Runnymede and Spelthorne Volunteer Awards 2026

Nominations close 8 May

There's still time to nominate your volunteers the 2026 Runnymede and Spelthorne Volunteer Awards. 

These awards celebrate the power of volunteering in Runnymede and Spelthorne. A special awards ceremony will be held on 9 June at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Nominating your volunteers is a meaningful way to show appreciation and highlight their dedication and hard work.

Award Categories for 2026:

• Unsung Hero Award – Recognising those behind the scenes such as a helpful trustee or someone working hard to support other volunteers and staff.
• Inspirational Volunteer Award – For volunteers who have made a huge difference to your cause and whose passion and dedication inspire others to make a difference.
• New Volunteer Award – For those volunteers who are new to volunteering and have been in their post for at least a year.
• Long-Service Award (for 10+ years of service) – For our long-standing volunteers who have been volunteering for more than 10 years.
• Volunteer Team Award – To recognise a volunteer team’s collaborative efforts and contributions to residents of Runnymede and Spelthorne.
• Fundraiser of the Year Award – Honouring both individuals and teams for their passionate and/or innovative approaches to fundraising, regardless of the amount raised.
• Engagement in the Community – Recognising businesses that actively support local charities and non-profits, making a positive impact through their corporate social responsibility efforts.

You can nominate someone for an award using our online form.

The deadline for nominations is 8 May.

If you need assistance completing the form or would like it in Word format, please contact us on 01932 571122 or email Jo at jo@voluntarysupport.org.uk or Elaine at elaine@voluntarysupport.org.uk.

Please share these details with anyone in Runnymede or Spelthorne who might be interested in nominating a volunteer. We want to ensure these awards are as inclusive as possible and celebrate the incredible contributions of volunteers across our community.

Next Trustees Forum - 27 May

Being a trustee can sometimes feel like carrying a lot of responsibility behind the scenes and it is easy to feel isolated. This is why we run our bi-monthly Trustees Forum, a friendly gathering where people can share their experiences and ideas on practical problem-solving.

The Forum is an informal, relaxed, and encouraging space open to all trustees (new or experienced) where no question is too simple or too complex. If you would like to join us for the next Trustees Forum, we will be meeting again on 27 May at 6pm - 7.15pm.

Bridges and Beacons - State of the VCSE Sector Report

Last month, Surrey Community Action published its Bridges and Beacons report, providing a detailed picture of the pressures facing Surrey's voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. We covered the fundraising and finance findings in our April fundraising newsletter. But the report raises equally important concerns around volunteering, governance, staffing and capacity. Here's a summary and some pointers for how we can help.

Volunteering

Volunteering levels remain unstable following the pandemic, with organisations experiencing surpluses in some parts of Surrey and shortages in others. The traditional volunteer pool is also shrinking as people retire later, and the cost of living is taking its toll: one organisation reported losing around a quarter of its volunteers for financial reasons. Only 61% of organisations feel confident they can recruit and retain good volunteers.

How VSNS can help: We promote volunteering opportunities through online advertising, local events and business partnerships, and our team can support you with resources and guidance on recruiting and managing volunteers. We're also running our free Recruiting and Managing Volunteers training again in October - details and booking link below.

Governance and Trustees

Only 56% of organisations feel confident they can recruit and retain effective trustees - and in the four months between the interim and final reports, 17 Surrey charities were deregistered. Governance, change management and sustainability are among the most commonly cited training needs for trustees, and leadership succession is flagged as a growing concern, particularly for organisations with ageing committees.

How VSNS can help: We run a bi-monthly trustee forum offering peer support for trustees at all stages, and deliver annual Charity Law for Trustees training - see below for details and to book. Our team can also provide direct support with governance questions and signpost you to resources, including the Charity Commission's Essential Trustee guide.

Workforce and Staffing

80% of organisations feel confident about recruiting and retaining staff but this sits alongside widespread concern about burnout, rising costs and squeezed margins. Operating costs are climbing fast: one care organisation reported costs rising by around 7% while local authority contract uplifts were only around 3.5%. Staff training needs most commonly cited in the report include personnel management (68%), marketing (54%) and EDI (44%).

How VSNS can help: Our Social Media Marketing training is coming up in September, and if you missed our EDI article earlier this year it's available on our website. On staff wellbeing, our quarterly networking events are a valuable opportunity to connect with others in the sector, sharing challenges, ideas and potential partnerships with people who understand the pressures you're facing.

Capacity

The broader picture mirrors what we highlighted in our March fundraising newsletter: 72% of organisations expect expenditure to rise in the coming year, but only 29% expect income to grow. Short-term funding cycles are forcing organisations to divert staff time toward fundraising rather than delivery, and the sector's priorities are described in the report as "pragmatic rather than aspirational", focused on sustaining core services rather than growth. Building resilience has never been more important.

If any of these issues are affecting your organisation, please don't hesitate to get in touch - we're here to help.

Join the team at Voluntary Support North Surrey

We have two new roles which will support volunteering and voluntary organisations in West Surrey.

For our new Volunteer Development Manager, we are looking for someone with practical experience in volunteer management or development, confidence working with data, and a genuine passion for community. This role will help more residents find the right volunteering opportunities, while supporting local charities to improve how they recruit and retain volunteers. Day to day, you'd be delivering training, providing hands-on support to community organisations, and helping to match volunteers with meaningful roles across West Surrey.

We are also looking for an experienced fundraiser for the role of Funding and Sustainability Officer. You will guide voluntary organisations in West Surrey on all aspects of fundraising, with a special focus on developing sustainable fundraising and business strategies. Your work will ensure that organisations are on solid foundations to meet the needs and challenges of the future.  

Full details for both roles can be found on our website.

To apply, send your CV and a supporting letter to Alison Morey.

Volunteer Development Manager: closing date is 4 May 2026.

Funding and Sustainability Officer: closing date is 22 May 2026.

New councils, new opportunities: building relationships with elected representatives

On 7 May, elections will be held for the new West Surrey and East Surrey councils. In West Surrey alone, 452 candidates are standing for 90 seats across 45 wards.

For voluntary organisations, elections can be an opportunity to build relationships with new councillors. Getting in front of them early, before their diaries fill up and their priorities are set, can pay real dividends.

At last month's networking event, we heard how Runnymede and Spelthorne Citizens Advice is already taking a proactive approach to the changes ahead: engaging early, horizon-scanning and ensuring the voices of the people they serve are feeding into emerging discussions. Here are a few simple steps your organisation can take:

• Do your homework. Follow candidates and newly elected councillors on social media to get a sense of what they care about. 
• Make contact early. Send a brief introduction to your councillors after the election. Tell them who you are, what you do and who you serve. A short email with your annual report attached is a good starting point.
• Invite them in. There's no substitute for seeing your work first-hand. Invite councillors to an event, a project visit or a meeting with the people you support. It builds understanding in a way that a policy briefing never can.
• Keep them updated. Regular, light-touch updates - a newsletter, a note when something significant changes - help keep you on their radar.
• Ask for their support. Councillors can open doors, make introductions and speak up for local organisations - but only if they know you exist and understand why your work matters.

Further reading

Power to Change published a practical guide to working with local government which, despite dating from 2019, remains a useful introduction.

NAVCA has also published guidance aimed at new councils on working effectively with the voluntary sector - useful background reading as the new authorities take shape.

Is your financial house in order?

With the new financial year underway, now is a good time for trustees to take stock of their organisation's financial health - and the Charity Commission has some timely advice worth heeding.

In a recent blog post, the Commission highlights the growing pressure on charities at a time when demand for services has never been higher. Research found that 9% of people received food, medical or financial support from a charity in the past year, up from just 3% five years ago. Meanwhile, rising costs and squeezed household budgets are putting donations under pressure.

For trustees, this means setting a realistic budget and reviewing it regularly, having a reserves policy the whole board understands, keeping accurate and up-to-date financial records, and acting quickly when the numbers start telling a different story. Crucially, financial oversight isn't just the treasurer's responsibility - it belongs to every trustee around the table.

The Commission has developed a Trustee Finance Toolkit, which brings together key financial guidance in one place, as well as a financial health checker tool that matches your charity with the guidance it needs.

If you're a trustee and have ideas about how financial management could be improved at your organisation, the Commission's message is simple: speak up, and use the tools available.

Egg-straordinary kindness this Easter

Thank you to the lovely companies who donated Easter eggs to charities across North Surrey this Easter so that people felt seen, supported, and celebrated. Special mention to employees at ADP Powercor Ltd. and Azets who together donated over half of the total eggs collected. But every donation really mattered.

A small gesture can make a big difference, and this is what that difference looks like.

Get ready for Volunteers Week 2026

This year's Volunteers Week will take place from 1-7 June. This is an important opportunity to recognise the fantastic contribution your volunteers make to our communities and say thank you. Resources, including volunteering certificates and ideas for promoting volunteering opportunities throughout the week, are on the Volunteers Week website. And do tag us in any social media posts - we will happily shout about the good work your volunteers do

We'll be planning some events of our own, which we'll tell you more about next month.

Well done Miyawaki forest volunteers!

Congratulations to all the volunteers who took part in Spelthorne Borough Council's Miyawaki micro-forest tree planting earlier this year. The two forests, at Littleton Recreation Ground in Shepperton and Hengrove Recreation Ground in North Ashford, will boost local biodiversity.

In February, 28 volunteers from Talking Tree, Shepperton Village Conservation Group, Suez, Shepperton Studios, Egham Tea Boat and the local community came together to plant 1,010 native tree and shrub whips across 25 different species. A second planting followed in March, with 17 volunteers, including staff from corporate partner Mitie, helping to establish a further 28 native species at Hengrove.

None of this would have been possible without these brilliant volunteers. The Miyawaki method enables forests to grow up to ten times faster and become 30 times denser than traditional planting, meaning the impact of your efforts will be felt for decades to come.

Spelthorne Mental Health Forum to launch

A new quarterly networking forum for professionals working in mental health and wellbeing in the Spelthorne area launches this May. The forum aims to help people stay connected, share what their organisations do, and build strong working relationships to support local residents.

Each meeting will include guest speakers and plenty of time to network. If you'd like to speak at a future meeting, please get in touch.

The first meeting takes place on Tuesday 12th May 2026, 10am -12pm at Stanwell Events, Cambria Gardens, Stanwell, TW19 7ER (free onsite parking). Please do come along or pass this on to a colleague who might be better placed to attend. Email Alison to confirm you are attending.

Men's mental health focus groups running this May

While we're on the subject of mental health, Surrey County Council’s men’s mental health team are running a series of focus groups with partners across the community to share their stories and understand the local picture of men’s mental health. Focus groups are open to men with lived experience and those with professional experience working with men.  

The focus groups will inform how services currently support men and the barriers they face, and are being run in response to the Department of Health & Social Care’s ‘strategic vision for men’s health’, which recognises that men often delay seeking help, or do not engage with services at all. If you are interested in finding out more about the DHSC national strategy and how to embed its recommendations into your organisation, you can register for a workshop.

Sessions are at the following times:  

• Fri 15 May, 10am - 11:30am, Online 
• Tue 19 May, 2pm - 3:30pm, Online 
• Wed 20 May, 6pm - 7:30pm, Online 
• Wed 27 May, 3pm - 4:30pm, Dorking library 
• Thu 28 May, 10am - 11:30am, Woking library  
• Fri 29 May, 10am - 11:30am, Guildford library  

Register for more information and to join a session. 

Citizens Advice supporting carers to maximise income

Citizens Advice is running a new, free and confidential project in Surrey which focuses on helping carers to maximise their income, advising on benefits, debt, energy advice and social care funding.

If you support any unpaid carers looking after someone who has a disability or health condition, do get in touch to find out how Citizens Advice can help. Call 01483 492939 or email carers@swru.org 

HEAT and HEAT Plus - the home energy advice team

HEAT and HEAT Plus, the home energy advice team, are a partnership of four community organisations: Zero Carbon Guildford, Surrey Climate Commission, Energy Action Redhill & Reigate, and Circular Dorking.

They offer:

• outreach talks to local groups
• training to local volunteers who want to become Energy Champions
• home visits to residents

They are keen to reach more Surrey residents and would love to be invited to any local group meetings. Contact Jane at jane@surreyclimate.org.uk

Healthy Surrey cancer information hub launched 

A new resource focusing on cancer has launched on the Healthy Surrey website, providing residents and healthcare professionals with clear, accessible and evidence-based information. The new section will bring together trusted resources from partner organisations, making it easier for people across Surrey to find reliable guidance and support. 

The web pages have been co-designed to help people navigate every stage of the cancer pathway - from prevention and early diagnosis to treatment, living beyond cancer, and end-of-life care. 

New training courses from Surrey Welfare Rights Unit

Surrey Welfare Rights Unit is introducing new spring/summer training courses which are now available to book on their website. They include: 

• benefits for families 
• changes to limited capability for work from April 2026 
• universal Credit – the tricky bits 
• quick benefits calculator - basic two-part course 
• social care, charging and welfare benefits 
• benefits update 
• extra help for those on low income 
• work capability assessment 
• personal independence payment - effective form-filling 

For more information about their training and courses, including more specific commissioned training courses, please contact training@swru.org 

Charity Law for Trustees training - 6 May 2026, 10am - 3pm

This practical, full‑day course at Staines Library is designed to help trustees and charity leaders strengthen governance, understand legal responsibilities, and improve financial confidence.

Led by charity law expert Helen Harvie, the session covers:

• Trustee duties & recruitment
• Board roles and effective meetings
• Governing documents & Charity Commission requirements
• Financial health, accounts & reporting
• Serious incident reporting & key legal essentials

Perfect for new or experienced trustees, CEOs and senior leaders who want to keep their charity compliant, confident and well‑run.

Meet the Funder: BBC Children in Need - 19 May 2026, 10am, Online

We will be joined at this Meet the Funder session by Pam Bacon, Impact Officer for the South East at BBC Children in Need, on Tuesday 19^th May at 10am. Pam will give a 40-minute presentation, with time to answer questions afterwards.

This will be followed up by 1-2-1 sessions at the Chertsey office on Thursday 4 June (fully booked) and Thursday 18 June (now booking) when people can book a 20-minute appointment with Pam.  Please email Alison to book a 1-2-1 slot.

About BBC Children in Need 

BBC Children in Need funds vital support for children and young people struggling with challenges caused by mental health, poverty, social inequity and family-related issues.  Our ambition is that every child and young person should have the chance to thrive and be the best they can be.

They support not-for-profit, community-based organisations in their work to help address some of the day-to-day challenges that impact children and young people up to the age of 18 years, living in the UK.

Grants can contribute towards core organisation costs and project costs associated with directly supporting children and young people to experience positive differences in their lives.  Grants of up to £40,000 per year are available for up to 3 years.  They run a rolling programme so there are no published deadline dates. 

Surrey Heath Mental Health Forum – 3 June 2026

Our Surrey Heath Mental Health Forum continues to meet on a quarterly basis.  Our next forum will be Wednesday 3rd June, 10.30am – 12noon at Places Leisure Centre, Camberley.

This event is for groups based in or operating across Surrey Heath with a connection to mental health, whether that’s through tackling isolation, age-related mental health or disability.

Each meeting has one or two speakers, followed by a roundtable session where people can give an update on their service and share anything new for discussion.

If you’re interested in attending, please contact Libby for more details.

Alternatively, you can call Libby at our Camberley office on 01276 402789.

Charity Networking Event - 12 June, Enterprise House Egham

Our next Charity Networking Event will be held this June in Egham - and, for the second year, we are going to open up the event and give the floor up to all of you.

Your organisation will have the option to take a short five‑minute slot to introduce your work, talk about current projects or services, and share opportunities to collaborate. Spaces are limited, and priority will go to groups that did not present at last year’s similar event. Please email Alison if you'd like to book one of these presentation slots.

You’re also very welcome to attend without presenting — simply sign up below:

Digital Fundraising Training - 16 June 2026, 10am - 12.30pm

VSNS Chertsey Office

Join us for our Digital Fundraising training, where we’ll explore how to attract and engage donors through social media. This session will cover:

• Understanding your audience
• Telling your story effectively through digital channels
• Mapping out your donor journey

Whether you’re new to digital fundraising or looking for new ideas and ways to refine your approach, this training will provide practical insights to help you boost digital engagement and donations.

Proving Your Value to Funders - 16 July 2026

VSNS Chertsey Office

Writing a funding bid isn’t just about filling in a form, it’s about turning your funding application into a story that funders want to be a part of.

It’s about making a compelling case for support, one that moves beyond good intentions to clearly show why your work matters. It’s about showing that no one else is already doing it for the community you support, evidencing the need, proving how and why it works, the change it is already making for individuals and in relieving demands on wider local resources, and the reasons it deserves backing for ongoing and increased impact.

Proving Your Value to Funders is a practical, insight-driven course designed to help you transform your funding applications into powerful stories of change.

The course will help you:

• Move beyond telling a funder your project will make a difference and show them how and why it already does with real-world examples
• Present your work as a compelling story of change, addressing the challenges and issues the funder cares about
• Back up your ambition with meaningful facts, figures, lived experience and evidence of the benefits through case studies
• Using data effectively (without overwhelming the reader)
• Connect emotionally while staying professional
• Demonstrate how your work reduces pressure on other services and the community, how it prevents escalation and crisis and illustrates long-term change
• Position your organisation as a credible, investable partner
• Present outcomes clearly, concisely and confidently so they feel confident in you and what you’re telling them!

Who this course is for

• Charity and community organisation leaders
• Social enterprise founders close to launch or those contemplating a community project
• Bid writers and fundraisers
• Anyone responsible for securing funding

Whether you’re new to bid writing or looking to strengthen your success rate, this course will help you present your project and organisation with clarity and credibility.

By the end of the course, we hope that you won’t just be asking for funding, you’ll be inviting funders to invest in meaningful, measurable change.

Social Media Marketing and Remarketing for Community Building - 21 September 2026

Staines Library

This workshop explores how to strategically use social media to attract, engage, and retain audiences through authentic community building. We will look at what is a reasonable expectation from your efforts, what kind of goals to set and how to achieve them. We will also cover the technique of growing an email list from your social media and website, and the fundamentals of remarketing, leveraging repetition and targeted messaging to really engage followers and subscribers  

By the end of the course, you will understand how to integrate social media, email marketing, and remarketing strategies into a cohesive system to nurture relationships and boost their engagement.

Key Topics: 

• Designing social media content that captures your target audience 
• Achieving engagement and building an online community  
• Growing and managing an email list effectively 
• Creating remarketing campaigns that reinforce brand awareness through repetition 
• Nurturing closer connections and longer-term relationships 

Recruiting and Manager Volunteers - 6 October, 10am - 3pm

This workshop is aimed at voluntary organisations who want to improve how they recruit and manage volunteers, and establish good practices to help retain the volunteers that they have.

Areas covered during the workshop are:

• Evaluating and planning the recruitment process
• Advertising and promoting your volunteer opportunities
• What should be included in a volunteer policy/agreement
• Understanding what motivates and de-motivates volunteers
• Methods of recognising and rewarding volunteers.

Training and Networking Events 2026

Charity Law for Trustees - 6 May, 10am - 3pm

Meet the Funder: BBC Children in Need - 19 May, 10am - 11am

Trustees Forum - 27 May, 6pm - 7.15pm

Surrey Heath Mental Health Forum - 3 June, 10.30am - 12noon

Charity Networking Event - 12 June, 10am - 12noon

Digital Fundraising Training - 16 June, 10am - 12.30pm

Proving Your Value to Funders - 16 July, 10am - 12noon

Charity Networking Event - 18 September, 10am - 12noon

Social Media Marketing and Remarketing for Community Building - 21 September, 9.30am - 12.30pm

Recruiting and Manager Volunteers - 6 October, 10am - 3pm