As the weather gets colder, cost of living challenges can really impact on people’s day to day life. Decisions on whether to turn the heating on or spend the money on food are being taken by more people than ever before. The good news is that there is support out there from Surrey County Council, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and our amazing voluntary sector, but not everyone knows about it.
To increase awareness, Surrey County Council has pulled together a Directory of Essential Services which has been delivered to every household in Surrey. If you haven’t received it (or have misplaced it) just drop me an email and I’ll get one over to you. It’s a really useful leaflet that includes details of all types of help and support available to residents from financial advice to food banks. Much of the information can also be accessed here.
Health and welfare support - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)
By way of overview, the main areas of help/support available are as follows:
Surrey Crisis Fund
The Surrey Crisis Fund provides financial help to residents who have nowhere else to turn in an emergency or following a disaster. To find out more, see here. https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/community/surrey-crisis-fund
Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund is also available to those struggling. It aims to directly support vulnerable households with meeting daily needs, such as food, clothing and utilities. https://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/info/20036/benefits/1289/household_support_fund
The Mayor’s Trust Fund
The Mayor’s Trust Fund is a hardship fund offered by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council designed to support residents of Reigate & Banstead who are experiencing particularly grave financial hardship. The fund can be used for one-time costs up to a maximum of £500-750.
Warm Welcome Venues
There are currently 76 Warm Welcome venues across Surrey in a variety of community spaces including community halls, libraries and leisure centres. All you have to do is show up, come inside and warm up!
In Reigate constituency they can be found here:
- Banstead Community Centre (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm)
- Banstead Library (Tues-Sat (9:30am-5pm)
- Holy Trinity Church, Carlton Rd, Redhill (Mon only 10:30am-12pm)
- Reigate Library (Tues-Sat 9:30am-5pm)
- St Marks Food Club (Fri 11am-3pm)
- Woodhatch Community Centre (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm)
Energy Advice Tool
It’s also worth checking out this Energy Advice Tool to see if you’re eligible for any schemes to make your house more energy efficient, along with advice on things like fuel vouchers.
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/health-and-welfare/support/financial-support/energy-bills
Voluntary Sector
There are too many amazing charities for me to name them all, but here’s just a few that I’m particularly familiar with and do fantastic work supporting local residents:
- Citizens Advice
A charity providing confidential advice to residents.
Get help with the cost of living - Citizens Advice
- Stripey Stork
A baby bank providing clothes and other essentials to families in need.
https://stripeystork.org.uk/cost-of-living/
- Home Start
A charity with a network of trained volunteers that help families with young children through challenging times.
Things Home-Start can help you with
- Age Concern
A charity supporting the elderly.
https://www.ageconcernbanstead.org.uk/our-services (North of M25)
https://www.ageconcernmrr.org.uk/ (South of M25)
I hope the above is a useful overview of some of the help and support available, but please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected] if you need further advice or help.
