Wednesday 3 February 2016. CSH Surrey has today launched its 'Big Walk' fundraising campaign, which aims to raise more than £10,000 for three local grassroots projects as part of its social enterprise commitment to actively support the wider communities in which it works.
The three charities were chosen by CSH Surrey's co-owners: half of all the money raised will go to Epsom-based Love Me Love My Mind, which aims to promote better understanding of mental health and to support the wellbeing of everyone in the community. The remaining money will be split between SCAMPPS, which supports children with complex and special needs living across Surrey, and the Leatherhead Youth Project, which offers innovative youth services in Leatherhead and across Mole Valley to help young people to be safe, happy and make positive changes in their lives.
More than 80 co-owners have signed up to do or help organise the 15 mile walk on Sunday 20th March. They will walk between four of CSH Surrey's hospitals and clinics, starting at Leatherhead Hospital then walking to Tattenham Health Centre, Bourne Hall and the New Epsom & Ewell Community Hospital before returning to Leatherhead where a finishers' tea will be provided. The walk has been organised by Sam Scarrott, who chairs CSH Surrey's Community Fund.
More about the charities we want to support
Love Me Love My Mind is a small charity, but it's growing. It was set up around 7 years ago by the Reverend Sue Bull from St Barnabas Church in Epsom and provides weekly events such as drop-ins and outreach work. It also organises the annual Epsom Mental Health Week every October. The charity survives on a wing and a prayer, without much financial support. If we reach our £10,000 target, Love Me Love My Mind will receive £5,000, which is around half of its annual running costs! The charity would use the money to do more work with local schools to address the mental health needs in children and families, to further raise the profile of Epsom Mental Health Week, and to repeat its successful play about Dementia at Epsom Playhouse. The charity's services are used by a lot of people, including mums with depression, older clients with long-term mental health problems, people with disabilities (some of whom are also parents) and people with dementia.
Children’s charity SCAMPPS (Striving for Children’s Additional Medical, Physical and Personal Support) was set up in 2004 by parents of children with complex special needs in Surrey. They raise funds to purchase equipment for individual children (that can’t be funded via the NHS) and also provide a network of support and advice by organising events and being a point of contact for parents and families to share stories and experiences. Annmarie Sherwin, Vice Chair at SCAMPPS, says the money raised by CSH Surrey would go towards supporting individual children and families as they receive many applications for items that parents can’t get via the NHS, such as support cushions and special chairs to enable their children to spend time outside with their families. They also want to re-design their website to be able to reach out to more families and fundraise more effectively.
Leatherhead Youth Project is based in All Saint Church, Kingston Road, Leatherhead. As well as providing a drop-in centre and mentoring for youngsters, they also have a Social Enterprise coffee shop that employs young people and helps them get into work. They receive funding from local churches for core activities, but need to raise another £35-40k per year for extra projects. The money raised through CSH Surrey's 'Big Walk' will either help to fund a residential annual camp for 50 young people or go towards an annual trip to Romania for a smaller group of 16-19 year olds. Charity Manager, Joe X, will be asking the young people to part in the walk as it encourages them take some responsibility for raising money towards their own places on the residential camps. He also said some of their volunteers hope to be able to help out on the day of the Big Walk.
To support our fundraising effort and make a real difference to these 3 local charities
Visit our Just Giving page - https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/bigwalk. Whatever you can pledge, however small, will add up to making a real difference. Thank you.