Thank you to Arora Charitable Foundation

We are delighted that our Spelthorne Time to Talk befriending service has received a £5000 grant from the Arora Charitable Foundation's Small Grants Programme.

The grant will support the delivery of our befriending service, helping to reach lonely and isolated people in the Spelthorne area.

We are very grateful to the Arora Foundation for their generous support.

The Arora Charitable Foundation is a relatively new funder. Their Small Grants Programme offers grants of up to £5,000 to charities, CICs and community groups based within five miles of one of an Arora hotel, including London Heathrow and Englefield Green, making it particularly relevant for organisations in Spelthorne and Runnymede.

The next round of the Small Grants Programme opens on 1 September 2026 and closes on 9 October 2026. 

Greg Martin, Energy Assessor at Zero Carbon Guildford has spent more than 20 years working in energy, sustainability and building performance, and now supports local charities and community organisations with practical energy advice. A Surrey local and family man, he is passionate about doing his bit for the community and helping leave a better, more sustainable place for the next generation.

Greg will talk about the actions charities can take to tackle environmental challenges, with practical solutions that make a real difference.

Katie Davey is Community and Partnerships Manager at Action for Carers.

Katie's team work with partners across Surrey to reach and better support unpaid carers wherever they are.

Katie will talk about how charities can best support carers and the support that Action for Carers gives.

Wendy McGeachy is Voluntary Support North Surrey's new Funding and Resilience Manager.

With a career in the voluntary sector spanning 30 years Wendy previously supported organisations In London and Kent.  She has experience in fundraising as an applicant and has supported other organisations to apply for funding. She has also been a grants assessor, primarily for European funding, but has also been part of a grants panel for a housing association and a community foundation.

Wendy will be talking about how she can help groups with fundraising.

Social Media Marketing and Remarketing for Community Building

This workshop explores how to strategically use social media to attract, engage, and retain audiences through authentic community building. We will look at what goals to set and how to achieve them, nurturing relationships and boosting engagement through:  

• Social media content that captures your target audience 
• Achieving engagement and building an online community  
• Growing an email list effectively 
• Creating remarketing campaigns that reinforce brand awareness

Recruiting and Managing Volunteers

Do you want to improve how your group recruits and manages volunteers? This session will help you establish good practices to help retain the volunteers that you have, through:

• 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
• Ways to recognise and reward volunteers.

Dementia awareness course

Monday 5 October, 10am - 4.15pm, St Peter’s Church, Frimley

Led by dementia care specialist Dr Gemma MM Jones, this course is for families, carers and professionals who want to deepen their understanding of dementia, covering early signs and symptoms, challenging common myths and recognising changes in behaviour. The cost is £26 pp, which includes a small donation to Alzheimer's UK. Participants will receive a course book and Certificate of Attendance.

To express your interest, email Jenny Thornton or Camberley Heights. 

Free CPR and Defibrillator Awareness Sessions

Restart a Heart Day is on 16 October 2026. To mark it, South East Coast Ambulance Service are offering free CPR and defibrillator awareness sessions for community groups, clubs and organisations. Sessions are suitable for all abilities, require no previous experience, and can be tailored to your group. Participants will have the opportunity to:

• Recognise the signs of a cardiac arrest.
• Learn how to call for help effectively.
• Practise hands-only CPR.
• Gain confidence using a public access defibrillator (AED).

The second Spelthorne Mental Health Forum will be on Tuesday 15 September at Stanwell Events from 10am.

This is an opportunity to network and find out more about the services delivered locally to support residents in the local community with their mental health. 

Please contact catherine@voluntarysupport.org.uk  for more information.

Date / Time: 15 September, 10am – 12pm

Venue: Stanwell Events

Our Runnymede and Spelthorne Older People’s Forum attracts professionals from both statutory and voluntary services and has proved a valuable way for people to connect and share information.

Anyone who works for an organisation with a connection to older people (there’s no defined aged, but approximately 55+) is welcome, whether their focus is tackling isolation, age-related physical or mental health or another service. Contact jo@voluntarysupport.org.uk to join.

Date / Time: 17 September, 11am – 12.30pm

Venue: VSNS Chertsey Office

Our Surrey Heath Mental Health Forum 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.

Please contact  alison@voluntarysupport.org.uk for more details.

Date / Time: 23 September, 10.30am – 12pm

Venue: Places Leisure Centre, Camberley

New Guide Supporting Organisations to Talk About Climate Action

Julies Bicycle is a voluntary organiastion that works with the creative sector to find and scale cultural solutions to climate, and embed action and equity. 

Their new 'Communicating Your Climate Action' guide offers practical tips and inspiration for cultural organisations and creatives to share their climate stories, but is just as relevant to organisations outside of the cultural sector.

Important Change to DBS Requirements for Volunteers Working with Children

From 1 September, volunteers working with children under the supervision of a paid member of staff will now need an enhanced DBS check. Any volunteer who teaches, trains, instructs, cares for or supervises children on more than three days in a 30-day period, or on an overnight basis, will need an enhanced DBS check, regardless of whether they are supervised. Occasional volunteers, such as parents helping at a one-off PTA event or a school day trip, are not affected.

Engaging Communities in Health Guide Published

NPC has published a new guide which brings together insights from people working across the health, research, and voluntary sectors. The guide aims to share learning in a clear and practical manner and will be a useful resource for organisations working in community engagement.

Free Gambling Harms Training - Expression of Interest

Runnymede Borough Council and Surrey County Council Public Health are expanding an initiative to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm in Runnymede. VCSE organisations supporting individuals and families affected are invited to a launch event  which will include FREE training on gambling-related harm, a workshop session, and an opportunity to help shape a community-wide approach. Gambling harm is often a hidden issue affecting not just individuals but their families and wider networks. If your organisation would like to be involved, please register your interest using the link below.