Community Groups

USEFULL LINKS - GROUPS AND LOCAL FORUMS

The links listed below will take you to information or websites about other Community and Voluntary Groups, within Spelthorne Borough and also includes some national organisation sites.

The inclusion of hyperlinks to these websites does not imply any endorsement of any material on such web sites or any association with their operators services or products.

SCAN have no control over the content provided by these sites, and cannot be held responsible for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any inaccuracy or error in any information that has not been independently substantiated.

List of Community Groups
Action for Carers
Action for Carers and Employment (ACE)
Age Concern Spelthorne
Carer's Support
Community Forums - Spelthorne
deafPLUS
North Surrey Disability Partnership Board
Runnymede Short Term Breaks
Spelthorne Crossroads Caring for Carers
Spelthorne MS Society
Staines Shopmobility
Surrey Adult Linked Disability Register (SALDR)
Surrey Association for Visual Impairment (S.A.V.I.)
Surrey Coalition of Disabled People
Voluntary Action in Spelthorne (VAIS)
White Lodge Centre

National Organisations and Campaigns
National Scheme for Accessible Tourism
National Crossroads - Caring for Carers
European Parking Card Directory (EPCD)
Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR)
Smooth Ride Guides

Action for Carers the Website for Carers in Surrey. It is lead by carers, run by an executive committee of carers and supported by professionals from Health, Social Services and the voluntary sector

It aims to foster and promote the individuality, personal esteem and self worth of carers, highlight the value of carers contribution to society and act as a 2-way channel of best practice both in caring and in carers advice and information.

Visit their website by clicking on the logo on the above, or alternatively write to them at Astolat, Coniers Way, New Inn Lane, Burpham, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7HL Telephone 01483 303958 or email acs@actionforcarers.org.uk

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Action for Carers and Employment (ACE) is a project which aims to raise awareness of the barriers facing carers who want to work, and to test and promote ways of supporting them. Surrey has three project workers, (covering either East, Mid or West Surrey respectively), who are able to meet with carers in their own homes, if necessary. They will carry out full one to one assessments of an individual’s skills, interests and aspirations from which an agreed personal action plan will be produced. The project worker will then research and provide information on a variety of work and training opportunities.

The project offers informal group training that gives carers the opportunity and time to think about themselves, with sessions on subjects such as stress management, assertiveness, benefits, returning to work and many others. Respite cover can be arranged and financial help provided for care costs and related travel expenses to enable carers to attend these courses. The courses themselves are free. ACE has access to resources to provide help with the writing of cv’s and completion of job/training course application forms. Some financial assistance is also available for training courses not run by ACE and related travel expenses.

For further information contact ACE at Astolat, Coniers Way, Guildford, Surrey GU4 7HL. Telephone 01483 565874 or email ace@actionforcarers.org.uk. Alternatively information about the project can be found on the Action for Carers web site at www.actionforcarers.org.uk, by following links for Action for Carers (Surrey) on the Carers Information page.

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Age Concern Spelthorne is a registered charity dedicated to promoting the well being and independent living of older people throughout Spelthorne. Their office opening times to the public are 10.00am - 1.30pm and they are based at the Community Link Centre, Knowle Green, Staines, Middlesex, Telephone 01784 444200. www.ageconcernspelthorne.gov.uk

Carer's Support - Spelthorne supports carers by offering information, advocacy and general emotional support to individual carers. A quarterly newsletter for carers, support group and volunteer befriender scheme are available . Their office is located at the Community Link Centre, Knowle Green, Staines, Middlesex, Telephone 01784 446234 (9am - 12.30pm weekdays)

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Community Forums - Spelthorne - have been set up to provide a focal point for multi-agency debate with users and carers about Community and Primary Care and Children's services. Their aims are to assess the effectiveness of existing services in meeting local need and seek proposals for improvements or variations to service delivery. To identify gaps in the unmet need in services leading to development proposals and recommendations to the Health Improvement Planning Group and other relevant bodies.

Surrey County Council's 'Action for Equality Policy' encourages Membership of all Forums from all sections of the community. All members are given equal status and access. See the current news page for dates of meetings.

For further information contact the Forum Administrator, Mary Birch on 01932 226629 or email mary.birch@nsurreypct.nhs.uk

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Deaf Plus is a registered national charity which works with deaf and hearing people to achieve equality. They provide information about visits, to various areas, including Surrey, of the Mobile Advisory Service (MAS) vans. Their Farnborough Office covers the Spelthorne area, telephone them on 01252 510051 for information about MAS service or look on the web site www.deafplus.org.

See the current news page for dates of visits to Spelthorne.

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North Surrey Disability Partnership Boards are being formed across the country with the aims of: empowering people with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities and those with HIV/AIDS to express their views and to influence existing/new services and strategies, and challenging others to ensure that services developed reflect the Social Model of Disability.

Membership of the groups must be inclusive and representative of all groups of people with disabilities and their carers, with at least 60% of the group being people with disabilities. Each group will link to other strategy and planning groups such as Carers Strategy Forum and Community Planning will be required to elect a representative to join a county-wide partnership board and provide feedback to this board. See the current news page for dates of meetings.

For further details about the North Surrey Board and how to become a member please contact Carol Pearson, Coordinator of Surrey Coalition of Disabled People (Formerly Surrey Users Network) , Astolat, Coniers Way, Burpham, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7HL. Telephone 01483 456558, Fax 01483 456561 or email carol.pearson@surreycoalition.org.uk.

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Runnymede Short Term Breaks scheme is run from The White Lodge Centre, Chertsey which is a resource centre for physically disabled children and adults. There is a website which can be found at www.shorttermbreaks.com.

Spelthorne Crossroads: Provides professional Care Attendant support to people who are caring for a disabled person of any age at home. They have an office at the Community Link Centre, Knowle Green, Staines, Middlesex, Telephone 01784 446294 ( Answerphone out of office hours)

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SURREY ADULT LINKED DISABILITY REGISTER is one of Surrey County Council’s Adults and Community Care Services. The SALDR team has responsibility for and manages the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Registers, the Learning Disability Registers, and the Physical Disability Registers within Surrey.

They work with SAVI (see below), who manage the Visual Impairment Register and the Combined Loss of Sight and Hearing Record, to ensure that all the disability records in Surrey are maintained, updated and comply with government legislation in the collection of information from adults with disabilities in Surrey.

The Purpose of the Registers is to improve the ability of all statutory agencies across the county to meet a number of legislative and good practice requirements in the services offered to people with disabilities in Surrey, as well as enabling the production of relevant data reports for the planning of current and future services.

The Aims of the registers include supporting people with a disability by being a link between individuals with disabilities, carers and the service providers and to provide security to ensure people that who do not use any of the services do not ‘slip through the net’.

Also the linked registers will enable statutory agencies and voluntary services to identify specific groups by age, disability, geographical area, service use etc; for the planning of services and resource allocation.

Visit the SALDR website at www.saldr.org.uk to find out about how you can register. The leaflets about the registers are available in large print, with audio or signed CD, in Braille and in other languages from the SALDR Team, Surrey County Council Adults and Community Care Teams and Area Offices, local council offices, libraries, and other public buildings.

For more information contact Surrey Adult Linked Disability Registers, SALDR Project Manager, AC Court, High Street, Thames Ditton, Surrey, KT7 0QA. Telephone 020 8541 8571, fax 020 8541 8552 or minicom 020 8541 8760, email saldr@surreycc.gov.uk.

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Surrey Association for Visual Impairment (S.A.V.I.) is the major provider of services for blind and partially sighted people in the Administrative County of Surrey. S.A.V.I. was founded in 1922 and was registered as a charity in 1962. Their aim is to work with blind and partially sighted people in Surrey, to provide services so that they may lead fuller, more independent lives.

For further information contact Surrey Association for Visual Impairment, Rentwood, School Lane, Fetcham, KT22 9JX,Telephone 01372 377 701, fax 01372 360 767 or email info@sa-vi.org.uk.

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Surrey Coalition of Disabled People was launched in 2007, bringing together disabled people and their supporters from all over Surrey.

The new organisation replaces and builds on the success of Surrey Users Network which was formed over ten years ago to give a voice to people who use health and social care services in Surrey. The new organisation has a much wider membership and remit and will create a stronger voice for all disabled people in Surrey.

The aim of the Surrey Coalition is to campaign and promote the rights of disabled people to equality of opportunity and to live independently. This means influencing the policies, strategies and services which impact on the lives of disabled people to make them better and more accessible for everyone.

The Surrey Coalition is run and managed by disabled people. We want everyone who supports the rights of disabled people to join.

For information and membership form contact the Surrey Coalition Office Tel: 01483 456558
mailto:info@surreycoalition.org.uk.
Fax: 01483 456561or write to Freepost (SCE 5700), Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7BR

Shomobility Logo Staines Shopmobility Please follow this link to the Staines Shopmobility web site.

Voluntary Action in Spelthorne

(VAIS) is a registered charity supporting the community through promoting joint working and co-operation between voluntary and statutory organisations.

VAIS can be contacted at Community Link, Knowle Green, Staines, Middlesex. TW18 1AX. Telephone/Fax: 01784 446358. Their Office Hours are Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. Email info.vais@spelthorne.gov.uk.

VAIS have compiled a Directory of Voluntary Organisations and Local Services that can be found on Spelthorne Borough Council's website.

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Logo for the White Lodge Centre The White Lodge Centre at Chertsey is a resource centre which seeks to support disabled children and adults and their families/carers in the Surrey area, by providing a range of flexible creative and integrated services that includes

- A specialist centre offering daily therapy services and nursery education to young children with cerebral palsy;
- Family support services for children and young people including play and leisure activities, outreach support and day and overnight care;
- A resource centre where disabled adults can socialise, learn new skills and receive therapy services.

Contact White Lodge Centre, Holloway Hill, CHERTSEY, Surrey KT16 OAE. Telephone 01932 567131.

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National Organisations and Campaigns
National Scheme for Accessible Tourism in the UK was launched by the English Tourism Council (ETC), in July 2002 and has a website providing Information about accessible tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants

Crossroads - Caring for Carers - Visit the organisation's national website. It is anticipated that information page or web site for the local branch of the organisation may become available at a later date (see above).

European Parking Card Directory (EPCD) champions the rights of disabled motorists and the general motoring public to parking rights and concessions across the UK and Europe. It is independent of any local authority, government or company. It is here for the benefit of Parking Card HOLDERS who, since 1971 (when the program was first introduced) have had the advantages offered by The Disabled Persons' Parking Badge Scheme. www.epcd.org.uk

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association provided an earleir version of their guide dog symbol that is used as part of our logo which is used in the banner heading on our newsletters and letter heading.