Friday 14 January 2022

Surrey-based projects addressing community health and wellbeing following the pandemic are set to receive close to half a million pounds in funding, thanks to the NHS Charities Together Community Partnership Grants programme.

A network of six Surrey Heartlands NHS charities received the grant, totalling £483,033, and awarded this to eleven community projects, run by organisations across the region.

Royal Surrey Charity, Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals’ Charity, SASH Charity, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund, and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund together selected finalists and distributed the funding. This was made possible thanks to NHS Charities Together’s urgent COVID-19 appeal – which raised a record-breaking £150 million thanks to generous donations from the public, including the inspirational Captain Sir Tom Moore.

The community projects selected to receive funding offer specific support to people disproportionately affected by Covid-19, and address health and wellbeing issues including mental health, domestic abuse, self-harm, poverty, stillbirth prevention, limited sight or hearing, disability, long-term health conditions and family support.

Howard Webber, Chair of the Surrey Heartlands NHS Charities’ Committee, said:

“This is a fantastic initiative which has been made possible by the generosity of the general public – including the heroic efforts of Captain Sir Tom Moore – who got behind the NHS during the pandemic. Promoting healthy communities depends on far more than the work of the NHS. The inspiring projects that have been funded are testimony to that; helping to promote the health of people throughout Surrey Heartlands. This grant programme, run in collaboration with the Community Foundation for Surrey, is a demonstration of partnership in action between statutory health services and the voluntary and community sector – for the benefit of all.”

Independent local grant-making charity, the Community Foundation for Surrey, was responsible for distributing this funding to organisations across the county for projects that met the programme criteria.

The projects to benefit from the grants are:

• Be Me Project – providing mental health workshops for women and young people in East Surrey.
  
  
• East Surrey Domestic Abuse Services – support for survivors of domestic abuse in East Surrey.
  
  
• Emerge Advocacy CIO – support for young people in paediatric settings who have mental health needs.
  
  
• Emmaus Transformation Trust (The Lighthouse) – creation of a lasting hub for families in Woking, to tackle physical and mental health challenges as well as addressing issues of poverty.
  
  
• Family Voice Surrey – support for carers of young people throughout Surrey.
  
  
• Momentum Children’s Charity – support for children with cancer and life-challenging conditions, and their families, from Momentum Family Support Workers working with four hospitals across Surrey Heartlands.
  
  
• Mums and Midwives Awareness Academy – support for expecting mothers to help reduce infant deaths.
  
  
• Oakleaf Enterprise – providing expert mental health support for people within the Surrey Heartlands area, including those who are isolated, through a range of activities.
  
  
• Sight for Surrey – supporting people who have severe issues with sight or hearing.
  
  
• Surrey Coalition of Disabled People – technology support for Surrey residents who are digitally excluded, to increase digital literacy and confidence.
  
  
• Westway Community and Well Being Centre – development of a community hub in Tandridge established during the pandemic.

Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive at NHS Charities Together, said:

"As the national, independent charity caring for the NHS, we were delighted to work with Surrey Heartlands NHS charities to help support these important projects.

"Thanks to incredible support from the public, funding from our Covid-19 Urgent Appeal continues to create vital health benefits for communities across the UK, during the most challenging time in the NHS’ history. We look forward to continuing our work with Surrey Heartlands NHS charities and other organisations to help the NHS go further for everyone."

Read more information about the grants programme and the local projects that are set to benefit below.

More about projects

Photo credit: Momentum Family Support Worker with Jaxson, who was diagnosed with cancer just before Christmas in 2019. Courtesy of Momentum Children's Charity.

Thank you to Charity Today for featuring the story.