Surrey Drug and Alcohol Care (SDAC) is a registered charity that provides vital support to people in Surrey who struggle with alcohol or substance abuse issues. Thanks to our small grant of £5,000, the charity can now offer more help to the growing number of Elmbridge residents who need their services and they are currently helping 34 Elmbridge clients.

SDAC operates a telephone counselling service and a programme of free counselling sessions to those referred by professionals such as GPs, alcohol liaison nurses in hospitals, or other agencies. The support is open to those affected, as well as their families and friends. Sessions are tailored to the clients’ needs and may be weekly, or as often as twice a day if a client is in crisis. The charity continues to help clients for up to a year after their therapy has ended by offering wellbeing check calls at weekends.

The charity is currently supporting 97 clients with a dual diagnosis of mental health illness and substance abuse issues. Many substances can aggravate the symptoms of an existing mental health illness and the charity estimates that this number will increase sharply over the next year.

Worryingly, SDAC is also helping an increasing number of frontline workers such as NHS workers, GPs, police officers, firefighters and social workers. They report turning to alcohol or drugs due to the increasing strain caused by their work.

If you or someone you know needs help with alcohol or substance abuse issues, you can contact SDAC on 0808 802 5000 or visit their website.

Walton Charity has been chosen to partner with RHS Wisley Gardens as part of their RHS Gardens of Imagination 2024 project, part-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The work, as part of the Inspiring people to grow campaign, includes collaborating with an artist to explore through creative workshops, how modern-day herbal remedies are represented in Elmbridge’s growing communities. This can be through the healing power of gardens, as well as gardening and plants.

As part of their work, the artist will explore the following questions with people and communities:

Volunteers at RHS Wisley Gardens

• What plants or green spaces help you and/or your community with health or wellbeing?

• How would you like to capture and communicate the effect of these plants or greenspaces?

A combination of residents from our independent living schemes and volunteers from our Community Allotment have been enjoying exploring these questions through workshops, writing poetry, cyanotype printing, origami and personalised tour of the Herbarium and library at RHS Wisley Gardens.

We are currently halfway through the project; workshops will finish in June culminating in an exhibition in late summer at RHS Wisley Gardens. Watch this space!

St John’s Church in Walton is more than just a place of worship. It is also a community hub that offers a range of services and activities to help people in need.

Thanks to a grant of £15,000 from Walton Charity, the church has recently hired a community engagement worker. Her role is to coordinate the volunteers and develop new ways of reaching out to the residents of St John’s Estate, Fieldcommon, and other areas in Walton.

Café and foodbank volunteers

One of the services provided at the hub is a community café, where people can enjoy a hot drink, free cakes and pastries and a chat. The café also serves as a gateway to access other forms of support, such as advice and guidance on issues like social security and housing. The church works closely with other local organisations, such as PA Housing and Surrey County, to provide these services.

The Walton & Hersham foodbank operates on Thursdays and Fridays from the hub. The food bank volunteers give out emergency food supplies to those who are referred by agencies as in need of support.

The church also runs a playgroup for pre-school children every Tuesday. The playgroup, called ‘Play and Chat’, provides a fun and friendly place where children can play, and adults can socialise. Free breakfasts are offered to those who cannot afford to have one at home.

The Reverend Dave Bixby said, “The £15,000 grant will really help our goal to expand the provision of St John’s as a community hub, and we are so very grateful to Walton Charity for their support. Everyone is welcome to find a warm, safe and welcoming space at our Community Cafe on Thursday mornings as well as parents and carers with preschool children on Tuesday mornings. We look forward to having more open times throughout the week as the community hub develops.”

The hub at St John’s Church is a place where people can find hope, friendship, and a sense of belonging. The church is always looking for new ways to support its community and make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Being a new dad can be exciting, but also stressful and overwhelming. Many fathers struggle with their mental health during this transition, especially if they face additional barriers such as isolation, poverty, or lack of family support. That’s why Home-Start Elmbridge, a charity that supports families with young children, launched ‘Dad Matters.’ The project aims to improve the wellbeing of new and expectant fathers and help them have the best possible relationship with their family.

Walton Charity awarded £10,000 for the initial pilot project, which started in 2023, in partnership with other Home-Start organisations in Surrey.

‘Dad Matters’ works in collaboration with the maternity services of Ashford & St Peter’s Hospital, filling a gap in the local area where there were no other initiatives supporting new dads. The project reaches out to fathers at their partner’s antenatal appointments, where 92% of dads are present, and invites them to join ‘Dad Chat’ groups. These are informal sessions where dads can share their feelings and concerns with other dads, away from their partners. The project also offers targeted ‘Dad Chats’ for those who need more support, such as those with mental health issues, those supporting mums with post-natal depression or those experiencing difficulties accessing services.

The pilot project has been a success, receiving positive feedback from the dads and the health professionals involved. The dads reported a closer bond with their baby, better access to services and improved emotional wellbeing. Health professionals are starting to recognise the need to support dads (which will in turn support the mother and child). Providing a holistic support for families.

Walton Charity has continued to support the project by awarding a further £10,000 grant to Home-Start Elmbridge to enable them to extend the ‘Dad Matters’ project’s reach and impact to make a difference to the lives of local dads and their families.

The foodbank is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of people being referred for emergency food support. Although our foodbank had anticipated a spike in demand due to the cost-of-living crisis, the number of people currently being helped is much higher than ever have predicted.

Nina Malyon, Manager of the Walton & Hersham Foodbank, says, “We are acutely aware that we cannot keep ramping up the service indefinitely which is why we are focusing on involving more support services, particularly at The Bridge, to look at ways that we can help people out of crisis."

During January 2024, the foodbank fed, on average, 128 people each week. This compares to a figure of 83 people each week in January 2023, a 51% increase.

The foodbank can only operate with the help of their team of volunteers and with kind donations of food and cash from our local community. To find out how you can help, click here.

The East Elmbridge Foodbank is one of four foodbanks in Elmbridge providing emergency food and support to local people who are struggling to make ends meet. They are currently supporting 40 adults and 20 children in the local area every month.

On Tuesday mornings, St Nicholas Church in Thames Ditton, in partnership with the foodbank, runs a thriving hub, where volunteers provide a warm welcome to clients, and can signpost them to receive targeted help from a Citizens Advice debt adviser.

During a recent break-in at the church’s storage area, food that had been donated to the foodbank was stolen. Through our community grants programme, we were able to help with the cost of installing CCTV and security lighting to make the building more secure.

These are particularly challenging times for all our foodbanks, as demand for help is rising. There are many ways our local community can help: by donating food or money, or offering a few hours each week as a regular volunteer.

“The foodbank is a lifeline to many of the people we support through the Community Hub however what we do is about more than food. A variety of support is available at the hub, and there’s always someone to offer a listening ear or just have a chat. The Community Hub is love in action.”

— Rev. Ruth Phillips

The team receiving their certificate and prize

Tracey Blandford, from Love Walton, presented teams from Walton & Hersham Foodbank and The Bridge with a certificate for being voted joint winners of the ‘Best Dressed Christmas Window 2023’ competition. Thank you to everyone who voted for our window!

The certificate will be proudly on display at The Bridge, located in Bridge Street, Walton on Thames.

Thank you to James Neave Estate Agents for sponsoring the window. We are happy to let you know that all the little elves were given to the families who visit The Bridge and Walton & Hersham Foodbank.

Best Dressed Window joint winner!

Nina Malyon, Manager of Walton & Hersham Foodbank says,

“We were delighted to come joint first in the competition. It was a lovely community initiative but also a great way to raise the profile of The Bridge and the support we are offering local families.”

We are experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of people being referred to us for emergency food support. We had anticipated a spike in demand due to the cost-of-living crisis but the number of people we are currently helping is much higher than we could ever have predicted.

We are acutely aware that we cannot keep ramping up the service indefinitely which is why we are focusing on involving more support services, particularly at The Bridge, to look at ways that we can help people out of crisis."

This January, in an average week, the foodbank fed 128 people. In January last year, they were feeding an average of 83 people per week. The increase in demand is clear.

The Bridge and Walton & Hersham Foodbank can only operate with the help of their team of volunteers and with kind donations of food and cash from our local community.

To find out how you can help, click here.

Does your charity want to get involved in more outdoor projects?
There are many things that affect our health that can’t be treated by doctors alone. Loneliness, stress, and anxiety caused by financial pressures or poor housing are things that can’t be treated with medicine. Green social prescribing connects people with non-medical support to help with issues like these.

How can Walton Charity help?
We have outdoor spaces around Elmbridge available for local organisations. You can refer the people you work with to our existing projects or come and run your own!

The community allotment
This project has been running for seven years on Terrace Road, Walton on Thames. Sessions run on Tuesdays and, as the weather gets warmer, on Fridays too. We would welcome any referrals to the project. It’s very flexible and relaxed and is attended by a wide range of volunteers with a mixture of vulnerabilities (physical, mental and emotional).

We are also happy for groups to do their own outdoor projects or use the space for meetings on other days of the week. You can find the allotment by searching for the postcode KT12 2DY, it’s really near the Xcel Leisure Centre. Read more about the project here.

The Tree Canopy Project
Located in a mini woodland site off Rydens Road, Walton on Thames, the Tree Canopy Project is home to Rewilding Forest School, who run forest school sessions for children throughout the year, and to other natural practitioners who run regular workshops for adults.

We are currently creating a new community growing space which will be available this spring for local charities and community groups to run outdoor activities and growing projects. The new space will include raised planters, sheds and green houses which groups can use for their own projects.

So, if you are a natural practitioner looking for a green space for your workshops, or a charity wanting to run your own green project, please get in touch to discuss opportunities. Email Karen Heynike kheynike@waltoncharity.org.uk or call her on 01932 220242.

The Molesey Churches Night Shelter opened its doors again at the beginning of December, offering emergency accommodation for people who are homeless over the winter months.

Up to 12 guests are housed each night, supported by the night shelter manager and an incredible team of volunteers, who offer homemade meals and a friendly listening ear. During their time at the shelter, guests can get help finding homes with long-term tenancies, can access specialist support through the Bridge the Gap* programme, and take steps towards rebuilding their lives.

The night shelter is very much a community venture and guests have described their experience there as one which made them feel part of a family.

Last year, Walton Charity funded the night shelter through our community grants programme and this year we are awarding a grant of £15,000.

“The support of Walton Charity has been crucial for us. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to stay open through the winter and would have had to close our doors on some of the coldest nights of the year. We also hugely appreciate the support they give beyond finances - we really feel this is a community partnership not just an exchange of finances.”

— Tim Malcolm, Molesey Churches Night Shelter & Social Action Director

The night shelter will stay open at St Peter’s Church Youth and Community Hub in West Molesey until the end of March 2024.

*Bridge the Gap - long-term specialist community outreach from multiple organisations to address complex needs of people facing multiple disadvantages, including homelessness, substance use, domestic abuse, mental health issues and contact with the criminal justice system. It helps people move on with their lives.

Walton Charity was delighted to host a visit from Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Edinburgh on Thursday 18 January.

The Duchess met a number of Elmbridge community groups at Burview Hall – one of Walton Charity’s community properties and home of Elmbridge Mencap.

Her Royal Highness started her visit by meeting the Walton & Hersham Foodbank team where she helped to sort food donations and pack food parcels. She heard about the recent ‘Fill a Mini Challenge’ where food donations from the local community filled 20 Mini cars to mark 10 years of the foodbank. She also heard more about The Bridge – a new hub for families run by the foodbank and Walton Charity.

The Duchess then stopped to chat to Walton Charity’s independent living art group and admired their latest artwork before joining a parachute game and cookie-making session with members of Elmbridge Mencap’s Day Service and pupils from neighbouring Walton Leigh School. Moving to the games room, The Duchess enjoyed a game of table football, before bracing the cold weather to see Mencap’s new sensory garden.

Once outside, The Duchess heard from our Green Spaces Manager, Karen Heynike, about the activities she leads at our Community Allotment and our newest green venture – The Tree Canopy Project based in Walton Charity’s woodlands. She chatted with volunteers from the allotment about how the project has helped their mental health and built their confidence. She also joined the Elmbridge Tree Wardens to plant a tree.

Finally, the Duchess joined members of the women’s Guided Wellbeing group where she made a gratitude pebble for the group’s mandala* before children from Rewilding Forest School (another tenant of the Tree Canopy project) presented her with a portrait of The King made entirely from leaves!

After unveiling a plaque to mark this special royal visit, The Duchess was presented with a birthday cake and flowers and everyone sang a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to mark her forthcoming birthday on 20 January.

“You have no idea how much I needed this, I have lost sleep worrying about Christmas and this will change that. Thank you!”

— One mum receiving Santa Stork presents

For the third year running, Walton Charity teamed up with Stripey Stork, to ensure more children across Elmbridge had a gift to open on Christmas Day.  

Thanks to the local residents, businesses, schools and community groups across Elmbridge who generously supported our Santa Stork Christmas Appeal, donating £7,421. With matched donations from both Walton Charity and Elmbridge Borough Council, the total raised was an amazing £22,263! 

Enough to fund Christmas gifts and stocking fillers for 1,025 local children.

This made such a difference to families who are struggling to make ends meet after another difficult year of rising living costs.  

One support worker shared their appreciation for Santa Stork:

“Thank you so much. The Christmas gifts make such a difference to the families I work with and really help their mental health at a time of pressure and stress when they desperately want to care for and treat their children.”

Nicola Dawes, Stripey Stork’s Founder and Chief Executive answers a few questions about the magic of Santa Stork.

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About the Santa Stork Appeal 

Throughout the year, Stripey Stork collects new and pre-loved baby items to distribute to families in need across Surrey. 

Their Santa Stork campaign provides brand new gifts to families who need a helping hand at this difficult time of year.  

All funds raised above our appeal target will support Elmbridge children. Whilst Stripey Stork meet requests from referral partners with pre-loved items, when these are not available, they will use our fund to purchase new items as required. 

Congratulations to Jean Rigden, a driving force behind Elmbridge Mencap, for picking up the Volunteer Award at the recent BBC Radio Surrey and Radio Sussex “Making A Difference” Awards.

When asked about the award, Jean Rigden said, “I have had a lot of help along the way and it seems very strange to get an award for doing something I love, and that keeps me going. The love I feel at Burview Hall, especially with the new Day Service, is amazing.”

Jean’s family have been involved with Elmbridge Mencap since 1955 when Jean’s mother joined the original association to help families in the local area. With support from her husband Eric, Jean has dedicated over 50 years to Elmbridge Mencap.

Elmbridge Mencap are based at Burview Hall, one of Walton Charity’s community properties available to local charities and community organisations for a low rent. Mencap use the hall to run regular activities and social clubs for people with learning disabilities and their families.

Jean has made a huge difference to local families. Well done and well deserved, Jean!