Community Cash Fund!
We would like to thank everyone who applied for the Community Cash Fund this year. We had a huge number of applications and lots of great projects to choose from. If you weren’t successful this year you can always apply again next year. Here is an overview of the winning projects:
The Fountain Centre – A charity for cancer patients
The project : Currently located in the St Luke’s cancer unit at the Royal Surrey
County Hospital, Guildford, offering advice, counselling and a huge range of
complimentary therapies to cancer patients, their families and Carers, the Fountain Centre are adding a second location and need help with furnishing and supplies.
The Hope Hub – Working to prevent homelessness
The project : Offering hope to homeless people and those on a very low income,
The Hope Hub is working to prevent homelessness in Surrey Heath and the
surrounding areas. Starting a new project initiative offering courses and
coping strategies, funding is needed to create course materials and improve IT support.
40 Degreez – Youth and Community Centre
The project : The centre provides a venue for all young people in the Farnham
area (currently 5000 in the age range of 10-25 years old) to meet in a safe and informal environment, supporting a variety of leisure, social and advisory activities. Funding will enable 10 young people to receive early intervention help via a referral from school / social services.
The Patchworking Garden Project – Positive change through
the benefits of friendship and gardening
The project : Operating in the stunning natural environment of a walled garden 
on the northern edge of Dorking with views to Box Hill and run entirely by volunteers, The Patchworking Garden Project offers gardening, crafting and the opportunity to learn new skills in a safe and friendly space, especially welcoming those with a need because of physical or mental health conditions, learning disabilities, dementia, isolation or bereavement. The organisation helps to support those who are struggling to get back into work by giving them skills to gain a qualification in horticulture and helping them to find employment in this sector.
Dramatize – Theatrical workshops for adults with learning disabilities
The project : Providing a range of theatrical workshops to help further the
personal development of each student, Dramatize aims to provide the opportunity for theatre to be accessible to all. Each scheme is aimed at all ages providing the care needed for those with disabilities, both physical and mental. Dramatize are setting up a disco night for those with learning disabilities to give them help building a social life and provide respite to their carers.
Liaise Women’s Centre –
Providing a safe and supportive environment for women
The project : Welcoming all women who live and work in Woking, Liaise provides a safe and supportive environment for women to network, learn new skills or to get advice and information on a range of issues. They also provide workshops for vulnerable women including those who are socially isolated, refugees or immigrants.
Memory Lane Café – Drop-in group for people at early stages of memory or cognitive difficulties
The project : Based in Cranleigh, Memory Lane Café provides refreshments, friendship, chat and activities for people at early stages of memory or cognitive difficulties. They would also like to start a carers café offering respite to carers.
Caterham Children’s Centre – Facilitating family services
The project : Working with vulnerable families and children on the edge of the safeguarding threshold. They plan to run 8 keep in touch sessions over the long summer holiday period.
Leatherhead Diabetes Walk and Talk – Raising awareness of diabetes and aiding prevention
The project : A walk and talk group to raise awareness of diabetes and aid prevention. The funding will help to pay for blood pressure monitoring machines and health professions to accompany walks.
Background
Since 2015, Healthwatch Surrey has held an annual Community Cash Fund: a small grants scheme that enables groups and individuals to apply for up to £1,500 of funding to deliver projects that enhance and promote health and wellbeing within local communities.
“This is a great opportunity for small community groups and individuals to get funding for projects that will help local people and promote health and wellbeing. We are keen to hear from anyone who has an idea for a project, no idea is too small…” Sarah Browne, Engagement Officer.
See our 2017/2018 Community Cash Fund Winners!
We would like to thank everyone who applied to the Community Cash Fund last year. Here is an overview of the winning projects.
The East to West Trust – Relational Support Work Groups
The project : Running 10 groups across 7 schools in Surrey supporting young people who were showing signs of low self-esteem, the funding allowed East to West deliver interventions for 60 of the most vulnerable students. The team was school based 3 days a week so that they get to know students coming from a diverse mix of socio-economic backgrounds as well as including SEN student, young carers, those from a Gypsy Roma Traveller background and those for whom English is an additional language.
Ash Parish Dementia Action Alliance – The Creativity Box 
The project : Ash Dementia Action Alliance raises awareness of dementia and the aim of the group is to make Ash a dementia friendly community. The ‘Creativity Box’ project specifically developed a craft initiative in order that people living with dementia and their carers could enjoy expanding their creative skills using hands, eyes and minds. Doing craft activities in a group setting created an opening for informal conversations about a wide range of topics and the Creativity Box created a scrapbook of artwork and craftwork with quotes about how living with dementia has impacted their lives.
Friends of Bushy Hill Junior School – Bushy Hill Family Recipe Book 
The project : Children and their families at Bushy Hill school created a healthy eating recipe book to include recipes with the vegetables available on the school allotment. The recipe book content was owned by the children and families with added information and advice about healthy lifestyles and included signposting to a range of local health services. Each book also contained a survey and links to an anonymous online version. This was an intergenerational project with old and young contributing.
Oxted Young Persons Theatre – Inclusive Theatre For The Community 
The project : Oxted Young Persons Theatre runs weekly workshops for people over the age of 65, exploring areas of drama, music, storytelling, socialisation, writing for theatre stage, poetry, stage makeup and will work towards a performance. The weekly classes help people engage with like minded people, learn new skills and refresh skills which may have been forgotten.
Dyscover – Aphasia Ambassadors Group – Health Phase
The project : Aphasia Ambassadors are a peer lead group whose objective has been to raise awareness about aphasia within the local community. However, having contributed to the Healthwatch Surrey report on GP services, the findings of the report clearly advise that surgeries need to provide better support to patients who may have
difficulties with communication. The Aphasia Ambassadors group targeted a number of health settings within the local community to present to the staff and care teams their personal experiences of aphasia, the impact upon them and provide information on what strategies can help people to communicate effectively.
See our Community Cash Fund Winners 2016/17
You can find out more about our 2016/17 winning projects in this downloadable booklet: Community Cash Fund completed projects 2016- 2017 booklet.