A Walton Charity Community Grant of almost £40,000 (over three years) will contribute towards the salary costs of a manager for the Beehive Support Hub - a not-for-profit café and community hub at the Lower Green Community Centre in Esher.

The Hub provides a warm and friendly place for Lower Green residents to meet socially and access specialist support and advice, where needed.  Whether they just want a cup of tea and a chat or are struggling with debt, mental health, or other issues, it’s a place to go when things are tough.  By offering people practical support and a listening ear early on, it prevents problems from escalating to a crisis.   

Many of the Hub’s projects centre around food - bridging the gap between food waste and food poverty by redistributing surplus supermarket and home-grown produce for local families through their Community Fridge. Over the winter months the Beehive is operating as a Warm Welcome Hub providing homemade soup and free hot drinks and access to other initiatives to support local people during the cost-of-living crisis. The Surrey-based baby bank, Stripey Stork, also visits each fortnight, providing good quality clothing, toys and essential items for babies and children.  

The hardworking team at the Support Hub are keen to expand the services offered in the future and provide a calendar of events, skills workshops, social groups, health and advice services and much more.  

Jenny French, Community Projects Manager Lower Green Community CIO said: “We are very grateful to Walton Charity for their generous grant to support the work of our Community Hub. To have the salary of our Support Hub Manager assured for the next three years is a great boost and will help us to plan and develop further services and projects to support the local community in the future.”

A new Walton Charity Community Grant of £5,000 will help Relate West Surrey to fund more counselling for people on low incomes across Elmbridge.   

Relate West Surrey is a charity providing much-needed support and talking therapy to individuals, couples, families and young people, particularly those experiencing family breakdown and mental health issues. 

In recent years Relate has seen an increase in demand for counselling, but all too often families cannot afford the full cost. The bursary fund, supported by our community grant, will help to relieve financial pressure and open up the option of therapy to those who need it most. 

Jill Rawling, Chief Executive Officer of Relate West Surrey, says: “We are very grateful to Walton Charity for this grant which will enable more cash-strapped families to get help. We have seen a significant rise in demand for our iRelate service for 10-18 year olds, with more 10 year olds suffering from anxiety, peer relationship pressure, low mood and family problems”

2022 has been another challenging year. Just as we are learning to live with Covid, the rising cost of living brings a new set of challenges. Working with our partners, we will continue to do all we can to support our local community through these challenging times.

But this year we’ve also had some happy highlights. From joining forces with Walton & Hersham Foodbank, to celebrating our win at the Hampton Court Flower Show, here are some of our favourite moments from 2022….

• Funding some fabulous community projects including recipe boxes and homecooked meals for local families, mental health workshops for schools and practical support for parents.

• Watching our green spaces flourish with the launch of our new Tree Canopy Project (thanks to some hard graft from our corporate partners) and, of course, taking home the top prize for our Community Allotment entry to the Hampton Court Flower Show!

• Celebrating… the Queen’s Jubilee with our Community Allotment volunteers, our love of books through The Great Elmbridge Book Hunt, and ALL the big events with our independent living residents.

• Officially welcoming Walton & Hersham Foodbank into the Walton Charity family.

• Launching an important new report which will help us to tackle poverty and low income in our local community.

• Watching the total climb in our Santa Stork Christmas appeal funding presents for children across Elmbridge who need a helping hand.

For more on the stories behind these highlights, just click on the photos below.

Thank you to all our partners, supporters, volunteers, staff and trustees who have helped to make these moments - and all our work - possible.

We hope there will be many more highlights in 2023!

Walton & Hersham Foodbank

Cook4Care community project

Jubilee celebrations

Great Elmbridge Book Hunt

Home Start parenting cafe

Hampton Court Flower Show

New local research

Our corporate volunteers at work

Halloween with our residents

This year's Christmas appeal

Following a competitive tendering process, we are delighted to announce Burwood Preschool will be the new tenants of our community property on Burhill Road from September next year.

Burwood Preschool is a local charity providing high quality, affordable childcare and early years education for families in Hersham.

As our recently published report by the New Economics Foundation shows, childcare costs more here in Elmbridge than in many other parts of the country. This puts extra pressure on household resources and can make it harder for local families to make ends meet.

By leasing the property and land to the preschool at a low rent, they will be able to pass this saving on to local parents – taking pressure off families on low incomes. The preschool will also be able to expand their services and set up a forest school once they take on the building and land next year. The aim is for the new services to start from early 2024.

Earlier this month, we launched a new report Under the Radar looking at the changing picture of poverty and low income in Elmbridge. The report, written by New Economics Foundation, is a culmination of six months of work – analysing data, talking to partners, talking to residents. But we don’t want the work to stop there.

The report gives us an up-to-date picture of poverty and low income in our borough – who is affected, what drives poverty locally, and the challenges of living on a low income in Elmbridge.

Now we have an opportunity to use the information to explore new ways of working, to form new partnerships, and to make sure we are using all our resources as effectively as we can to support our community.

And in all these discussions and this work we must remember why we are doing it. We often talk about ‘cost of living’ but really we’re talking about people. People in our community who will suffer because of what is happening and what will happen.

At our report launch event, we heard from an excellent panel of speakers who brought ideas and experience from their own organisations for ways to innovate and drive change at a local level. It was so useful to hear real examples and to be challenged by the panel to be bold in our response to the report.

We will be sharing updates as we take the recommendations from the report forward, but in the meantime here is a round up of the key points from the interesting and thought-provoking panel discussion.

Jackie Lodge, Chief Executive

For many children, the move from primary school to secondary school is a daunting prospect. The Covid pandemic has heightened some of the issues and vulnerabilities that young people face, and schools are seeing increasing cases of anxieties and behavioural challenges. Following the success of their summer transition support programme in Spelthorne last year, Eikon was keen to introduce the programme to children and young people in Elmbridge. A Walton Charity Community Grant of £45,000 will fund early intervention support for 25 Elmbridge children for the next three years.

Eikon is an award-winning charity that has been providing long-term support to young people in Surrey for over two decades.

Nigel Goddard, Chair of Trustees, Eikon said “This award is particularly welcome and valued in the present exceptional and unprecedented times when hardly a day goes by without the national Press mentioning the ever-increasing demands for and complexity of the emotional wellbeing and mental health challenges facing children and young people today. Your award will certainly help our planning and financial stability for this programme in the years ahead.”

The summer workshops will help young people who are at risk of exclusion or those with complex needs, low school attendance or those who have strong concerns about transitioning from primary to secondary school.

The young people will work through a series of fun activities including writing, arts and crafts, sports, and games designed to help them overcome anxieties and address challenges. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their concerns with support workers and their peers.

After the summer workshop, youth workers will go into the young people’s secondary schools to provide further support and to help them put their learning into practice. By helping young people develop new skills, and ensuring they have someone to turn to, Eikon can help ensure the young people they work with will have a more positive experience and remain in school.

A small community grant, awarded to Weybridge International School of English (WISE), is helping to fund English language lessons during the summer holidays for Ukranian refugees, living locally.

WISE has registered over 80 Ukrainian’s over the last few months and has provided classes for all levels of English.

The participants, which include parents and their children, are not only benefitting from having face-to-face English classes to improve their English and prospects of employment, but it is also providing them with the opportunity to come together and meet other refugees within a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Liz Denham, MD said “The commitment to the classes has been tremendous and their English has come on superbly. Our dedicated team of teachers and volunteers have enjoyed teaching them and we are extremely grateful for the grant given to us.”

Funding from Waitrose Hersham’s ‘Give a Little Love’ campaign is helping to fund food and refreshments being offered during the course.

“I really am very happy to be part of this group. It gets me out of my flat which is good for me.”

A weekly befriending café, organised by Elmbridge Community Link (ECL), brings together adults with learning disabilities and/or on the autistic spectrum to spend time with friends and learn new skills.

A report by the Jo Cox Foundation showed that half of people with disabilities feel lonely on any given day. Regular contact with their peers, volunteers and support staff at the befriending café gives participants an opportunity to build relationships and grow their independence in a safe and friendly space.

The café takes place at Burview Hall in Walton, one of Walton Charity’s community buildings. During the Covid lockdowns, when face-to-face meetings weren’t possible, ECL had to find new ways to keep in touch with members and bring the group together. Online activities, quizzes and exercise classes all helped members feel connected until they could meet again in person.

Technology still plays an important role in the café sessions as participants are supported to make video calls, keeping in touch with family members they don't see on a regular basis.

The befriending café is just one of the activities run by Elmbridge Community Link. Participants can also take part in weekly art and craft workshops, a youth sports club and sessions at Walton Charity’s community allotment. The participants, and volunteers who support the sessions, love the atmosphere of the groups, and families really see the difference the sessions are making:

“My daughter is spending time with people her own age… she’s getting out and about doing things out of the house, being active, meeting new people, getting new experiences. It’s brilliant but the big thing is that Georgia is doing something herself.”

Tackling isolation and loneliness is one of Walton Charity’s five key priorities. Through our grants programme and our community buildings, we support local organisations and projects that encourage social interaction and help people feel more connected to their community.

~ Video courtesy of Jennifer Bruce Photography ~

Volunteers from Walton Charity’s Community Allotment were thrilled to scoop first prize in the Community Allotment category at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival earlier this month.

Our Green Spaces Manager, Karen Heynike, garden designer Victoria Mitchell, and the team of volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked incredibly hard to create a mini replica of their allotment, complete with knitted bugs, butterflies and vegetables – replicating the yarn bombing* that created a real buzz at the real community allotment earlier this year.

The community allotment, in Walton on Thames, is a special place where people from all walks of life come together to socialise and learn new skills. Some of the participants are retired, but many face barriers because of mental or physical health conditions or social isolation. The allotment provides a supportive space for people to join in group activities and feel more connected to their community and it provided a lifeline for many of the volunteers during the pandemic.

This isn’t the first time the Community Allotment volunteers have entered the Garden Festival. They entered the Vegetable Box category back in 2017 winning them a silver medal, giving a huge confidence boost to those who took part.

If you would like to learn more about our community allotment and availability of our land and green spaces for local people and community groups, click here: www.waltoncharity.org.uk/green-spaces.

*A yarn bomb is a form of street art where yarn in any form decorates an object in the public environment. Yarn installations are a bit like graffiti but aren’t permanent or destructive. The craze was started in America by a lady named Magda Sayeg when she covered her doorknob with a knitted cosy and before long started knitting scarves and hats for statues around her hometown in Houston.

In 1983, Lynda moved to Walton on Thames from Doncaster with her husband and often walked past Walton Charity’s allotments on Terrace Road.

“One day when I was passing, I stopped to talk to someone working on the allotment and asked about taking on a plot myself. There weren’t many women who had their own plot back then and when I signed the paperwork, the person I spoke to thought it was for my husband!”

“The plot was very overgrown when I got it and it took me a year and ten days to clear it from weeds! But it was worth the effort, over the 30 years I’ve had the plot I have been able to plant all sorts of fruit, vegetables and flowers. The plot is divided into eight triangles and I often get compliments on the unique design. It enables me to work on it even when it’s wet as I can access the different sections from the pathway that divides them.”

“I love having flowers in the house and one triangle is used just for growing flowers which I can pick most of the year. The bees love it too!”

Inspired by Gardeners’ World presenter Geoff Hamilton, an early champion of organic gardening, Lynda’s allotment has been organic for more than 20 years.

She is pleased to see more families spending time at the allotment now and thinks it’s an important way for children to learn more about food and where it comes from. Lynda’s own family have been involved over the years and a photo of her grandson with his feet in an old sink by the allotment tap won a local photography competition back in 2008.

“If someone asked me if they should take on an allotment, I would say go for it! It gives me such a lot of pleasure. I like the creativity. It’s your plot to do what you want with it. It’s really satisfying. I love it!”

Elmbridge CAN is a small charity supporting the resettlement of refugees and building a culture of welcome within the communities of Elmbridge.

Due to a recent increase in demand for their services, the charity’s core team of volunteers were keen to get support with the day-to-day administration tasks. Our community grant will fund Sarah’s post as a volunteer coordinator for the first year. We talked to Sarah about her new role.

Q. Tell us about a typical day in your role?

I start each day by checking the various emails for new enquiries, volunteers or requests for help. I carry out the basic checks for all new volunteers, making sure that all data is looked after safely, and information updated. I also coordinate volunteer availability for our digital classes for Afghan women living in the hotel, many of whom had not used a computer before arriving here. I coordinate the furnishing for new accommodation, doing all we can as a community to make their new homes comfortable and welcoming. Where I can, I go to our newly set up hubs so I can support the volunteers and hub leaders and meet some of the people we are supporting. I also prepare newsletters for volunteers and supporters and arrange training. It’s very varied!

Q. How many people do Elmbridge CAN currently support?

We are supporting about 220 Afghans who have been in temporary hotel accommodation for several months, in addition to supporting 25 other families with refugee backgrounds in the community who are from all over the globe.

Q. Are you currently helping any Ukrainian refugees?

We have two full-time Ukrainian-speaking support workers who support approximately 500 Ukrainian refugees here in Elmbridge. These posts are funded by Elmbridge Borough Council. Our fantastic volunteers very quickly set up four regular local hubs to support these refugees and they provide a warm welcome, refreshments, and practical help with matters such as understanding paperwork and job searching.

Q. What are the biggest challenges facing families settling in a new area?

There are many challenges. Language limitations are often one of the biggest issues – speaking good English is key to so much. Cultural differences need to be navigated, and there is a lot of loss, anxiety, and uncertainty to deal with. We try to support emotionally as well as practically, but in a way that keeps to appropriate boundaries.

Q. What sort of ongoing support do you offer?

We offer help with small grants, job searching, navigation of systems and paperwork, one-to-one English language tuition and homework help for children, social activities to help with integration, provision of bikes to help with independence and mobility, and much more.

Q. What is your favourite part of the job?

Seeing settled families thriving is a joy. When we’ve got a new flat assigned to a family, we don’t get long to get it ready for them, and things can get very hectic gathering the furniture and other welcome items together. I like it when I can see the flat becoming a home, knowing that the family will be happy there. It’s a good feeling!

Q. What can our local community do to help?

We do our work by harnessing the skills, talents, and generosity of the local community – and in Elmbridge, there is a lot of all of these! We are always looking for volunteers – now we particularly need someone to help us with our website and people who are happy to help look after small children at the Afghan hotel on Monday and Friday mornings in term time. Financial donations are always very helpful – for example we recently gave some money to a Ukrainian mother with a disabled son so that they could afford disability-friendly travel from their host’s house to local activities which has resulted in them no longer feeling isolated.

Helping with housing needs is always our biggest challenge and everyone can help by spreading the word about the need for affordable rental property of all sizes – there is more information on our website.

Finally, everyone can help by reading up on the ‘bigger picture’ situation regarding refugee-related matters – there is a lot happening nationally, and much of it concerns us greatly.

We would love more people from our local community to get in touch and help. Click here to find out more: Get Involved - Elmbridge CAN refugee volunteer support

One of our community buildings in Hersham will be available to rent from September next year.

We are looking for a not-for-profit organisation who would use the premises to deliver impactful services for local people in Elmbridge. The community building will be available from September 2023 at a substantially discounted or ‘peppercorn’ rent.

Working with local partners, Walton Charity is committed to tackling the causes and symptoms of poverty here in Elmbridge. We enable and facilitate other charities to deliver services that meet the needs of our local community. One of the ways we do this is to provide affordable office space, housing, land and operational buildings.  

Our aspiration is that the building and site is maximised for social value, aligning with Walton Charity’s mission and vision, our 5 year-plan and, in particular, our focus on tackling child poverty in Elmbridge.

To find out more or for an informal discussion please contact Jackie Lodge, Chief Executive, jlodge@waltoncharity.org.uk.