SUEZ and Surrey County Council donate over £10,000 to local charities

The Revive Community Fund is paid for through the five Revive re-use shops located at Community Recycling Centres across Surrey that sell second-hand items for the home and garden, diverting over 1,000 tonnes per year away from disposal. Each year, 10% of net profits from the shops are donated to local charities and the remaining profit is reinvested into the recycling service. Since 2018, the scheme has raised over £68,000 for Surrey charities.

In the first funding round of the new Revive Community Fund, Mayford Village Hall was awarded £5,000 to improve the accessibility of their facilities by building a new wheelchair ramp to the community garden. These improvements will allow for more Surrey residents to access the community events and programmes hosted at the village hall throughout the year.

Paul Atkins, Chairman of Mayford Village Hall Trustees said: “MVH Trustees are very grateful to the Revive Community Fund for their generous contribution to our garden upgrade project. The trustees seek to constantly improve the accessibility of our facilities and partnerships such as this with Revive are a great way to benefit the local community.”

The Lucy Rayner Foundation was awarded £2,500 toward the development of a new wellbeing centre. Their mission is to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of physical and mental ill health in young people, and their new wellbeing centre will provide talking therapies and dedicated spaces for relaxation and mental health training, as well as a gym and a kitchen to educate visitors on diet and nutrition.

Waverley hoppa Community Transport was awarded £2,000 towards the purchase of a new electric bus to support their mission of providing transportation services for people who cannot access ordinary transport due to illness, disability, vulnerability, or isolation. Waverley hoppa is committed to reducing emissions and is transitioning from diesel to electric vehicles by adding two new electric vehicles each year.

Richard Davies, General Manager for Waverley hoppa Community Transport said: “We were delighted to receive a donation of £2,000 from the Revive Community Fund. Our new electric bus is already in service and is operating in Farnham. With a range of 150 miles, it can fulfil a school run and a day’s bookings on the hoppa Shoppa. This latest addition to our fleet is helping us with our mission to reduce our carbon footprint and offers our customers a more eco-friendly transport option too.”

Holme Farm was also awarded £1,124 to purchase railway sleepers that will be used to build raised garden beds so that wheelchair users and people with limited mobility can access their community gardens. Holme Farm is a new community hub with a multi-facility approach to health, wellbeing, and community, and providing a therapeutic environment in which people within North Surrey can socialise, learn and thrive.

Ronnie Kendall, Trustee and Project & Fundraising Lead for Holme Farm said: “We’re pleased to have received this generous contribution from The Revive Community Fund. This donation will help improve accessibility to our community gardens, allowing Holme Farm to continue providing vital support services that helps improve the health and wellbeing of people within North Surrey."

Gareth Swain, Regional Manager for SUEZ said: “At SUEZ, we are committed to putting people and planet at the heart of everything we do, in every community that we serve. We are proud to be able to continue supporting local charities with this new community fund and to give something back to our neighbours. By funding groups that are already making a positive contribution in their local area, we hope to make a lasting difference in Surrey.”

Natalie Bramhall, Cabinet Member for Property and Waste at Surrey County Council said: “The Revive Community fund is a great example of how organisations can work together to benefit our community. As a council, our vision for 2030 is that all Surrey residents will have a great start to life, live healthy and fulfilling lives and feel supported within their communities. We are pleased to support these four inspiring organisations that are working towards a brighter future for Surrey."