Voluntary Action South West Surrey

We are a trusted, not-for-profit provider of services to older people

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.

We aim to build inter-generational bridges. by engaging with particularly young people.  We offer hot/cold drinks (depending on the time of the year!), and biscuits.  We are easily recognised by our distinctive uniform and logo.

To give advice and information on a wide range of subjects including welfare benefits, employment law, housing, consumer rights, family law, debt management etc.  Our service is free, impartial, confidential and independent.  We answer enquiries by personal interview, letter, phone or, where needed, home visit.  We negotiate, when appropriate, on behalf of our clients with third parties.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

To work with partners to ensure that those, in Surrey and beyond, who have missed out on learning in the past, have opportunities to learn and to reach their full potential.

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.

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.

• The Ashes Good Neighbours is a scheme covering Ash and Ash Vale and is run by volunteers.  It provides transport to the shops, surgeries or hospitals.

• It assists those who may be elderly, frail, or temporarily unable to use public transport.

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