Voluntary Action South West Surrey

Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.

The Values of Scouting
As Scouts we are guided by these values:
Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Co-operation - We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.

The 40 Degreez Centre provides a venue for all young people in the Farnham area (currently around 5000 in the age range 10 to 25 years old) to meet in a safe and informal environment, supporting a variety of leisure, social and advisory activities.

The Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society has been providing high quality residential, nursing and sheltered care in Farnham and Haslemere for over twenty five years. The Society strives to ensure that all homes are warm and friendly with a ‘Home from Home’ feel.  All Residents are invited to regular meetings where they have an active role in deciding what happens within the home that they live in.

Age UK Surrey aims to:

• promote the wellbeing of older people in Surrey
• improve public awareness of issues concerning ageing
• influence public policy to meet the needs of older people
• work with other agencies in the provision of relevant services for older people

If you have the time - however little - there are so many ways in which you can help.

The rewards are great.  You will use your skills, meet new people, have fun and find it very, very rewarding.  You can be sure that the time you give is making a positive difference to older people in the community.

Battersea is going to start working in communities where we don’t currently have a centre. Along with local animal lovers, we want to help more dogs and cats, educate people about rescue and put lots of smiles on faces. And we’re very excited to announce that our first Community will be Guildford.

Each Battersea Community will have trained Community Rehoming Volunteers, who will help rehome dogs and cats without the need for a physical centre.

Battersea Communities will also hold and attend local events and develop partnerships with local charities, authorities and other groups. By doing so we can promote the benefits of owning an animal and talk to more people about responsible pet ownership.

The Bourne Conservation Group is a friendly group of volunteers that enjoy working together in the fresh air to improve the local environment.  The aim of the Group is to improve The Bourne area of South Farnham by maintaining and enhancing its landscape and biodiversity with due regard to its historical associations.

Membership is open to all and consists of men and women from many walks of life.  There are a wide range of tasks to be undertaken and this provides interest and enjoyment for a spread of knowledge, aptitudes and physical abilities.

Projects we are involved in include:

Improvement of Bourne Crossroads embankment and flower bed

Improvement of the Bourne Gateway - spring bulbs on the A287 & Ridgeway School planting

Woodland Management in association with Waverley District Council and the private landowner of Sable Wood

Middle Bourne Lane Community Wildlife Garden

The Old Churchyard

Public Footpath maintenance

The Bourne Stream project

Bourne Beautification in association with The Bourne Residents Association

Historical Projects

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.

The Brigitte Trust is a registered charity offering a free service of emotional support and practical help to people and their families at home when a life-threatening illness such as cancer or Motor Neurone Disease has been diagnosed.  The service is provided by trained volunteers enabling carers to be supported and for a family member to remain at home for as long as possible. In partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support we are growing our service across Surrey and need volunteers from all areas

Here at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) we want to beat heartbreak forever from the world’s biggest killers. Heart and circulatory diseases kill 1 in 4 in the UK and 7 million people are living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK.

The British Heart Foundation is the UK’s number one heart charity.

Coronary heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer but we are leading the fight against it. Our pioneering research has helped to transform the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions.

Our work has been central to the discoveries of vital treatments that are helping to change the face of the UK’s fight against heart disease.

About the British Red Cross

The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies.

We enable vulnerable people in theUKand abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with their lives.

Helping local people in Farnham and surrounding villages get to the doctor and dentist, hospital and optician, physio and chiropody etc appointments.

Change of Scene objectives are to make a life changing difference for disadvantaged children. Our attendees, aged 6-18 years from Surrey & Hampshire display a wide range of complex learning, social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties causing them to be unable to access learning; many have been excluded from schools, are in short term provision, or are currently not on a school role. We work on a 1:1 basis at our 16 acre small holding in a tranquil South Farnham valley giving the children the vital support and attention they need. The children care for a wide range of animals from reptiles to alpacas. They work in the vegetable patch and polytunnel raising plants and harvesting fruit & veg; they milk the goat and make yoghurt and cheese; they do baking, make jams and chutneys; carpentry; extract & bottle honey; gather wood; repair animal houses, fences & hives; and help around the grounds. It is not a jolly day out. They work really hard in all weathers but they do also have times of rest and play.

The children gain strength through nature and an appreciation that their regular input and care makes a worthwhile contribution. The whole experience engenders calm, self-confidence, a belief in a promising future; that they can create positive outcomes for themselves. These experiences and the learning of new skills translate into the children and young people going back into education with a sense of life purpose.

We help people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.

We operate from bureaux in Cranleigh, Farnham, Godalming and Haslemere, offering a five days-a-week telephone, drop-in and appointment service.  We have over 160 volunteers across our offices, undertaking many roles.  These include fundraisers, trustees, administrators, receptionists, social policy campaigners, advisers and assessors.

We use the information we gather carrying out this work to campaign for social justice, so that individuals do not suffer through a lack of knowledge or an inability to express themselves effectively.

Crossroads Care is Surrey's leading charity providing respite care support to Carers. We've been working across Surrey for over 30 years, with our core purpose being to improve the quality of life of unpaid carers and those they are caring for. 

COVID-19 Emergency Response

As a result of Coronavirus, Crossroads swiftly implemented a response by providing essential shopping and prescription collection services to carers and to other vulnerable people that were isolated at home. We provided regular wellbeing calls to check in on people to see how they were coping and to offer support with shopping. We're now developing a volunteer based Outreach Support and Telephone Befriending with Digital Tech project largely in response to Covid, but which enable us to continue to support people who need it with shopping and prescription collections, and also with support in learning and using digital technology.  We are seeking new volunteers who are interested in providing Outreach Support and / or Telephone or Digital Befriending.

As an Outreach Support Volunteer you would support people living in the same borough as yourself with shopping and prescription collections. We would provide you with appropriate PPE and pay any related fuel costs.  

As a Befriender you would support carers and other older people, or those being cared for, who are feeling isolated and alone and who would benefit from having someone to speak to simply to chat about life, the weather, local services and events etc. We're interested in hearing from volunteers who are relatively IT savvy and would be able to connect to our Cloud based phone system to make telephone or virtual calls to clients. We'd also like volunteers to get involved with an exciting new Befriending with digital tech project, through which you would be able to support people in learning to use, or building confidence in using laptops, smart phones and tablets. Even if you're not computer savvy, but would benefit from being a befriender yourself, please get in touch.

We're also looking for new Trustee's to join us now, so if you're interested in supporting us in leading the development of respite services for carers in Surrey, please enquire through our website www.crossroadscaresurrey.org.uk

We are also always looking for people that are interested in other volunteering roles, including by offering support in care or club settings, in the community or in the head office.

If you are interested in becoming part of our Surrey wide team and being involved in providing support to your community, please email us at enquiries@crossroadscaresurrey.org.uk to request a volunteer pack.

We'd love to hear from you... if you have a good understanding of what it's like to be a carer and are looking to give something back through volunteering.

Somewhere to turn when someone dies

Cruse is a national charity that provides advice, information and support to anyone who has been bereaved (children, young people and adults), whenever or however the death occurred. The service is provided by trained, experienced volunteers and is confidential and free.

The overarching aims of Family Action's Social Prescribing service in North East Hampshire and Farnham are to:

• Improve health and wellbeing outcomes for residents in the area
• Reduce inappropriate demand for health and social services
• Enable residents to be proactive in managing their own health and wellbeing
• Help people to access the right support
• Be accessible to as many people as possible within the community

Family Voice Surrey champions the needs and rights of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) families in Surrey: families with children or young adults up to the age of 25 who have special educational needs, chronic illnesses, including mental health conditions, or disabilities.

The role of Parent Carer Forums is recognised in the Children and Families Act 2014, providing a platform for us in Surrey as the official voice of parent carers of children and young people with additional needs. We gather parent carers’ views and experiences of local SEND services, and work with families and representatives from the local authority, local schools, and health to improve services and drive change. We also build strong relationships with other Surrey-based organisations working in different ways to support children and young people with additional needs.

Our mission is to be there for older people living in Farnham, meeting them where they are and showing God's love through our work.

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.

To benefit the inhabitants of Farnham and its neighbourhood by the provision and maintenance of an open space, including gardens.

Principal activity is the maintenance and enhancement of the Victoria Gardens in Farnham.

Building Healthy Communities Together

Timebanking is a way for people to come together to help others and help themselves at the same times. Participants 'deposit' their time in the Time Bank by giving practical help and support to others and are able to withdraw their time when they need something done themselves.

Timebanking is open to people of all ages, abilities, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. 

To provide recreational and competitive sailing for people with a disability or long term illness.

Girlguiding is the largest organisation for girls and young women in the UK.  The aim is to sustain and promote a stimulating and enjoyable programme of activities.  These will help girls and young women develop their potential and enable them to play an active role in their community.

Global Sight Solutions is a registered charity, based in Guildford, which provides free eye care to the world’s poorest by establishing eye hospitals in India, Africa and elsewhere. It is estimated that worldwide there are some 50 million poor people in need of this service. Global Sight Solution’s business plan ensures that each facility becomes financially self-sufficient, thereby ensuring that cataract operations, and the like, can be provided on an ongoing basis. Each hospital is administered by members of Rotary International which ensures transparency and accountability of every transaction. Rotary International provides grants for such humanitarian work and thus enables a cataract operation to be carried out for a donation of just £5 here in the UK!

Global Sight Solutions is the trademarked name of The Guildford Rotary Eye Project

Info: wwwglobalsightsolutions.org

Greenpeace is a movement of people who are passionate about defending the natural world from destruction. Our vision is a greener, healthier and more peaceful planet, one that can sustain life for generations to come. 

We are independent. We don’t accept any funding from governments, corporations or political parties – our work is funded by ordinary people. That means we are free to confront governments and corporations responsible for the destruction of the natural world and push for real change. 

We do this by investigating, documenting and exposing the causes of environmental destruction. We work to bring about change by lobbying, consumer pressure and mobilising members of the general public. And we take peaceful direct action to protect our Earth and promote solutions for a green and peaceful future. 

We have over 50 Local Groups across the UK, including in Surrey, who support with our campaigns and fundraising through a variety of activities.

Our vision

We will not rest until people who are blind and partially sighted can enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else.

Our purpose

We will deliver a world class guide dog service as part of a range of mobility services, and work to break down barriers to ensure people who are blind and partially sighted can get out and about on their own terms.

Our values

The beliefs that guide the entire organisation:

• Dedicated to superior quality

• Always trustworthy

• Inclusive and embracing

• Customer focused

• Maximising impact

• Passionate and determined

Headway Surrey supports people with acquired brain injuries and their families and promotes understanding of the implications of acquired brain injury throughout Surrey.

Woodlands and Hillbrow were set up as a family care homes. We now have a day centre specialising in dementia and a nursing home called Hill House.  The homes are all run along the same core principle of dignity, respect, courage and caring for people as though they are our own family.

Once residents come to live with us we want them to have the best possible quality of life and for it to be the last time they ever have to move. In order to achieve this we need volunteers to help us.

I cannot stress the importance of this time in peoples lives, so we try to make it as good as possible at the end of their life.

What we do

Home-Start helps families with young children deal with whatever life throws at them. We support parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children. The benefits of our support include improved health and well being and better family relationships.

We provide one-to-one support for parents
Our volunteers visit the family’s home for a couple of hours every week.  They tailor-make their support to the needs of the parents and children. Volunteers are very committed and will keep visiting until the youngest child turns five or starts school, or until the parents feel they can stand on their own two feet.  Parents and volunteers often develop a deeply trusting relationship which can lead to powerful change within the family.

We also run social events for families.

Our values

- We offer families choice
- We work in partnership - with each other, with families and with other agencies,
- We work in a spirit of openness, encouragement and enjoyment
- We are flexible and responsive to the needs of families.

Why it matters

The five years between birth and school are vital for a child’s development. What goes on inside a family during these years strongly determines the opportunities and life chances children have. Children who are raised in a stable, loving, family environment are more likely to have a positive and healthy future. But being a parent isn’t easy and sometimes life can get in the way. Circumstances throw you off course and everything else can take a back seat. A young child caught up in this can miss out on the love, routine and stimulation that are so vital for their future.  Home-Start works because our volunteers are parents. They understand how hard it can be.  They work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the skills, time and strength they need to nurture their children.

Our vision

Home-Start wants to see a society in which every parent has the support they need to give their children the best possible start in life.

Home-Start in Waverley  is a voluntary organisation that helps families with at least one child under 5 years who are finding life difficult.  We believe that a little help early on, is more valuable than a lot of help later, when things are going seriously wrong.

By helping early on with a word of advice or help to find independence, young children will have a better start in life, and have a better chance to turn out as productive and responsible citizens. We know that parenting is not easy.

Home-Start is a non-judgemental organisation, and helps any parent who is struggling, for any reason. Some of those reasons may include; multiple births, an abusive partner, isolation, mental or physical handicap, or the pressure that loss of employment brings to a family.

We are here to reduce reoffending and help keep safe the communities in which we operate.

The Medical Cadet Training Corps provides an environment where young people can learn, practice, focus, enjoy, feel safe and develop leadership skills in the following subjects, Military knowledge of the field gun, Physical fitness, social skills and extensive first aid training, we are also keen on teaching cadets ethical decision making and providing help to the community. The MCTC is able to reach at-risk young people and offer much needed care and support. For these aspirations to become reality however, it is essential that the MCTC is seen to be firmly rooted within the life of the wider community, and supported by all organisations, businesses, charities, schools, the local authority and anyone that is there to support children in our community, and that wherever possible, young people are provided with the opportunity to participate in the life of that community. Through the programmes, activities and ethos of the MCTC, the officers and instructors guide and support young people and act as mentors and role models in their personal, social and physical development. The programmes that the MCTC provides will create opportunity for the young people to develop into mature and responsible adults who will play an important role within their communities and wider society.

regards

I Clarke (MCTC CEO and Commandant)

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.

The National Autistic Society is here to transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people.

We transform lives by providing support, information and practical advice for the 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Since 1962, autistic people have turned to us at key moments or challenging times in their lives, be it getting a diagnosis, going to school or finding work.

We change attitudes by improving public understanding of autism and the difficulties many autistic people face. We also work closely with businesses, local authorities and government to help them provide more autism-friendly spaces, deliver better services and improve laws.

The National Autistic Society is here to transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people.

We transform lives by providing support, information and practical advice for the 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Since 1962, autistic people have turned to us at key moments or challenging times in their lives, be it getting a diagnosis, going to school or finding work.

We change attitudes by improving public understanding of autism and the difficulties many autistic people face. We also work closely with businesses, local authorities and government to help them provide more autism-friendly spaces, deliver better services and improve laws.

Puttenham Eco-Camping Barn is run by a small environmental charity

Project Oasis North Downs (POND)

Its mission is to provide simple inexpensive overnight accommodation in a 250 year old barn. in an environmentally responsible way.

It is aimed at walkers, cyclists & people enjoying the surrounding beautiful countryside.

The Eco-Barn has many environmental features including solar panels (on its bike shed!), rainwater harvesting & local varieties of apple trees in the garden. It is now in its 11^th year of operation.

We aim to open at weekends, during school holidays and on as many other nights as we can between Easter & October.

Reconnections by Independent Age is a volunteer-led service that supports over-65s in rediscovering their love of life in the communities where they live. We introduce friendly volunteers to residents and connect them to local activities, gatherings and events that provide vital social connections and help break the cycle of isolation and loneliness. Working together with local partners, we create a safe and supportive environment for people to reconnect with their community.

We couldn't run our service without the support of volunteers so please get in touch.

Streetlight UK provides specialist support services for women involved in prostitution across Surrey, Sussex and London. We support women and help them overcome the challenges that limit their choices: such as lack of education and training, lack of employment opportunities, as well as the physical and emotional barriers before them.

Our aims are:

• to seek womens emotional, physical, spiritual, mental and economic well-being,
• to promote social inclusion; breaking the cycle of crisis and reducing loneliness,
• to raise public awareness and promote an understanding of the issues surrounding sexual exploitation in the wider community,
• to respect a personal choices, leading to an individual approach for all support given,
• and above all else, 
• to empower women to exit prostitution where they wish to do so and support them in sustaining a new life.

Streetlight UK is, at its heart, an organization motivated by its Christian faith. However, no one is excluded from any part of the organisation based on any faith and beliefs they may or may not hold. What truly matters to us is a compassionate approach and a desire to help those stuck in this cycle of abuse.

Surrey Clubs for Young People is a charity dedicated to ensuring that young people across Surrey and South London have access to high quality youth provision. Our aim is to provide a range of exciting and challenging opportunities for young people, through which they can develop into confident young adults. We do this by supporting a large network of youth clubs / projects across the county.

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.

Surrey Drug & Alcohol Care is a registered charity which has been set up as a result of a need in the county of Surrey for a confidential Freephone help line for substance misusers and those with mild to moderate mental health problems, their families, friends and colleagues, aiming to make a difference to their lives. Trained volunteers respond to the distress caused by substance misuse or mental health on a high quality help line that is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, emphasising empowerment and self-help.

Objectives:

• To provide information about county and countrywide resources and support to persons and organisations helping people experiencing the effects of substance misuse.
• To promote mental health well being county-wide.
• To promote, liaise and exchange information with relevant agencies both within the Surrey area and outside.
• To raise public awareness of the continuing impact of substance misuse.
• To advance the education of the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol amongst those young students in full time education in Surrey and professional groups.
• Website: www.sdac-helpline.co.uk
• Join us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/610138639182651/

The Volunteer Host Service provides emergency accommodation on a temporary basis for 16-21 year olds who are at risk of being homeless. The service relies on volunteers to offer a spare room to young people in need for one to three nights.

Host Volunteers provide a safe and secure environment for young people to stay when they’ve had to leave their family home for a number of different reasons. We’re looking for volunteers to welcome a young person to stay in their home for a couple of nights, which enables us to assess the young person’s family situation, resolve conflict and find appropriate longer term accommodation if necessary.

We’re working with the Surrey Families Homelessness Prevention Service to protect vulnerable young people and support families to stay together.

With a population in excess of one million people over an area of 1,676 square kilometres, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service covers a diverse range of risks from large urban areas such as Guildford, Redhill and Woking with their mix of residential, commercial and industrial premises to large areas of common and heath land.

To assist the operational firefighters, Surrey Fire and Rescue has developed a network of volunteers to help stations and departments to engage more effectively with local communities and deliver community safety initiatives.

Fire Volunteers come from all backgrounds and walks of life, and can offer their skills and support to initiatives and events, often helping to remove the barriers which sometimes a uniformed service can face.

SFVS volunteers are representative of the communities we serve, and therefore often have cultural knowledge, language skills and other skills which can help when engaging hard to reach communities.

If you would like to make a difference to your community, develop new skills, gain work experience, and meet new people, please read on.

Volunteering is a long term development and we are here to compliment the services provided by Surrey Fire & Rescue Service professionals.

Finding long term volunteers to befriend children in care.

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.

We find happy homes for abandoned or unwanted pets, and we keep pets healthy by promoting welfare and providing treatment.

We are a church in Farnham providing activities and opportunities for children and young people.

As a parish seeking to put faith into practice our vision is that we are 'Radiating God’s love: enriching lives and communities'.

We have a range of services and activities which take place across our three worship centres - St. Thomas-on-the Bourne Church, St Martin by the Green Church and Brambleton Hall.

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship is a national charity dedicated to helping former civil servants and their dependents make the most of their retirement.

The Royal British Legion (the Legion) is the UK's leading Armed Forces charity, providing practical, emotional and financial support to all members of the British Armed Forces past and present, and their families. Our mission is to provide welfare, comradeship, representation and Remembrance for the Armed Forces Community.

The Rural Life Centre is a museum that focuses on life in a rural village. This includes static and moving displays, many preserved buildings and rural crafts. We hold many events and courses to preserve the old skills and crafts. Please see our web site at www.rural-life.org.uk for more details. 

The Wintershall Plays bring the story of Jesus Christ to life today.