Grants make a huge difference to local communities  | News Centre

East Surrey Prevention & Communities Board – comprising all of the East Surrey Place partners - has been funding local VCS organisations whose work has a significant impact on health creation. Bloomin’ Arts and The Brigitte Trust are two of the funded organisations and they have used these grants to make a huge difference to local communities. 

The Brigitte Trust supports people at the end of their life in their own homes. A grant of £8,000 has helped them to support 64 clients living with a life-threatening diagnosis to benefit from their home visiting service, where a highly trained volunteer visits once a week to provide emotional support and practical help at home. In addition, a further 41 residents from East Surrey have attended bereavement support groups.

Volunteers support the whole family. In the case of Ted, a client who has just passed away and lived in Tandridge, the volunteer also supported his wife Shelia, who was not coping well with her husband’s prognosis. The volunteer was asked by the couple to help them arrange to renew their wedding vows, and she was also the photographer for the day. The Trust also helped Shelia with the funeral when the time came.

Meanwhile, Bloomin’ Arts is a centre where people with learning and multiple disabilities can channel their brilliance and enthusiasm and enjoy, develop skills, perform and work in the arts. The Creating Health Communities grant of £3,000 has helped them deliver inclusive dance workshops in local schools.

In November the Dance Company went to Felbridge Primary School where they performed their showcase to students and staff, followed by time at the end to chat with pupils. They also went to St Piers School, Young Epilepsy, where they performed their showcase to staff and students, followed by delivering some workshops.

“George normally sleeps a lot; I have never seen him so engaged and joining in with it all,” said a senior staff member at St Piers.