Surrey Coronavirus Response Fund Report

4th August 2021

Our new report has launched to share the outcomes of the financial aid delivered to the voluntary and community sector in Surrey through our Surrey Coronavirus Response Fund (SCRF).

The SCRF launched to get emergency funding to where it was most needed, supporting charities to meet the increasing demand they were experiencing as the pandemic brought new challenges and to help them adapt and deliver their services remotely.

We were met with enormous generosity from local residents, companies and partners, and following an urgent appeal for donations, we were able to effectively distribute over £2.7 million in grants across Surrey – to support 225 organisations working on the frontline.

The report includes further statistics and outcomes from the Fund, including our grant-making by geographical area and to support critical themes of need. Information gathered through research and partnering with a range of local stakeholders, reveals the extreme challenges our county faced and where support was imperative.

We know that our SCRF was just the start of the journey and that there will be a long road to rebuild and recover our county. It is our hope that the community will come together once again in support to address the new and ongoing challenges arising across many areas of Surrey – the rise in children and young people’s mental ill-health, loneliness and isolation, and homelessness to name a few.

Kate Peters, Director of Grant-making at the Community Foundation for Surrey said:

“We are incredibly proud to share this report – to say a huge thank you for the resilience of the sector, and share stories from just some of the inspirational charities working tirelessly to support local people. While we celebrate what we have achieved together, we must not forget that the future of Surrey relies on what we do next. Our Surrey Community Fund is now our vehicle to ensure that longer-term sustainable recovery of the county is possible.”

The Surrey Community Fund will now assist charities and voluntary groups supporting local residents and communities to cope and find a long-term and sustainable pathway to recovery. The priority areas for funding will assist projects around health & wellbeing, education & training, promoting inclusion & overcoming disadvantage, and empowering communities.

Beccy Bowden, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation for Surrey said:

“The SCRF provided support to communities impacted by the virus at the most critical time, and we are most grateful to all of our local Donors and partners that have enabled this level of grant-making. But we know that the hard work is far from over. Many of the inequalities that already existed are now more prevalent, and new challenges have arisen that we could have never predicted. Now is the time to help us support Surrey to build back stronger.”

Download the full report 'SCRF - Our support for Surrey, delivered together!'

Find out more about how our Surrey Coronavirus Response Fund provided meaningful support to local people here!

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Sanctuary for Survivors

22nd April 2021

Coronavirus
Response Fund

Case Study

Case studies

These services are a lifeline to those in our community for whom ‘home’ is the most dangerous place they can be.”

Domestic abuse charity, Your Sanctuary, has been providing lifesaving support to survivors of domestic abuse since 1977. Their dedicated team of staff and volunteers, based in Woking, offer protection, support and empowerment services to survivors and their children, and work towards breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

In Surrey, we know that there are an estimated 35,400 victims of abuse, with 3,300 children visible to services as living in homes where there is domestic abuse.

We also know, that on average 28 domestic abuse crimes are reported to Surrey Police everyday – yet many cases remain unrecorded due to a large number of victims not reporting these crimes.

Your Sanctuary provide a free and confidential support helpline service, and on-line chat service for survivors who find speaking on the phone challenging. This helpline is the only helpline that is available right across Surrey, and is the crucial first step for many, to explore what is happening to them.

On average, the helpline receives 400 calls per month for this vital service – which has dramatically increased since the pandemic began.

Your Sanctuary have found that over 80% of their callers say:

They understand more about their rights and options
They feel more confident to access other types of support
They understand more about domestic abuse and abusive behaviours

Coronavirus has raised public consciousness of the extreme fear and harm that survivors, both adults and children, are suffering all across the country.

Together with the Community Foundation

The Community Foundation for Surrey is a long-term supporter of Your Sanctuary, having awarded 19 grants to the local charity over the past 11 years.

Most recently, we have been delighted to support them at a time where it has never been more critical. Grants from our Surrey Coronavirus Response Fund have enabled the continuation of their online chat and helpline provision, as the surge in demand for these services amidst the pandemic, has stretched their team, and resources to the limit.

“These grants have enabled us to continue running our vital domestic abuse Surrey-wide helpline and online chat service. These services are often the only way survivors who are in lockdown with their abuser can reach out for support and information – they are a lifeline to those in our community for whom ‘home’ is the most dangerous place they can be.”

Fiamma Pather – Chief Executive, Your Sanctuary

Find out more about the Community Foundation’s work to address domestic abuse in Surrey here.

A life without fear

Across all of Your Sanctuary’s services, the charity works from a needs-led and strengths-based perspective to ensure that each client is treated as an individual and is provided with the most appropriate trauma-led emotional and practical support. Through building the self-esteem and confidence of each of their service users, they empower survivors to continue to live their lives free from fear and abuse.

To find out more about services provided by Your Sanctuary, please visit their website.

Homelessness Webinar

15th March 2021

Hidden In Plain Sight
Webinar Series

Homelessness

Donate Now

Our ‘Homelessness’ webinar

was part of our Hidden in Plain Sight series, bringing together local people and sector experts to find meaningful solutions to Surrey’s prevalent, hidden issues.

What we heard

Homelessness can affect anyone. We can at any time fall into homelessness due to a series of unfortunate events.

It is a complex and rising issue here in Surrey.

The Goal – to empower people to support those who are homeless, by educating them on the practical steps they can take, to together, find a solution to this issue locally.

‘Surrey Stats’ – Source, Surrey County Council

There is disparity in the current level of homelessness among Surrey’s district and boroughs, with Spelthorne and Epsom and Ewell presenting significantly higher rates (taken from Q3 2020).

The trend levels differ greatly across the county also, increasing the most between Q2 2019 and Q3 2020 in Woking, which is up 70.9%.

From July–September 2020 there were 324 households assessed to be homeless in Surrey. 779 households were considered to be either homeless or threatened with homelessness in the next 56 days.

Although these Government statistics are accurate according to estimation, we know from those working on the frontline that there is likely to be gaps in this data. Depending on how the data is captured – often it is just a snapshot in time, taken from one night of each year. This could be misleading as it could exclude those sofa surfing, homeless homeowners, or those with no recourse to public funds etc.

Housing inequality

Surrey is responsible for having huge housing inequality gaps across its wards. For many, this leads to crisis situations such as homelessness. We know that the median cost of renting a 2-bed flat in Elmbridge is £1,200 a month – almost double that for England as a whole which equates to £700 a month. (Source: ONS, Dec 2020)

Organisations such as Elmbridge Rentstart bridge this gap, providing and assisting in the provision of housing, advice, support and practical assistance, to support single homeless people who are not entitled to statutory support and are termed ‘non-priority.’ These individuals face multiple barriers such as lack of savings for deposits or rent in advance, physical and mental health issues, addiction problems, and unemployment.

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on homelessness

Living without a home, rough sleeping or staying in temporary accommodation is very damaging for health. Homeless people often have many complex health issues, including tri-morbidity (the co-existence of physical and mental health and addiction problems).

Many of the measures aimed at the general population, such as self-isolation, increased hygiene, staying at home, strict social distancing, are not a realistic prospect for people experiencing homelessness.

https://epha.org/the-impact-of-the-covid-19-crisis-on-homelessness/ – March 2020

Where do we go from here?

When Covid-19 first hit, the ‘Everyone In’ Government Scheme helped get people off the streets and into temporary accommodation. This was a fantastic initiative to end rough sleeping. However, with the ongoing pandemic and funding running out, it is no surprise homelessness numbers are beginning to rise. It is critical we continue to support those affected by the issue, and the organisations assisting them, to ensure we do not lose the progress that has already been made.

There is real concern that local people could ‘fall through the net,’ and become destitute while they are awaiting support. Local organisations that the Community Foundation supports are experiencing stark demand for their already stretched services.

People are more at risk of homelessness now than ever, due to the economic fallout of Covid – thousands of people are experiencing loss of income due to losing their job, being Furloughed, or the difficulty they are having now accessing support from wider schemes, such as Universal Credit. This inability to retain affordable housing is leading to a rise in the number of rent arrears across the county. There is concern for when the eviction laws change in May 2021.

The Community Foundation for Surrey is committed to supporting homelessness across the county, working together with charities such as Transform Housing & Support, The Hope Hub and Elmbridge Rentstart to ensure the positive local solutions they are delivering, remain available for those most vulnerable within our communities.

Supporting someone who is homeless

Our speakers shared valuable insights into the practical steps you can take to support someone who is homeless.

Refer wisely – Often people get bumped around different organisations, so finding a direct route for someone prior to referring them can make a huge difference to how they then interact with potential help. For example, if you think someone may be sleeping rough on a national level you can report it to Streetlink. Here in Surrey, there are a number of fantastic local organisations such as Transform Support & Housing providing county wide support.

Donate: time, money, expertise – Many organisations rely on the help of volunteers and there are far more ways to get involved than might come to mind. Perhaps helping in the CRISIS delivery side, to working in the kitchen, or if you prefer behind the scenes supporting administrative aspects. Equally, you are likely to have essential skills that could help transform lives. You could donate new and unused items such as toiletries, socks or underwear, as well as homeware items, food, bottled water, sleeping bags or flasks.

Be Kind – Remember to show warmth and compassion to people experiencing homelessness. How we look (or do not look) at people, and our attitude towards people, can have a profound effect on their perception of their place in the world. While it is inadvisable to give money to people on the streets, it is certainly important to treat people with a genuine empathy and dignity – someone who has a place in society and is deserving of help.

More information on how you can support someone who is homeless can be found in our recent blog:

Seeing the person behind the statistics.

You can help give Surrey hope by making a donation.

If you were inspired by what you heard and would like to help the Community Foundation support voluntary organisations which are assisting local communities to cope and find a long term and sustainable pathway to recovery following the pandemic, you can do so by making a donation into our Surrey Community Fund by contacting our Director of Philanthropy Claire Heath on claire@cfsurrey.org.uk or calling 01483 906383.

You can also add Gift Aid to your donation using our online Gift Aid Declaration form here!

A recording of our webinar is now available.

Click to watch!

Thank you to our inspiring speakers

Helen Watson – Chief Executive, Rentstart (UK) Ltd

Rentstart began nearly 20 years ago and over that time the charity has continuously reacted to tackle the ongoing issues that homeless people in Elmbridge face in gaining housing and rebuilding their lives.

Helen’s role as CEO is to make sure the charity is the best that it can be. For Helen, this means housing and supporting those who go to them for help with empathy and intelligence, and ensuring that staff feel supported to deliver their best work. She loves to see the real impact they deliver and enjoys talking with current and ex clients about how they are moving on with their lives.

Helen’s work is also about making sure that as a local charity, they can contribute to a larger arena, sharing their results and ideas with other organisations such as Crisis and Homeless Link.

Mags Mercer – Chief Executive, The Hope Hub

Mags brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the housing, homeless and voluntary sectors. Having been a CEO of another homeless and vulnerable adults’ charity, The Hope Hub welcomes her expertise as they establish themselves as a professional service provider.

Mags is a qualified member of the Institute of Fundraising and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) encompassing Management and Leadership, Financial Control and Strategic Marketing.

Prior to leading the set up of The Hope Hub in December 2017, Mags carried out a 9 month independent Consultation for Surrey Heath Borough Council around Homeless Services. She was subsequently asked to proceed with the recommendation she set out and went on to set up the charity. Now in it’s 3rd year, The Hope Hub is providing a range of Crisis drop in and Empowerment Services.

The Hope Hub has remained open throughout the Lockdowns and in the period April – December 2020, supported 190 Clients who accessed services 6,979 times.

Viccy Johnson – Area Manager, Transform Housing & Support

Find out more about our series of Hidden in Plain Sight webinars!