Woking Borough Council

Summer 2009

Features

Giving disadvantaged people a helping hand

Living as we do in an affluent county, it is sometimes easy to think that everyone is able to share in the area's general prosperity. But the reality is that there are a number of people within our Borough who live on the economic and social edge where life can be pretty tough. Thankfully, local charity, the Surrey Care Trust, is on hand to listen to disadvantaged people and offer them a way out of the difficult circumstances that they face.

Established back in 1982, the Surrey Care Trust initially aimed to help local people facing crisis situations. Whether individuals needed work boots, tools, help with household costs or training to get back to work, the Surrey Care Trust would do its best to help through its special welfare fund.

Although the charity continues to offer this helping hand today, its representatives are keen to point out that this is just a small part of its work. "Today much of our work is in education and training, inspiring young people and adults with limited skills and opportunities to take up learning and transform their lives," explains Margaret Reeder, one of Surrey Care Trust's programme managers.

A major strand of the charity's work involves young people who have been excluded from school or who are disaffected with learning, as Margaret explains: "There can be a host of reasons why a young person is unable to get on at school. They may be the victim of bullying, find it difficult to socialise with other people or have a number of family problems or learning difficulties that prevent them from settling in school or being able to study at the same pace as their classmates. The result is that they can feel demotivated, lack confidence and, in some cases, fall into bad ways which can have a significant impact on their future prospects. Surrey Care Trust seeks to provide these young people with another option to help them get back on the right track again."

In some cases, the charity provides trained members of staff to work alongside individuals within the school environment. Working on a one-to-one basis or in small groups, they can help individuals to overcome difficulties and motivate them to stay in school. In other situations, it provides an alternative to school through its STEPS Under-16s programme. Hosted at the Learning Centre in Goldsworth Park, STEPS provides under 16s with structured learning programmes which are focussed on literacy, numeracy, IT skills and practical skills for day-to-day living.

For unemployed individuals aged between 16 and 18 years, Surrey Care Trust has developed STEPS Ahead, based at the Crescent in Woking. One person who has really benefited from this programme is 18-year-old, Steven Richardson.

Steven's story

"Before I began the STEPS Ahead programme, I often found myself in trouble. I had zero self-confidence and absolutely no idea about what I wanted to do with my life. Joining the programme gave me the chance to learn new skills, such as first aid and cookery, and an insight into how to apply for a job. By mixing with people who were in a similar position as me, I began to feel less alone and I was able to share my thoughts and ideas. Thanks to STEPS Ahead, I now have a much clearer idea of where my life is going - I really enjoy working with people and in the future I hope to train to become a carer."

Steven has now finished his STEPS Ahead course and is volunteering with Swingbridge (see below).

The benefits of boating

Another important area of the charity's work is the Swingbridge Boat Project which gives offenders, as well as volunteers, opportunities to gain new skills by carrying out valuable environmental work along the area's waterways.

The hull for the project's first canal boat was purchased in 2002 and it was fully restored within five months, thanks to the hard work of volunteers and generous donations from local people. Since then, it has been used as a base for volunteers and offenders to carry out important environmental work such as clearing overgrown vegetation and repairing lock gates along the Basingstoke Canal, River Wey and River Thames.

The value of this kind of work is enormous as Margaret explains: "The Swingbridge environmental work gives people the chance to receive training and achieve a qualification - for some of the offenders this will be for the first time in their lives. It's great to see people change for the better as a result of working on the boat and experiencing job satisfaction."

The project has been so successful that last year it attracted funding for a second boat from a number of organisations including Woking Borough Council. Now both boats are operational on our local waterways.

As well as providing opportunities for offenders, they also provide summer trips to people living with disability, illness or other difficult circumstances. Over 1,000 people enjoy trips along the canals each year and a couple of relaxing hours out in the fresh air can make a big difference: "We often find that when people come aboard they seem weighed down with their troubles. We provide a welcome distraction by pointing out different features along the canal banks; we have a laugh with them so that by the end they have smiles on their faces and they go away in a different frame of mind," says Margaret.

If you would like to find out more about the varied work of the Surrey Care Trust, please visit www.surreycaretrust.org.uk or phone 01483 426990.

Could you help to make a difference?

The Surrey Care Trust is always on the lookout for volunteers to help with different aspects of its work. If you are interested in helping to make a positive difference to other people's lives, have a look at the list of opportunities below and phone 01483 426990 to find out more.

  • Join the volunteer crew on the Swingbridge Community Boats - if you fancy drifting along Surrey's beautiful waterways, helping to keep them clear and in good working order, this is the job for you. Surrey Care Trust particularly needs people who are interested in receiving training to skipper the boats.

  • Become a mentor - the trust is setting up a mentoring programme to pair good listeners up with young people who may be in need of help and support. If you think you could help someone to see the future in a more positive light, please get in touch.

  • Help to raise funds - on the 26 September, the charity is organising a 26-mile sponsored walk through the lovely Surrey Hills, starting and finishing in Guildford. If you are up for a personal challenge for a good cause, why not give this a go?