A further 52 charities have been awarded funding in the latest of our Coronavirus Response Fund Grants which has led to a staggering £332,520 that has been distributed to good causes across Surrey in recent weeks. This brings the total amount awarded from the Fund to over £1 million. These funds have helped many disadvantaged local people in need of support, to stay safe and to provide basic essentials during the challenging and unsettling times caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

It is thanks to the generosity of local people, businesses and funding from the National Emergencies Trust Appeal that we have raised over £1.5 million to date.

Below are some examples of how these grants will make a difference to the lives of people in Surrey:

The Include Project in Redhill were awarded funding to deliver choir and advice services online for people with learning disabilities, autism, dementia, brain injury, stroke or tumour. The Include Project supports clients with understanding and speech difficulties by teaching better ways of including and involving those with specific communication needs. They do this through community choir sessions, performances, workshops and training. The weekly Include Choir gives these members an outlet to engage with familiar faces and meaningful, uplifting activity in a safe and welcoming environment. It also helps their care staff with structure and regular activity.

The Virtual Tea Break:

“In the same way that people in a wheelchair need a ramp to access buildings, people with understanding and speaking difficulties need a ramp to access the lives and services we take for granted.

Include is building that ramp through The Include Choir, which provides empowering social musical opportunities for people with communication needs and teaches communication skills to choir members, care staff and audiences alike. In addition to the Choir, Include provides music and communication activities and training, based on clinical evidence, to health and social care providers, third sector organisations and more.

Despite Covid-19’s significant challenges, Include has been able to adapt and continue including our members, thanks to the support of our funders.”

– Alix Lewer, Director, The Include Project

Re-engage who seek to support people who live alone aged 75 and over received funding towards their essential running costs and befriending service. The scheme is called Call Companions and is a free service for anyone over-75 who lives alone and feels they could do with a friendly phone call every week or two. The same person calls every time so, gradually, clients and callers get to know one another. It helps lift everyone’s spirits and makes them feel more connected to the world.

“On behalf of us all here at Re-engage, thank you for your generous support of our call companions programme.  Your support will make all the difference to lonely older people in Surrey. One of our volunteer call companions recently told us, “One guest I spoke to told me she hadn’t used her voice in two weeks. She hadn’t spoken to a soul.” Your funding will help us reach those that need us the most.”

– Kitty Blackwell, Director of Fundraising and Communications, Re-engage

The 50 other charities who received funding were:

1. Active Prospects in Reigate received funding to purchase equipment and supply activities to support the physical and mental well-being of people with learning disabilities, autism or acquired brain injury
2. Age Concern Epsom and Ewell advice and information helpline which supports older people, has received a contribution towards staff costs to help the charity respond to a large increase in demand for their service
3. Belong: Making Justice Happen, who are based in Woking received funding to provide support, information and basic needs packs for released and incarcerated prisoners
4. Byfleet Community Action (Byfleet Care) received a grant towards the salary cost of a Volunteer Coordinator, for a service in Byfleet, that offers transport to medical appointments and a delivery service of shopping for isolated elderly people
5. Camberley Nepali (G) Society were awarded funding to help support the older Nepalese Society with shopping deliveries, prescription drop offs and regular support phone calls to support some of Camberley’s most isolated people
6. Care Ashore were awarded a grant to purchase equipment and cover volunteer costs to provide activities for retired seafarers at a care home in Alford
7. Connect Counselling Service, who are based in Camberley were awarded a grant to work remotely whilst maintaining their one-to-one counselling for clients struggling with emotional and relationship difficulties
8. Creative Response Arts in Farnham were awarded funding to provide art-based therapy and activity packs to people suffering from mental health disorders and other disabilities
9. Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity received funding towards the essential running costs, IT costs and education technology to support families across Surrey with children that have cerebral palsy aged 5 and under
10. Fairlands, Liddington Hall, and Gravetts Lane Community Association in Guildford obtained funding to produce information and activity packs to isolated older people during the pandemic
11. Family Voice Surrey, based in Leatherhead, received funding to provide online and telephone support to carers in each of the 11 Surrey boroughs
12. Fredericks Foundation in Lightwater received funding to staff a help desk aimed at low income and financially excluded families who largely fall outside the government financial support packages
13. Global Grooves Foundation obtained a grant to purchase and deliver goods and groceries for 22 high priority families in Woking (experiencing low income, unemployment, isolation or recently grieving)
14. Guildford Shakespeare Company were supported to purchase equipment and resources to offer an online play writing and drama course to improve the mental health of some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged families in Surrey
15. Hale Community Centre obtained funding for a community store to borrow or swap a variety of items (including puzzles & board games, books, musical instruments, garden games etc) to support local people
16. Haslemere Educational Museum received a grant towards the essential running costs, salary costs and material costs to continue their outreach to the local community through online workshops, videos and resources for families with young children and vulnerable adults
17. Hersham Youth Trust obtained funding toward the essential running costs to run youth clubs and online and phone support for local disadvantaged and vulnerable young people
18. Home-Start Elmbridge obtained funding for a specialist Family Support Worker to help struggling families with parenting and mental health support 
19. Home-Start Surrey Heath received a grant towards the essential running costs to continue support for families with a child aged 5 or under, that are struggling to cope 
20. Home-Start Waverley were awarded a contribution to essential running costs for a charity supporting families with young children facing wide-ranging difficulties
21. Imago Dei Prison Ministry received funding to support vulnerable and isolated women in prisons, to improve their mental well being
22. It’s Not Your Birthday But, based in Claygate and Walton on Thames, received a grant to support isolated older people’s mental health by providing creative activity packs, socially distanced portraits and interviews for a biography
23. KidsOut in Guildford were awarded funding towards the purchase of food vouchers for women in refuge in Surrey to enable mothers to purchase essential groceries
24. Man and Boy, a charity that promotes positive male role models for boys where there is no father figure, received a grant to provide a remote programme for vulnerable boys aged 9-12 with weekly support worker contact
25. The Meath Epilepsy Trust, a specialist residential care home in Godalming for adults who have complex epilepsy, severe physical and learning disabilities were awarded funding towards the purchase of separate changing facilities for staff
26. Mustard Seed Autism Trust, a charity supporting children with autism received funding to make resources available online and support families remotely at a time when they also experiencing a substantial increase in enquiries 
27. Oakleaf Enterprise in Guildford, received funding towards their Client Service Outreacher Worker supporting people experiencing mental ill-health and isolation
28. Painshill Park Trust Limited in Cobham, were awarded a grant to provide a safe space for older isolated people, and older volunteers to return to duties following the COVID-19 lockdown
29. Painting our World in Silver in Weybridge, obtained funding toward the purchasing of art and craft packages that help the isolated and elderly
30. Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, obtained funding toward the purchase of essential Personal Protective Equipment to continue their services supporting people with life limiting illnesses
31. Prison Advice & Care Trust (PACT) in Woking, received funding to provide advice and support to the children and families of prisoners. The charity provide support through food vouchers, emergency supplies, household items, clothing and have developed special new online resources and printable activity packs
32. Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People received funding towards the additional costs incurred by acquiring Personal Protective Equipment for those providing care for adults and children with disabilities
33. Reigate & Banstead Borough African and Caribbean Community Association were awarded funding to support African and Caribbean communities. Support packages include providing transportation, personal assistance and delivery of shopping, food vouchers and prescriptions
34. Samaritans East Surrey were awarded funding for IT and cleaning equipment, and some essential running costs so they can continue supporting the most vulnerable and isolated
35. Sebastian’s Action Trust obtained funding to provide online services, food/essential supplies, and activity bags to vulnerable families who have children with a life-limiting or life-threatening illness in Surrey Heath and Guildford
36. Something To Look Forward To, a Guildford based charity, were awarded funding to provide essential items including bedding, toiletries and clothing for people affected by cancer who are experiencing financial hardship during and in the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic
37. Southwark Diocesan Welcare obtained a grant towards the cost of food vouchers to support with vulnerable families from Surrey with children up to the age of 13
38. Stanwell Village Hall received funding to enable a village hall to host a food bank, cooking meals for vulnerable and self isolating members of the community
39. Surrey Choices Employability received funding to provide IT Equipment and access to WiFi for disabled people and their families
40. Surrey Family & Mediation Services received funding toward the purchase of equipment and software licences to enable a mediation service to deliver their service online  
41. Synergy Dance Outreach were awarded a grant to provide remote yoga and exercise classes to older people and people with disabilities
42. Talk, a charity based in Guildford, were awarded a grant to provide a remote support service, including activity packs and telephone support to people who have been affected by a stroke and have aphasia
43. Taylor Made Dreams obtained funding toward food and hygiene parcels for families who have a child suffering from a life-limiting illness
44. The Autism Trust from Camberley were awarded funding for essential running costs, online support and a telephone line for families with Autism Spectrum Disorder members
45. The Woodlarks Centre in Farnham, received a grant to purchase equipment to enable online physiotherapy sessions for people with learning disabilities
46. Three Counties Money Advice in Haslemere, were given a grant towards the purchase of equipment to enable staff to work from home and give financial advice to vulnerable families who have had reduced working hours or have been furloughed
47. Transform Housing and Support were awarded further funding for Personal Protective Equipment for staff and volunteers at a homelessness charity
48. Voluntary Support North Surrey were awarded funding to provide online training to volunteers to support the Third Sector in North Surrey with centres in Camberley, Chertsey and Staines. Training will include befriending, buddying and fundraising
49. Waverley Hoppa Community Transport, a transport charity supporting older, disabled and/or vulnerable people, received funding for 3 months of Personal Protective Equipment
50. Young Epilepsy in Lingfield, received two grants to purchase laptops to enable staff to work remotely alongside young people with epilepsy and their families

Phase 2 Funding

We are extremely proud to announce that we have awarded our first grants from Phase 2 of our Coronavirus Response grant-making. Together with local partners, we have awarded over £58,000 to furnish a new Refuge that will support up to 20 victims and their families fleeing domestic abuse, at a time when staying at home is not the safest place for them to be. Read more here. 

A group of 8 Surrey charities led by young people’s charity, Eikon have been awarded a total of £50,000 to help deal with the surge in demand for children and young people’s mental health services following the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

For more information and how to apply for a grant from our Coronavirus Response Fund, please visit our webpage here!