Our Wellbeing Get Together for March was a trip to Surrey Sports Park in Guildford to join the Dolphins swimming group. 7 Coalition and IMHN members and Coalition staff met at the Sports Park with 4 people choosing to swim. Ian investigated the accessibility for his needs and was happy to confirm that he will […]
The Access to Food scheme closed at the end of March 2025. Since April 2024, the Coalition – in partnership with Good Company and funded by Surrey County Council – ran the Access to Food scheme. The scheme funded a taxi ride to Disabled applicants nearest food bank, or in exceptional circumstances, a supermarket voucher. […]
Some of our Coalition members, Yasmin, our Involvement Lead and Nikki, our CEO, were invited to a service to commemorate eighty years since nine airmen lost their lives in a bomber crash in Reigate, Surrey. An American Air Force B-17G flying fortress bomber crashed during bad weather in Reigate while returning from a mission over […]
Our latest Wellbeing Get Together was a visit to The Watts gallery in Compton for a tour of the exhibition “Flower Fairies, the magical world of Cicley Mary Barker” as well as the main gallery. George Frederic Watts OM was one of the most successful British artists of the 19th century. He painted portraits, landscapes, […]
It’s been over two years since we started working with Treloar’s and we wanted to fill you in on the latest updates. As mentioned in our previous blogs we work with Treloar’s on internships with their students, and we’re delighted to have Is currently with us on the Communications Team at The Coalition. Is started […]
Katy has recently been attending Wobble classes as an Active Buddy for J a Coalition member. What are Wobble classes!? They are seated exercise classes to music that are aimed at people who are not able to stand for the duration of a 45-minute class. They are a great low impact way of improving strength, […]
For our first Get Together of 2025 we paired up with the Independent Mental Health Network for a wellbeing event. A group of 6 members along with Coalition staff and Active Buddies attended an accessible multi-sport activity at the YMCA Sports and Community Centre in Redhill. When we arrived the sports hall was set up […]
Trustee Role (Voluntary Role) – Closing date Friday 17th January 2025 Are you good at sticking to New Year’s resolutions? Or are we the only ones that can’t remember our resolution from last year! Do you want to make a real difference, not just for the first few weeks of January but for the future! […]
Huge congratulations to Coalition member Ted who achieved the milestone of 100 volunteering sessions at parkrun! Ted started volunteering with parkrun in April 2022 and in the last two and a half years has become a key member of the Reigate parkrun and junior parkrun event teams. All the more impressively, Ted braved Storm Darragh […]
Information about Occupational Therapy Surrey CIC – www.occupationaltherapysurrey.co.uk We are a not-for-profit organisation driven by a powerful social mission: to make occupational therapy accessible to all. What sets us apart is our commitment to employing individuals with lived experience, merging their personal insights with professional expertise to deliver holistic and effective solutions. The concept of […]
Sunday 1st December was, like so many other days recently, cloudy and chilly with a discouraging mizzle (definition: rain made of very many small drops). Coalition members were not to be deterred though, and we put on our waterproofs and extra layers and set off for Dorney Lake for this year’s edition of the Winter […]
Our Involvement Team have created a list of free Christmas events and lunches across Surrey over December. PDF version: Word version:
Following extensive engagement and consultation regarding changes to a section of London Road in Guildford, Cabinet Members at Surrey County Council have decided not to proceed with a major part of the scheme. Residents and people who travel through the area were invited to give their views on a proposed new cycling and walking route […]
Despite Disabled people being substantially over-represented amongst people using food banks, there is little research into the accessibility of food banks. In May 2024, The Coalition contacted all Surrey’s providers of food banks with an accessibility checklist. 17 out of 39 (43%) food bank providers responded. The Coalition found: The Access to Food scheme provides funding […]
Our three At Home Winter Wonders have been busy with their mission! The At Home Winter Wonderwheels event is for those that cannot be at the in-person event. The challenge invites Disabled people from all over the world to take part in a virtual trip around the world; skiing in Norway, throwing snowballs in Japan […]
It’s Purple Tuesday, a day to raise awareness about the importance of businesses improving customer experience and accessibility for Disabled people. Did you know: Source: Hello can I help you and Purple Tuesday We have created a video about how you can make your store or business environment accessible for Disabled people. Coalition members have […]
In August 2024, The Coalition took part in Surrey Hills Society’s Growing Together session in Knowle Park, Cranleigh. Coalition members and staff got involved by identifying and responsibly picking wildflowers to make clay and flower pressings, and solar prints. Growing together is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, […]
We recently held our latest Wellbeing Event at Boxhill Village Hall, Surrey on Thursday 19th September. We had 6 members attend which included our IMHN Chair David Muir and Vice Chair Jacob Adams as well as Immy Markwick and IMHN Coordinator Guy Hill. It was an opportunity to catch up and have a chat over […]
Happy World Mental Health Day! Here at The Coalition we offer a range of different services including: Tech Angels, Get More Active Get Together sessions and The Independent Mental Health Network. We understand how important it is for Disabled people to get out and about in their community to improve their mental health and wellbeing. […]
For World Mental Health Day Jacob Adams tells us about what drew him to become Vice-Chair of the IMHN and more about his role. Where did you hear about the IMHN and how did you get involved? The IMHN was one of several groups I joined when I took a career break due to my […]
The Coalition and Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey are launching a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of including an SMS contact detail and hearing loop at establishments. One in three adults in the UK are Deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.* In Surrey there’s an estimated 66,000 people who are digitally excluded […]
When asked what I do, I always hesitate, not sure how to describe what I do to someone who doesn’t understand the voluntary sector world. I’m not certain that anyone is any wiser once I’ve finished ‘explaining’, which is a little worrying because I have worked for The Coalition for 8 years! The difficulty is, putting […]
Jane is a visually impaired member and trustee of The Coalition. Below, she shares her experiences of mystery shopping with Research Institute for Disabled Consumers in Guildford. “I was asked to look at the accessibility of Guildford train station and how it can be improved. I took the 9.21AM train from Horley and arrived very […]
Disabled people, those living with long term health conditions or those travelling with luggage, children or bicycles can now benefit from step-free access at Walton-on-Thames station after Network Rail completed accessibility upgrades. This £6m programme of work began in September 2022 and has included a range of improvements including a new bridge, lifts and staircases, […]
The Coalition were back at Dorney Lake on the 17th of August for another Superhero Tri. This year we had a few diary clashes and, sadly, some last-minute illnesses, so on the day we had two teams of staff and Coalition members taking part. It was another brilliant day – team members Graham, Steve and […]
Last weeks’ Glee Club theme was ‘Home is where the heart is’. Song picks were about houses, streets and towns. We played the following songs: Glee Club takes place online, on Zoom every Tuesday 4:00pm – 5:00pm. Each week we have a theme for the session, some members choose to perform their songs, whilst others […]
We reached out to Coalition members to ask for their feedback and experience on the accessibility at their local polling station and postal voting for the Local Elections in May and the General Election in July. This was because we have heard from some of our members that there’s been problems with accessibility at polling […]
Surrey County Council would like your help to monitor our Supported Living and Community Connection mental health services. Surrey County Council meet regularly with the different service providers that we commission to deliver mental health services in the community. These meetings are to follow up on how providers are achieving the outcomes of the service […]
Coalition members have been back to Papercourt Sailing Club for our latest Get More Active Get Together! This is always a popular activity with a well-organised and accessible sailing group. As always, we spend the week before looking closely at the weather and hoping for wind so that the sail boats will get out on […]
On Thursday 23rd May Surrey Coalition members returned to Alice Holt Forest for another Get More Active Get Together Inclusive Cycling Session. Inclusive cycling at Alice Holt has gone from strength to strength since the charity was set up in 2019. They have an amazing team of volunteers, a good selection of adapted cycles suitable […]
Ever heard of forest bathing? If it’s conjuring up thoughts of bathing suits, then think again! Our Coalition members and Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) members were invited to take part in a forest bathing taster session at the very beautiful Newlands Corner. This was arranged as part of the growing together project we are […]
We’re celebrating one of our wonderful members volunteering for the Police Independent Advisory Group for 15 years!! A massive thank you to you Jonathan. Jonathan tells his story about how he got involved below. It’s a great read of how Jonathan got involved, how volunteering has helped others and maybe a couple of stories that’ll […]
As you know we’re working with the lovely staff at the Surrey Wildlife Trust on the Nextdoor Nature project. The project aims to increase wildlife friendly areas in our community and workplaces. A group of Coalition members, local residents and other charities that work from Astolat (where the Coalition main office is situated) got together […]
In May 2024, Alex visited the Trussell Trust’s food bank in Farnham. Alex works on the Access to Food scheme, and visiting places which provide different types of food support in Surrey to better understand food insecurity and its links to disability. Farnham Foodbank operates out of The Vineyard Centre on Fridays and Bethel Baptist […]
It’s Volunteers’ Week and we’re sharing our recent chat with one of our longest-serving volunteers to hear about their experiences with Tech Angels. Meet Phil, who has been lending his tech expertise for nearly four years and stumbled upon us through an online advert. Q: What attracted you to volunteering with us? Phil: I had […]
The smiling legend, Angie Taylor, is leaving The Coalition at the end of May. We held a little staff lunch to say a HUGE thank you for all of Angie’s’ hard work and dedication to The Coalition. Angie has been involved with Access All Areas visits, making sure that venues and the countryside are accessible […]
We’re working with the lovely staff at the Surrey Wildlife Trust on the Nextdoor Nature project. The project aims to increase wildlife friendly areas in our community and workplaces. We’re lucky enough that The Coalition offices that we share with many other charities and voluntary organisations in Surrey have been selected as one of the […]
Katy, our Physical Activity Navigator, looks at the benefits of moving more for our mental health and gives some tips on how to get started with physical activity. The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness week is Moments for Movement. Why? Because we know that being physically active is great for our mental health, […]
The cost-of-living crisis is defined as “a term … to describe the effects of the rising cost of food and energy”, and Food Insecurity as “the limited or uncertain access to nutritious food”. Last Year, the Coalition reported that 97% of members surveyed had been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, 45% told us that they had […]
On Tuesday 16 April, Caroline, Heather and Alex from the Tech Angels team attended a digitalising social care event run by Surrey Heartlands, Surrey County Council and Surrey Care Association. This was an all-day event at Dorking Halls, with presentations and activities on the importance of digital services, AI and robotics in social care. In the […]
In February 2024, Alex, our Community Champion Co-ordinator & Technology Trainer presented at Inside Government’s training course on Enhancing Digital Skills and Inclusion. Inside Government provides the public sector policy-based and best practice-led training courses. Chaired by Professor Khawar Hameed from Digital Advantage, Alex shared how Tech Angels has reduced disabled people’s digital exclusion and feeling of loneliness. […]
At our last AGM in September 2023, we successfully obtained a majority of votes to become a charity. Behind the scenes we have been busy working and coordinating this change, and we’re delighted to announce that we are now officially a charity! Becoming a charity enables us to grow further and access more funding opportunities. […]
The Community Mental Health Transformation Programme asked Surrey Coalition of Disabled People to employ three staff members with mental health lived experience to help them develop community-based mental health support in Surrey and North East Hampshire. Project in numbers What did the project focus on? Who did it focus on? The adult population (aged 18 […]
In March 2024, Coalition members Jonathan and Jean took part in a research project at UCL PEARL in Dagenham East. They were assisted by Yasmin and Alex. The research project is in partnership with Guide Dogs, and studies the impact of design trends that are on the increase within the built environment on people with […]
Ben, one of our Treloar’s students joined us in supporting the National Federation of the Blind UK to hand in our petition to Downing street. Here’s what he had to say: “On Tuesday 20th of February, I went to London to deliver a petition against Floating bus stops with Nikki from Surrey Coalition. It was a […]