for Surrey

Dr Chris Jagger MBE

Thomas Trust Fund Panel Member

 

Example grants from the fund:

Bright Shadow – £1,800

Bright Shadow is a charity working to enable people living with dementia and those affected by it to live well and to thrive through creative and meaningful activities.

This grant supported the charity’s interactive performance ‘Zest’ workshops that use tried and tested methodology using story-making, movement, song, imagination and sensory stimuli to engage people in fun and meaningful activity to stimulate social interaction and facilitate community building within people with dementia. This funding allowed for the workshops to be set up and implemented in both Woking and Godalming for one year.


The Clockhouse – £3,000

The Clockhouse provides a safe, secure and stimulating environment for the over 60s living in Milford and the surrounding villages to meet. Attendees experience a full range of fun and engaging activities, as well as support throughout the sessions, while carers receive respite from their caring role.

This grant provided funding for the groups ‘Exercise and Balance Awareness Sessions’ to help support the fees for a qualified teacher to run the programme to the local group three days a week. Exercise sessions are invaluable for those who have been discharged from hospital after falls and illness and greatly improve balance and confidence. This grant helped build confidence in participants in the ability of getting out and about safely, prolonging independent living, as well as general exercise improving well being, stamina and mobility.

The Peter Harrison Foundation Community Fund

peter-harrison

The Peter Harrison Foundation was founded in 1999. The following year, Peter Harrison completed a Deed of Gift under which he and his family gave the Foundation a capital endowment, to which the Harrison family made a further contribution to in 2010. The Foundation aims to maintain the value of this capital while distributing annual income of approximately £2.2 million for charitable purposes. In fact, over the past 16 years the Foundation has made 981 grants to 566 charities, totaling over £37 million.

By working with the Community Foundation for Surrey, this national Foundation benefits from the Community Foundation’s local knowledge.

The Peter Harrison Foundation Community Fund is a ‘small grants fund’ to support local community and voluntary groups. The Fund will focus on those areas of need that the Peter Harrison Foundation supports including children and young people with disabilities, helping disabled and disadvantaged young people through sport and providing education to disadvantaged young people.

 

Example grants from the fund:

Kinetic Foundation – £5,000

Kinetic Croydon are a football charity that aim to provide high quality sports coaching and educational programmes to disadvantaged young people across the London boroughs. The charity’s main goal is to encourage the development of young peoples skills, employability and aspirations for their futures, who are in, or at risk of falling in to the NEET category and/or at risk of participating in anti-social behaviour.

This funding allowed for free weekly football sessions to take place, specifically aimed at disadvantaged primary school children from the Tandridge area. This grant provided the Soccer Schools facility hire, coaching staff time, equipment costs, as well as marketing costs of promoting the project.


GASP Motor Project – £5,000

GASP Motor Project helps young people aged between 14 and 19 years who are living in Surrey and the surrounding area learn basic motor mechanics and practical engineering skills.

This grant supported the ongoing development of the GASP. Students who attend the group are typically those who are not engaging, or not able to engage, in a classroom environment. GASP provides a less formal learning environment away from the stress of the classroom. With a maximum group size of six students, and with two instructors, the students benefit from personal attention in a calm environment. The emphasis is on the development of personal skills such as: listening, communication, teamwork, resilience and in particular, confidence. All of these attributes stand them in good stead on their return to school, and later in life.

The Pargiter Trust Fund

Pargiter Trust logo with writing

The Pargiter Trust, a national family charitable trust established to support disadvantaged older people to be independent, healthy and socially included works in partnership with the Community Foundation for Surrey to deliver their Surrey grassroots grants programme.

The Honourable Isobel Cooper-Heyman founded the Pargiter Trust in 2005 to support older people. Isobel was a Trustee of The National Benevolent Fund for The Aged (NBFA) for a number of years and was a passionate campaigner, ensuring older people have the support they need to maintain independence and live healthy, happy lives. She founded the Pargiter Trust to continue her work alleviating social isolation and stress wherever possible for older people living in England and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Pargiter comes from Isobel’s maiden name, the only daughter of Baron George Albert Pargiter, CBE and Dorothy Maude. Since Isobel’s death in 2009 her cousin, Suzanne Gardiner, has taken up role as Chair.

Through its mission to support disadvantaged older people to be independent, healthy and socially included, the Pargiter Trust is focused on grant making and support for innovation. The trustees work closely with Community Foundations and Charities, to support grassroots projects whose objects are compatible with the Trust’s mission; to benefit those disadvantaged and over the age of 65 to be independent, healthy and socially included.

We chose the Community Foundation for Surrey because they were local, offered us the opportunity to stay involved in the giving process and visit the projects we supported.

Sue Gardiner – Chair, Pargiter Trust

 

Example grants from the fund:

Music in Hospitals – £1,500

Music in Hospitals aims to bring joy through the therapeutic delivery of high quality live music to benefit the public by delivering music concerts across the UK, in order to raise the spirits, reduce distress and suffering, and to bring pleasure to sick and vulnerable adults, children and their families.

This funding supported the charity’s ’18 Concerts across Surrey’ project that benefited elderly people in healthcare facilities with the objective to enhance memory, improve communication, express feelings and assist with rehabilitation of elderly people who may be living with dementia.


Tea and Chat – £5,000

Tea and Chat (Making Connections) sessions provide a place for socially isolated older people to meet and experience companionship, socialisation and engaging activities, or to accompany a partner or friend with dementia as a carer. Carers can also join in with activities, and can gain confidence and a sense of wellbeing by re-joining their community after a bereavement.

This funding supported the continuation of project and helped reduce loneliness and social isolation amongst older people across Tandridge.

Surrey Community Fund

SCF
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Our Surrey Community Fund awards grants to a range of projects which support priority and emerging needs across Surrey.

Our Surrey Community Fund awards grants to a range of projects which support priority and emerging needs across Surrey.

The Surrey Community Fund (SCF) was established in 2006 to address identified gaps and funding needs. It is the Fund we use to support any emergencies.

The Fund supports current and emerging needs in communities across the county, and using our local knowledge and expertise, enables us to be pro-active and responsive in addressing critical issues identified at any one time.

Over recent years, we have used this fund to support the county to cope and recover following COVID-19, as well as using it to fund Afghan and Ukrainian refugee support.

In addition, this vital fund is used to provide crisis grants to charities and organisations who are facing a cashflow crisis. We have seen more and more of this type of application as the impact of rising energy costs, increased staffing costs and increased people needing their services have made a very challenging environment for our community organisations.

You can donate securely online via our Enthuse giving page.

Alternatively, you can donate via bank transfer. Please contact us for information on how to do this.

You can apply for a grant from our Surrey Community Fund by filling out our Expression of Interest Form.

Surrey Hills Trust Fund

The Community Foundation for Surrey is working in partnership with the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to manage the Surrey Hills Trust Fund.

Our beautiful Surrey Hills are in danger of irreversible damage from development and careless over use. To protect our children’s rural heritage, please support the Surrey Hills Trust Fund.

The Fund has been established to help conserve and enhance this specially protected landscape. By supporting projects, programmes and activities that benefit the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we can ensure our countryside is preserved.

We will work with local communities, landowners and partner organisations for the benefit of residents, workers and visitors to the Surrey Hills.

Give locally to protect the Surrey Hills now and in the future:

With your help, we can create a lasting legacy for the Surrey Hills ensuring it is enjoyed by generations to come. The Surrey Hills Trust Fund provides the chance to support projects that will benefit local communities and the environment.

How your donation can make a real difference:

The Surrey Hills Trust Fund will support a wide-range of local projects from landscape conservation grants to community enterprise schemes. Below are examples of areas of work that your donations could support:

  • Landscape Conservation projects to open up viewpoints, restore landscape features etc.
  • Working with volunteers to undertake landscape access and conservation work.
  • Educating younger generations on the importance and value of countryside.
  • Enhancing the ecology & biodiversity of the local area through practical projects.

 

The Surrey Hills Trust Fund helped students experience the Surrey Hills – Bear Grylls style!

The first grant awarded from the Surrey Hills Trust Fund enabled ten students from Therfield School in Leatherhead to undertake Forest School Survival Skills training, which involved building shelters, camp fires and learning how to forage for food, as well as outdoor team building.

They also undertook a mountain bike course on Leith Hill, learning how to navigate the trails, understand the environment and work together.

The aim was to offer a unique outdoor learning experience to young people who may not always get the opportunity, helping them engage with the Surrey Hills countryside and boosting confidence and learning.

Gail Rennie from Therfield School comments:

This has been a fantastic opportunity for our students. They have enjoyed the whole experience and learnt so much from practical skills to pulling together to work as a solid team. They have all worked really hard and these new skills will help to benefit their learning back in the classroom environment.

The programme was co-ordinated and led by the Leatherhead Youth Project (LYP), a charity launched in 2005 to help local young people to make safe, happy, resilient, and positive changes in their lives and in their community.

Oli Bell, LYP comments:

We were delighted to receive this grant from the Surrey Hills Trust Fund and work with the group of students from Therfield School. The programme we provided has not only been great fun but provided the students with new skills vital for learning and helped to boost confidence.

Gordon Jackson, Chairman of the Surrey Hills Trust Fund comments:

We were delighted to award this grant from the Surrey Hills Trust Fund. It is so very important to engage young people with their local countryside. The benefit of outdoor education is immense from developing confidence to understanding the natural environment. I hope this programme has inspired these young people and that they carry this experience into their futures.

Surrey Young People’s Fund

The Surrey Young People’s Fund was established in October 2014 to support disadvantaged young people in Surrey to gain access to training and employment.

Grants are awarded by a panel of experienced volunteers who have a passion for assisting young people in Surrey to improve their employment prospects.

The Surrey Young People’s Fund provides funding for individuals (aged 16-25 inclusive) who are resident in Surrey. The purpose of the funding is to assist young people to move towards an identified goal in education, training, apprenticeship, or employment.

The Fund is a funder of last resort and applicants will be expected to have been unable to obtain funding from other sources. Our funds are limited and so we may not be able to award a grant for all the funding requested. We are unable to Fund retrospectively – please make sure you wait for the outcome of your application before you start an activity or book a course that incurs costs, or spend any money.

Grants will typically be up to £300 and will fund items that will directly enhance the young person’s employability skills, such as;

  • assisting them to obtain qualifications, certificates or licenses
  • developing vocational or technical skills
  • providing self-development opportunities that improve social skills, motivation and confidence

Download the full guidelines here.

 

Successful applicants are likely to be financially disadvantaged and typically fall into one of the following categories:
  • Young people having achieved or likely to achieve less than 5 GCSEs at grades 4-9
  • Young people who are not in full-time employment (16+ hours per week)
  • Young people with disabilities or restricted by health conditions
  • Young people with mental health conditions
  • Young people in or leaving care
  • Carers (including Surrey Young Carers)
  • Offenders or ex-offenders
Examples of what grants may be used for or towards include:
  • Course fees and examination costs
  • Travel costs for education, training or employment
  • Childcare for short-term education or training
  • Equipment, materials or tools
  • Work- or training-related clothing
  • Volunteering/work placement costs
  • Online learning

In situations where applicants have disabilities or mental ill-health we often work in partnership with Surrey Supported Employment Fund. Click here to see more details – Surrey Supported Employment Fund.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply for a grant, please contact our Grants Manager, Nicola Bartlett at nicola@cfsurrey.org.uk.

Our Panel Members

 

Volunteering opportunity!

We are currently seeking a new Panel Member to join the Surrey Young People’s Fund. Find out more about the role here.

Update – Grants for laptops

COVID-19 disrupted education since the beginning of lockdown in March 2020, and continues to represent challenges to students and teachers. At the outset we were keen to fill the gap that existed as online learning became the main way of continuing studies during the first half of the summer term (though clearly a number of institutions remained open for teaching vulnerable and disadvantaged young people as well as the offspring of vital workers).

In parallel, the Government announced a scheme to provide laptops to many young people who otherwise couldn’t undertake online learning, and many colleges have risen to the challenge of online access by lending laptops to students who otherwise would have to rely on phone access to these materials.

SYPF is unable to provide laptops in situations where there is a statutory obligation for a Government body to provide one. We are unable to consider the provision of grants which are solely relating to laptops for college-based courses unless there are exceptional circumstances.

In the event of any questions about this, please contact Nicola Bartlett at nicola@cfsurrey.org.uk.

You can also download a Surrey Young People’s Fund flyer to help us spread the word about this Fund.

Follow the Surrey Young People’s Fund on Twitter using @SYPFund to stay up to date!

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