The Power of Us: Culture, Change, Collaboration and Action to Support Care Leavers in Surrey
On Monday, 1 June 2026, Community Foundation for Surrey brought together partners from local government, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, and funders for a collaborative event focused on improving outcomes for care-experienced young people across Surrey.
The event provided an opportunity to reflect on learning from the Community Foundation for Surrey's Care Leavers Fund, which has supported 385 young people and awarded more than £103,000 in grants to organisations and individuals working across the county.
A key theme emerging from discussions, survey responses and learning from funded projects was that successful transitions into adulthood are built on three interconnected foundations:
a safe and stable place to live,
trusted relationships,
and a strong sense of belonging.
Participants explored the challenges facing care-experienced young people, particularly around access to suitable accommodation, social isolation, mental health and wellbeing, and pathways into employment and independent living. Accommodation was identified as the most pressing issue, with stable housing recognised as the foundation for positive outcomes in all other areas of a young person's life.
The workshop also highlighted examples of effective practice already making a difference across Surrey, including innovative housing support, mentoring programmes, transition support and community-based initiatives that help young people build confidence, connections and independence.
Importantly, the event reinforced a shared vision for Surrey: a county where every care-experienced young person has a safe place to live, access to a trusted adult, opportunities to thrive in education and employment, support for their wellbeing, and a genuine sense of belonging within their community.
Participants identified several priorities for future action, including increasing and improving accommodation options, developing a Surrey-wide trusted adult ambition for care leavers, strengthening peer support networks, improving referral pathways into VCSE services, and investing in employment and life-skills opportunities. There was also strong support for continuing flexible, long-term funding that enables organisations to work alongside young people in designing solutions.
The atmosphere throughout the day was one of positivity, partnership and renewed energy, with attendees forging new connections and recognising the collective strength that exists across Surrey's care leaver support network.
Insights gathered during the event will help shape the next two years of Community Foundation for Surrey's Care Leavers Funding Programme. The Foundation is keen to continue growing this community of support and welcomes conversations with organisations and individuals who can contribute to addressing key challenges, particularly around accommodation for young care leavers.
The workshop demonstrated that Surrey already possesses many of the ingredients needed to improve outcomes for care-experienced young people: committed organisations, innovative practice, strong partnerships and growing philanthropic investment. By continuing to work together, partners across Surrey can build on this strong foundation and ensure that every care-experienced young person has the support they need to thrive.
Thank you to everyone who took part and shared their experience, expertise and commitment to creating better futures for care-experienced young people in Surrey.
Group Photo - The Power of Us - Supporting Surrey’s Care Leavers
If you would like to get involved with the work supporting care leavers or join this group for future events, we would love to hear from you, please contact us via info@cfsurrey.org.uk.