Voluntary Action South West Surrey

Big Leaf Foundation is a small charity working with displaced young people in Surrey. Our aim is to provide a nurturing programme of activities, projects and events that focus on combating social isolation and improving wellbeing for the young people we support.

The experience of arriving in a new country is, for many young people, overwhelming and incredibly difficult. They are often cut off from everything that is familiar to them, leaving them vulnerable to loneliness, isolation, anxiety and boredom. Our founders saw an opportunity to change their situation and help them feel a sense of inclusion within a network of their peers and the wider community. We want to engage the young people we work with to be excited about the opportunities available to them, and to value their unique talents and abilities so that they can rediscover their potential and move forward with renewed optimism.

We want to support and empower these young people to know that they are more than the status they have been given and help them find their place within their local community