Welcome to the weekly update.  This update includes:

1.  Coalition Update

2.  Social/Peer Support coming up

3.  Dance for People Living with Parkinson’s

4.  All Age Autism Strategy

5.  Invitation to NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group AGM

6. Share your experiences of using the Disability Rights UK (DRUK) Website

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1.  Coalition Update

Talent Corner – One of our members has written a fantastic poem which can be found here.  If you have something you would like to share with members i.e a poem, drawing, photograph etc please send it to us along with your permission to share on our website for others to enjoy.

Join the Independent Mental Health Network for their next Lunch + Learn session – Immy and Guy hope you can join them on Wednesday 29^th of September from 12 noon for a Lunch + Learn session about Surrey’s new Mental Health Improvement Plan. We will be talking about why Surrey are doing this, what areas changes will be made in and how you can get involved. 

For the joining link, please email imhn@surreycoalition.org.uk, phone 01483 456 558 or text 07563 997 932. 

Welcome to Alex and Jean! – Alex and Jean joined the coalition team this week.  Alex will be working as an Area Coordinator for the Tech to community Connect scheme in Guildford and Waverley and North West Surrey, Jean will be working as a Volunteer Coordinator.   

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2.  Social/Peer Support coming up

Don’t forget our next virtual talk on John Russell, a Georgian Portrait Painter at Work – We are very pleased to announce that during our virtual café on Monday 20^th September we will be given a virtual tour of Guildford Museums latest exhibition on Painter John Russell.  Our host Melanie will talk a bit about John Russell’s life and the paintings on show.  So if you fancy a bit of art and culture on a Monday morning please join us.  As we recently announced, we were thrilled that the community foundation for Surrey have decided to fund our virtual trips for a year, if you have some ideas of where you would like to go then we would love to hear from you. 

National Fitness Day – Read all about how you can get involved in the upcoming National Fitness Day here. If you like, you can also use the attached background to share what fitness means to you – take a photo or a short video clip and share with the Coalition or using #Fitness2Me. You can see what fitness means to Katy in the attached photo! (photo description Katy is smiling and holding a sign which says ‘Fitness means to me…Fun, Friendship, and Freedom!).  Read more about National Fitness Day in the document attached.

Don’t forget Friday’s social get together for the Get More Active peer support group at 2pm. Join here for this week’s topic “What’s on at your local leisure centre.

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3. Dance for People Living with Parkinson’s

Please find attached details of a free weekly dance class for people living with Parkinsons Disease. This fun upbeat class led by a qualified dance practitioner (Kate Finegan of Inclusive Integrated Dance IID) will take place at Godalming United Reform Church, Bridge Street, Godalming every Wednesday from 2 – 3pm followed by tea and biscuits. The first class commences on 22 September and will run until 1 December 2021.

No previous dance experience is necessary, and partners and carers are welcome to join in.  For more information and to register email Kate at iidconsortium@gmail.com

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4. All Age Autism Strategy

Please see below the All Age Autism Strategy along with a copy of the briefing document for your information.

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5. Invitation to NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group AGM

Please see the attached letter from Dr Charlotte Canniff, Clinical Chair of Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Group, inviting you to join Surrey Heartlands CCG for their Annual General Meeting on 27^th September 2021.  Please see the attached document for more details.

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6. Share your experiences of using the Disability Rights UK (DRUK) Website

DRUK are delighted to let you know that they have started work to develop a new website, launching in 2022!

DRUK are now conducting research about how you use the current website and what you would like to see change or stay the same.

Please complete this survey so they can make the changes you want to see. It’s crucial they hear from you, their audience and make the improvements you want.

Welcome to the weekly update.  This update includes:

1.  Coalition Update

2.  Social/Peer Support coming up

3.  Tech Workshops

4.  ASC 2021/2022 budget co-production – call for participants

5. Updated Surrey County Council Accessibility Guidance

6. Centre for Psychology Groups

7. Deafblind Convention 2021

8. Spelthorne Committee for Access Now (SCAN) Newsletter

9. Surrey Faith Links Newsletter

10. Volunteer In Your Local Neighbourhood Team

11. Surrey Heath Borough Installation Update

12. Spelthorne Installation Update

13. Fraud Newsletter

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1.  Coalition Update

Surrey Coalition AGM – Our AGM will take place on Wednesday 20^th October on Zoom.  We will send more details out soon to all members.  We can’t wait until next year, when we can finally (hopefully) all get together again for a bigger event. 

Wheelchair Service Feedback – It’s just over a year since the new Surrey Wheelchair service started and our Board members would like to hear any feedback you have on how the service is going.  Please contact Yasmin to give your feedback on this.

Bus Service Improvement Plan – Surrey County Council are in the process of working with partner organisations and Surrey residents, to create a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).  This is in response to the National Bus Strategy for England, announced by Government this year.  A successful BSIP to the Department for Transport will mean getting a share of the £3bn of funding available for a vast range of actions and improvements focused on increasing bus use.  We have been in contact with the team, to suggest how they could best engage with people with lived experience and Carers, and to co-produce the BSIP.  In the meantime, the team leading the BSIP have asked us to consider the below questions. 

 Questions to consider: 

• Accessibility can mean a lot of different things. We want to know your thoughts on accessibility? For example, at bus stops and stations where shared spaces and bus stops can create obstacles and conflicts with other people? On bus accessible features and access to information about travelling?
• Of those barriers to accessibility, are there other places in the country or in other countries that deal with these better that we can learn from?
• The core purpose of the BSIP funding is to grow and sustain bus use. With that in mind what priority or priorities would you like to see?

If you would like your comments or suggestions included within our response, please share these here by 20^th September: bus service improvement plan questions       

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2.  Social/Peer Support coming up

John Russell, a Georgian Portrait Painter at Work – We are very please to announce that during our virtual café on Monday 20^th September we will be given a virtual tour of Guildford Museums latest exhibition on Painter John Russell.  Our host Melanie will talk a bit about John Russell’s life and the paintings on show.  So if you fancy a bit of art and culture on a Monday morning please join us.

Get More Active Update – Whenever September arrives, I feel a renewal almost like the new year – maybe it’s just the peacefulness of the house when the kids have returned to school! I often feel inspired to make new plans or try new things especially when it comes to activity. Join us on Friday at 2pm where we can share our plans for the autumn and discuss our first September topic. Topics for the rest of the month are:

Friday 10^th – Wellbeing Walks – there are many accessible guided walks around Surrey with new routes added this autumn.

Friday 17^th – What’s on you at your local Leisure Centre – classes and clubs

Friday 23^rd – Adding activity to your day – being more active doesn’t have to mean going to an organised session. How about a kitchen disco to get you moving?

Friday 30^th – Dance – we will be looking at Para dance’s Tour of the Floor series.

See you on Friday! Katy

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3.  Tech Workshop coming up

We will be focusing on WiFi and connection issues.  Join us for help with the following:

• Improving your WiFi
• Extenders and MESH WiFi
• Things to consider when using public WiFi
• Using BT WiFi

Our Tech Angel volunteers can provide 1:1 help in your own home, but if you would like some general advice and conversation about WiFi in your home then please drop in to our virtual Café on Monday 13^th September for support.  If you know anyone who is not online, who could benefit, please do encourage them to join by phone or by SMS text relay. 

If you have any questions please email Pete.dommett@surreycoalition.org.uk

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4. ASC 2021/2022 budget co-production – call for participants

Surrey County Council are starting work on co-producing their plans for next years’ budget.  They have asked an external agency (‘Lake’) to support some focus groups (phase 1) and to undertake some targeted survey work (phase 2). 

For the focus groups, they are recruiting (around) 30 people who make use of ASC services and Carers of people who use ASC services to be involved.  The agency will be giving each participant a voucher to thank them for their involvement.

The potential dates of the two focus groups are 18^th September 10am – 12pm and 21^st September 6pm – 8pm and they will be held on zoom with a freephone dial in option.

If you use Adult Social Care Services or care for someone who does and you would like to be involved please contact me (Yasmin).  Please let me know which of the two focus groups you would like to attend.

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5. Updated Surrey County Council Accessibility Guidance

Surrey County Council’s Accessibility Guidance has been updated with lots of useful tips and best practice to help staff. It has been developed with support from Surrey Coalition of Disabled People and Sight for Surrey.

The Accessibility Guidance outlines their approach to accessibility, including making communication and the information they provide, accessible to all.This means making ‘reasonable adjustments’ where necessary to ensure differing needs are met, ensuring everyone has equal access to services and making information available in different formats, so that people are not prevented from accessing services because they cannot find out about them, or respond.

The guidance also outlines Adult Social Care’s responsibilities relating to the Accessible Information Standard.

The document has been attached for your information. 

Please note that as the document is aimed at Surrey County Council staff, several of the links embedded in the document will not be accessible to those outside of the organisation.

For any further information, please contact the Adult Social Care Information and Engagement Team:

Email: asc.engagement@surreycc.gov.uk

SMS/Text: 0781 6077122

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6. Centre for Psychology Groups

The Centre for Psychology have a number of different groups coming up in the next few months. These would all be run online (via Zoom). The groups coming up are:

CBT For Sleep Difficulties
Improving Self Esteem
Mindfulness
Coping with Diabetes
Pain Management

Please see the attached poster with more information, including how those interested can refer to this service (clients are required to refer and complete an assessment to ensure their suitability for the group).

The Centre for Psychology are still providing one-to-one treatment and their new website has been launched (www.centreforpsychology.co.uk) where anyone who is interested in receiving support from this service can directly self-refer by completing an online form.

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7. Deafblind Convention 2021

Deafblind UK will host the UK’s first virtual Deafblind Convention on 7^th October. The event will comprise several well know international and UK based speakers who will all focus on the theme of ‘Living better with sight and hearing loss’. Use this link for more information and to book a place. https://deafblind.org.uk/events/deafblind-convention-2021/

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8. Spelthorne Committee for Access Now (SCAN) Newsletter

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9. Surrey Faith Links Newsletter

Please the latest Surrey Faith Links Newsletter above.  You can also access the newsletter using this link. SFL-Newsletter-AUGUST-2021.pdf (surreyfaithlinks.org.uk)

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10. Volunteer In Your Local Neighbourhood Team

Are you interested in learning more about local policing and developing new skills?

Surrey Police are currently recruiting volunteers based in their local neighbourhood teams. There are opportunities available as Safer Neighbourhood Volunteers and Vehicle Maintenance Volunteers, and through both roles you’ll be supporting frontline officers and staff, helping Surrey be safe and feel safe.

Safer Neighbourhood Volunteers help keep local communities informed of policing activity through positive and regular engagement. You’ll build strong relationships with your communities by providing reassurance and reducing the fear of crime.

Vehicle Maintenance Volunteers will help ensure vehicles are maintained, equipped and presented to a professional standard. You’ll conduct basic maintenance checks and update equipment inventories, highlighting any issues to your supervisor.

If you’d like more information, or are interested in applying, please follow the job vacancy links below. Applications close on Sunday, 12 September.

Vehicle Maintenance Volunteer: https://www.lumesse-engage.com/policejobssurreyandsussex/jobs/vehicle-maintenance-volunteer-safer-neighbourhood-teams-all-boroughs–sysx-vol00113

Safer Neighbourhood Volunteer: https://www.lumesse-engage.com/policejobssurreyandsussex/jobs/safer-neighbourhood-volunteer-elmbridge-runnymede-epsom-ewell-tandridge-and-mole-valley-sysx-vol00114-2#

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11. Surrey Heath Borough Installation Update

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12. Spelthorne Installation Update

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13. Fraud Newsletter