Voluntary Action South West Surrey


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Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society (Farnham & Haslemere)

Mission Statement

The Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society has been providing high quality residential, nursing and sheltered care in Farnham, Dorking and Haslemere for over thirty years. The Society strives to ensure that all homes are warm and friendly with a ‘Home from Home’ feel.  

General Interests

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Artventure Trust Ltd (Merrow, Guildford)

Mission Statement

The Artventure Trust enables people with learning difficulties,physical & mental disabilities to explore the visual arts.  We aim to help vunerable people integrate into the community.  Working alongside practising artists & others with a variety of skills & experience, we combine to give a flexible & fun approach to the creative process.

General Interests

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Brightwells Gostrey Centre (Farnham)

Sending our warmest and well wishes to you all during this extremely difficult time. Whilst our social centre has sadly closed for the time being, we are still very much here for the older community of Farnham. We have continued to extend our daily meal service, offering a freshly cooked meal at lunch time with the option of a frozen meal for the evening, as well as afternoon tea.

 

Mission Statement

Brightwells Gostrey has been in the heart of the community for older people for over 30 years.  We provide a warm and friendly environment for senior citizens to meet. Offering a variety of vital activities and services including freshly cooked meals, daily activities, craft workshops, grandparent and toddler groups, outings and much more. We are proud to bring a sense of belonging, companionship, fun and enjoyment to those in their golden years.

We also provide a Community Meal Service, ensuring those who need it, regularly receive a nutritious freshly cooked meal and pudding. All dishes are prepared from scratch in our kitchen. However, it is far more than just a meal we are delivering.  Our team of volunteers are a friendly face to many, helping to reduce social isolation, something which has become so much more important in the recent months.

General Interests

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Brigitte Trust

Mission Statement

The Brigitte Trust is a Queen's Award registered charity offering a free service of emotional support and practical help.  The service is normally offered face-to-face in the home supporting people and their carers when a life-threatening illness such as Cancer or Motor Neurone Disease has been diagnosed. Currently, and since first lockdown, our volunteers are offering telephone support, though in time we hope to return to the home visiting for which we are widely known. The Brigitte Trust is a trusted partner of Surrey County Council and over 400 referrals have been received from Community Responders throughout Surrey.  More volunteers are needed now to support people who have received a late diagnosis or delayed treatment. 

General Interests

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Canine Partners

Are you looking for a rewarding, fun, new challenge? Canine Partners is a registered charity that transforms the lives of disabled people by partnering them with assistance dogs. We are looking for caring homes in Berkshire area, to raise, socialise and train puppies and young dogs up to the age of 18 months before they go on to become life-changing canine partners. Ideally, within 45 minutes’ drive RG12. Find out more caninepartners.org.uk/puppy-parents

Mission Statement

We will change the lives of disabled people using expertly trained dogs to improve physical, emotional and social wellbeing. 

General Interests

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Cherry Trees (East Clandon)

Cherry Trees supports some of the most vulnerable children in Surrey, as well as their families. Our home from home respite care is a lifeline to over 100 families. As a volunteer, you can be part of the Cherry Trees community, making a difference every single day. 

Mission Statement

Our purpose

To be a force for good by transforming lives through exceptional home from home care for children with all disabilities and their families.

Our Vision

Our doors will always be open to families in need throughout the South East, by being a much loved and supported charity.

Our Values

Our aim at Cherry Trees is to offer the opportunity to children with learning and physical disabilities, most of which are severe, to enhance their quality of life by providing a safe, home-like environment whilst also providing their parents with a meaningful break.

General Interests

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Community Angels Befriending

Responding to loneliness in Guildford

 

Community Angels are trained befrienders who offer six months of weekly face-to-face support to adults of all ages in Guildford borough struggling with loneliness and/or social isolation. 

If you have a couple of free hours a week and enjoy listening and getting to know people, we'd love to hear from you. We provide training to get started (2 x 3 hours sessions), match you carefully with someone to befriend and provide ongoing support while you are volunteering with us.

Hear what our volunteers say on https://youtu.be/5MAb_UVTcc0

Community Angels is one of three projects run by Guildford Town Centre Chaplaincy.

Volunteer opportunities

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Cranleigh Riding for Disabled

Mission Statement

Through the commitment of volunteers, RDA enables people with disabilites to ride to benefit their health and well being and to achieve their goals 

Riding offers a degree of independence that many disabled people cannot have in their daily life.
 
There are also medical advantages - the warmth and three dimensional movement of the horse is transmitted through the rider's body, gradually making it more relaxed and supple, reducing spasticity and improving balance, posture and co-ordination. The movement of the pelvis influences the lumbar region and is transferred up the spine thus encouraging control of the trunk and head. Riding a horse makes mobility possible.  From the elevated position on its back, riders have an opportunity to see more than would otherwise be possible for them. The experience our riders gain through the contact they have with our ponies also helps to create a great sense of achievement and confidence. We hope that this will, in turn, make their lives easier and more fulfilled.

General Interests

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Dolphins Swim Club (Active Surrey)

Mission Statement

Dolphin Swim Sessions aim to facilitate friendly, inclusive swimming sessions for anyone who feels that joining the sessions would benefit their physical or mental health. No referral is required, anyone is welcome as are carers. Sessions are used as rehabilitation after surgery, for management of various mental health conditions, for on-going physical maintenance, weight loss, etc.

General Interests

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Dyscover

Mission Statement

Dyscover is a charity providing long-term support and opportunities to people with aphasia and their families. Daily sessions are led by professional speech and language therapists and are designed to help people to adjust to living with aphasia. We help our members to develop strategies for communicating, maximise abilities and provide help and support for partners, carers and other family members.

General Interests

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Farncombe and Binscombe Good Neighbours

Mission Statement

To offer lifts to elderly residents of Farncombe and Binscombe, or others without their own transport or convenient access to public services. Lifts will typically be to all types of  medical appointments..

Clients make modest voluntary contributions towards the cost of the driver's car expenses..

Drivers offer a personal service using their own vehicles. Clients make requests via a mobile number, which is manned on weekdays from 10 to 12 noon, with a message facility

General Interests

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Farnham Community Farm

Mission Statement

Founded in 2008, Farnham Community Farm, previously known as Farnham Local Food, is a community-run project supported by volunteer labour. Our aim is to provide fresh, locally-grown vegetables for people in and around the Farnham area.

Here’s some of the things we are proud of:

•    We care about the environment and our produce has virtually no food miles.

•    Our vegetables are the freshest in town, usually picked on the same day they are collected.

•   Same day freshness guarantees our veg maintain valuable nutrients which are lost in mass produced supermarket veg that has travelled for miles to reach your table.

•    We can grow varieties purely for taste rather than transportability.

•    Although not certified, we use organic practices to grow our veg which means everything is free of pesticides.

•    All our members have the opportunity to actively help out with the scheme.

We currently have places within our scheme if you would like to buy produce weekly.  There are a three different sizes of veg share available at competitive prices, please refer to our weekly veg bag page for more information.

As with all community projects we always need more help in all areas of our scheme.  If you think FCF is something you may enjoy being part of then come along and see us. All ages, all abilities, everyone is welcome.  We hope to see you there.

General Interests

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Farnham Maltings Association Ltd

NOTE: As the current coronavirus situation continues to develop, the Farnham Maltings has closed for the foreseeable future. Due to this, we we will not be accepting any applications to volunteer with us until we re-open.

 

A temporary helpline for the Farnham community has been set up, to ensure that anyone who needs support can access it from someone in their neighbourhood. 

 

If you would like to volunteer or offer a particular skill, please send an email to: volunteers@farnhammaltings.com.

 

Please note that this helpline has been set up in association with the Farnham Town Council, Farnham Maltings and the Farnham Herald, along with local volunteer organisations. You must email the above address in order to apply to help.

Mission Statement

Vision & Values

We believe that creativity helps us make sense of the world, bring people together and has the potential to articulate new ideas. By encouraging people to participate in the arts, as audience and makers, we will foster a healthier, happier and safer contemporary Britain. 

Our activity is underpinned by the following values:

partnership
Identifying shared ambition is a key characteristic of how we work. This requires generosity, clarity of purpose and confidence. We will continue to identity new relationships an ways of working to increase the impact and range of our work.

equal opportunity
We work at making all of our activity transparent and fair. We retain an instinct for working with these that have least access to our work and in monitoring the ways in which we make choices.

playfulness
We believe that for us to thrive we need to adapt and respond to the world around us, exploring new ways of reaching new audiences in new places. This requires us to see change as inevitable, investing in staff, adapting our buildings, listening and hearing, looking and seeing.

children & young people
Our preference is not to treat children and young people as a distinct group of people but ensure that they are integrated within our activate. We will continue to encourage young people as makers/creators and audiences.

sustainability
Of paramount importance is that we remain open to opportunity but prepared to say no if we feel compromised, over stretched or that an offer places unreasonable demand on our own resources.

international
We will test all our activities against inter nation ambition – from the artist’ studio programmes, to the choice of work, to the partnerships we develop and the opportunities we pursue.

General Interests

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Guildford Club for Disabled

Mission Statement

Guildford Club for Disabled provides social support for the physically disabled which results in additional needs and requirements.  The Club strives to provide wide ranging entertainment that caters for most age groups and their tastes.

General Interests

  • Driver
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halow project (Guildford)

Mission Statement

To make a difference

About us

The halow project is a growing community-based charity, situated in Guildford, Surrey. We support young people, aged 16+, with a learning disability on their journey into adult life.

The young people we work with want the opportunity to:

  • Build relationships
  • Become part of the community
  • Find meaningful employment
  • Have a home of their own

We believe that the young people we support have the right to be part of and respected in their communities and are entitled to a life they choose in ways which best suit them. halow is committed to developing creative opportunities and removing social barriers.

General Interests

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Horsley and Bookham Riding for the Disabled Association

Mission Statement

Horsley, Bookham & Leatherhead Riding for the Disabled Association is a registered charity which provides facilities to benefit disabled children and young adults by having regular contact with horses.

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We have been operating for over 30 years giving rides to children and young adults with physical and learning disabilities in Surrey. Our riders include those with autism, Down's Syndrome, spina bifida and dyspraxia.

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Each week, with the assistance of our coaches and volunteers, our riders can enjoy the horse riding experience. This provides them with the chance to be independent, to feel a sense of achievement and it puts smiles on their faces!  If proof is needed of the therapeutic effect of riding, we had one little boy who had never spoken before and whose first word was the name of his pony.

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Our dedicated team of volunteer coaches, group leaders and helpers is paramount to our continued success, without whom we could not operate. 

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We are always looking for volunteers and sponsors, and welcome any contribution which will help keep this wonderful community effort going.

General Interests

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Leonard Cheshire Disability Hydon Hill (Godalming)

Mission Statement

Hydon Hill is a residential home (with nursing care), providing a range of services for adults with physical disabilities. Ages range from late teens to retirement age.

Set in the beautiful Surrey Hills AONB, our home was purpose-built in the 1970s and is surrounded by peaceful woodland. The scenic and historic town of Godalming is just a short drive away - it offers many useful amenities, including excellent shops, restaurants and pubs.

Our residents make sure their home has a lively atmosphere. At their request, we offer lots of activities in the home, including arts and crafts, games, cooking, and movie-watching. We also have a lovely garden and our own charity shop on site ( - donations and shoppers always welcome between 11.00 and 3.00 pm).

Our fully-trained staff work hard to ensure everyone is happy in their home. We support our residents to be independent and to take part in community activities as they wish.

The internationally known Leonard Cheshire Organisation has been offering residential care to people with long term disabilities for over 70 years. Join our team and you will have a wealth of experience and expertise to work with.

Whether you join us for 1 hour a month or multiple hours per week, you will be much valued by our residents and greatly rewarded by knowing you are making such a valuable contribution.

Thank you for your interest.

 

General Interests

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MacularSociety

Mission Statement

The Macular Society is the national charity for anyone affected by central vision loss. We have more than 21,000 members and, as the biggest membership group in the sight loss sector, we are the voice of people with macular conditions. We provide information and support to improve the lives of people with macular disease and to ensure no one has to face it alone. We have around 400 Macular Society support groups around the UK and beyond, run by volunteers. We have a helpline as well as befriending and counselling services and we offer one-to-one training in skills to make the best use of remaining vision. We campaign for better care and we fund research so that one day we can overcome macular disease.

 

 

General Interests

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Motor Neurone Disease Association - West Surrey Branch

Mission Statement

Our Vision

A world free from MND

Our Mission

We improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers.

We fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments, and brings us closer to a cure for MND.

We campaign and raise awareness so the needs of people with MND and everyone who cares for them are recognised and addressed by wider society.

General Interests

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MS Society Surrey Group

Mission Statement

Our vision
A world free from the effects of MS.
Our mission
To enable everyone affected by MS to
live life to their full potential and secure the
care and support they need, until we
ultimately find a cure.

General Interests

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Muscular Dystrophy UK

Mission Statement

Our Vision

Our vision is a world with effective treatments and cures for all muscle-wasting conditions, and no limits in life for individuals and families affected.

Our Mission

We are the UK charity for individuals and families living with muscle-wasting conditions.

  • We support research to drive the development of effective treatments and cures.
  • We ensure access to specialist NHS care and support.
  • We provide services and promote opportunities to enable individuals and their families to live as independently as possible.
  • We know we can beat muscle-wasting conditions more quickly if we work together. We are uniting skills, knowledge and resources in the UK and working with others around the world so we can improve the quality of life for the people affected, and to bring cures closer to reality.
Our Values
  • We care: we care about everyone affected by muscle-wasting conditions.
  • We are inclusive: we are working to ensure there is support and treatment for everyone living with muscle-wasting conditions in the UK.
  • We are collaborative: we work in partnership across the UK and internationally to maximise our impact.
  • We are focused on results: everything we do is designed to improve the quality of life for individuals and families; we won’t stop until effective treatments and cures are found for all muscle-wasting conditions.
  • We are determined: we have been leading the fight against muscle-wasting conditions for over 50 years and are unwavering in our commitment to unite resources and achieve our vision.

Help us achieve our vision on behalf of everyone in the UK living with muscle-wasting conditions.

Volunteering Roles Offered by MDUK

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Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People

Mission Statement

We work with people with physical and learning disabilities or acquired brain injuries to gain new skills and increase independence.  Whether it’s learning everyday life skills, rebuilding a life affected by brain injury, acquiring the skills to drive a specially adapted car or training for future employment, we support disabled people to achieve goals for life.

General Interests

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SeeAbility

Mission Statement

About Denecroft

Denecroft is a small residential home for up to 6 adults with learning disabilities, autism and vision impairment. It is situated near to London Road, Guildford close to GLive.

Volunteers help the people who live there to do the things they love and be active in the community.

About SeeAbility

We provide specialist support, accommodation and eye care help for people with learning disabilities, autism and sight loss.

We don't underestimate people.

We encourage people with disabilities to challenge what they expect from life, from themselves and from wider society.

The people we support overcome huge barriers to achieve exciting new things every day - they challenge us all to think about what’s possible and to rethink disability.

Our aim is that people we support are able to live ambitious lives and achieve things they never thought possible; whether that is forming more friendships and relationships, enjoying new experiences and activities or finding employment.

Our self-advocacy, influencing, supported employment and research programmes mean more people with disabilities are able to change attitudes, influence service provision and change policies towards people with disabilities.

General Interests

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Sight for Surrey

Mission Statement

Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey is a charitable organisation that delivers specialist services to people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, have a vision impairment or combined sight and hearing loss. We provide services across Surrey so people may lead fuller, more independent lives.

General Interests

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SSAFA The Armed Forces Charity

Mission Statement

SSAFA provides lifelong support to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force.

We're ready to help you and your family, whenever and wherever you need us.

General Interests

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Surrey Coalition of Disabled People

Come and join us!  We are a user-led organisation based out of a small office in Burpham and we cover the whole of Surrey and North East Hampshire.  The aim of the Surrey Coalition is to campaign for, and promote the rights of, disabled people to have equality of opportunity and to live independently.  We have volunteering opportunities based in our office, from your home or out and about in the community.  There is something for everyone and we would love to talk to you about how we could use your skills. 

Mission Statement

The aim of the Surrey Coalition is to campaign and promote the rights of disabled people to have equality of opportunity and to live independently.

General Interests

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Surrey Remap

Mission Statement

Surrey Remap is the local group representing the national charity Remap (www.remap.org.uk).

The objective of this charity is to design and make custom equipment for the disabled when such equipment is not available commercially.

 

A visit to the website will demonstrate that this often involves quite simple devices, modifications to existing equipment, and even some quite complex projects. Remap comprises a very small Head Office and a countrywide network of volunteer 'engineers' and handymen, who work from their own home workshops.

General Interests

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TALK Surrey

Mission Statement

At TALK, we support people with aphasia by:
  • Enabling you to practise all aspects of communication
  • Familiarising you with strategies to aid conversation
  • Helping you to rebuild confidence and self esteem
  • Encouraging you to become socially independent
  • Providing you with information, advice and ongoing support
  • Helping you to live positively with aphasia following stroke
  • Working closely with local speech therapists, the Stroke Association and other organisations supporting people with aphasia after stroke

General Interests

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Treloar Trust

Mission Statement

The Treloar Trust provides education, care, therapy, medical support and independence training to young people with physical disabilities from all over the UK and overseas. Our aim is to prepare these young people for adult life, giving them the confidence and skills to achieve their full potential.

Our Vision

A world where physically disabled young people take control of their lives and achieve their aspirations

Our Mission

To enable physically disabled young people to achieve their aspirations by:

  • Providing personalised learning, therapy and care
  • Supporting transition into adulthood
  • Promoting independence and inclusion

Our Values

We are Inclusive

Everyone – regardless of physical ability, where they live or socioeconomic background – should have the opportunity to take part in life. We treat our Beneficiaries with the same dignity as their non-disabled peers and work to remove barriers in their way.

Our students and Beneficiaries are always at the centre of everything we do. Before we make decisions, we ask, “How will our students and Beneficiaries benefit from this?”

We act with Integrity and Respect

Physically disabled young people should be free to direct their own lives. We listen to young people’s views and support them to make age-appropriate choices about their daily life and informed choices about their future.

We celebrate and promote diversity, value and support each other, and treat everyone with mutual respect. We support a culture of openness, honesty and transparency, where the safeguarding of our students and wellbeing of our staff is paramount.

We strive for Excellence

Physically disabled young people and their families deserve outstanding care and support. We work to make sure all our services are excellent and actively challenge each other to ensure continuous quality improvement.

We continually innovate to ensure that our Beneficiaries receive the cutting-edge, excellent support they deserve.

General Interests

Voluntary Helper

Voluntary Helpers provide support to students in the classroom, during social or sporting activities or lend a hand in an administrative role in one of our departments. We have a wide range of roles designed to welcome whatever skills or time you can offer.
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Whitmore Vale Housing Association

Mission Statement

Whitmore Vale Housing Association offers services to people with learning disabilities and we work alongside them to achieve the most out of their life. Through supported living and residential care we can meet a wide range of needs, supporting people with a mild learning disability, to those who have profound and complex disabilities. 

 

General Interests

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