Surrey People’s Group in the West
Date: Friday 15 August 2025 10:30am to 12:30pm
Where: Emmanuel Church Hall, Shepherds Lane, Guildford GU2 9SJ
Share your experiences and ideas!
- Surrey Police want to know what you think about Hate Crime
- what is it like on public transport? Tell the council what you think
- vote for a chair and deputy chair for this group
Your voice is important!
Book now for Surrey People’s Group in the West 15 August 2025
Phone: 07929 863 582
Email: disabilitycomms@surreycc.gov.uk
Book now for Surrey People's Group in the East 19 September 2025
Date: 11am to 1pm
Place: Woodhatch Place in Reigate
We will be talking about:
- hate crime with Surrey Police
- public transport - the bus survey
- voting for a chair and deputy chair for the group
Don't miss out, book your place now
Online Jobseekers’ Peer Support Group recruiting new members
As Mentoring’s Jobseekers’ Peer Support Group is recruiting new members.
This free monthly workshop is for autistic jobseekers (18+) who are not currently engaged in one to one specialist employment support.
The group is now also open to adults working part-time who are unhappy in their current role and looking for more suitable employment.
If you are interested in joining, find out more and complete the form.
West Surrey Autism Friendly Communities Group Meetings
The Frimley, Guildford and Waverley, and North West Surrey Autism Friendly Communities Group have merged to become the West Surrey Autism Friendly Communities Group.
The West Surrey group will meet every other month.
The group will meet twice; Tuesday morning and Thursday evening. Both meetings will have the same agenda. If you'd like to join one of the meetings you can choose the one that is most convenient for you.
The next meetings are 19 and 21 August.
There will be a break halfway through each meeting, and it's okay if you can't stay until the end. The slides and notes will be sent to everyone on the mailing list after the meeting.
You don’t have to speak at the meetings, it's okay just to listen.
If you would like to join your local autism friendly community group, please visit the sign-up page on Autism by Experience's website
If you want to get in touch or need help completing the form, please contact: afc@autismbyexperience.co.uk
Dorking Walking Festival 2025
Dorking Walking Festival is taking place from 20 to 28 September. The festival will highlight the many scenic routes around the town and showcase the local groups that already organise walks.
All walks will start, end or pass through Dorking town centre. Walks may be led or self-guided. The aim is to promote walking as a healthy, enjoyable activity, while helping more people discover Dorking and connect with the walking groups already in place.
There are walks for all ages and abilities including Surrey Coalition's St Martin's Stroll and Include.org Stroll and Sign Inclusivity Walk. Most of the walks are free to join.
The full programme is now available to view or download.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Easy Read
As a council we’ve been working to make information about our LGR plans as accessible as possible, so everyone can feel informed and included in the conversation.
At a recent meeting, people with a learning disability came together to hear about the changes coming to Surrey and what it could mean for them. To help the discussion, staff from the supported living team produced an Easy Read version of what was happening and when, designed to be clear and simple to understand.
The tight timetable for LGR and lack of appropriate national resources for certain groups has sometimes made our task harder but we’ve tried to make information about local government reorganisation accessible to everyone.
That’s why we’ve:
- created videos in British Sign Language (BSL)
- made sure our website is accessible and easy to navigate
- produced a range of formats to suit different needs, including the Easy Read document (PDF)
The central government consultation on the changes has now closed but this information can still be used to help inform people about what is happening, ahead of the decision on two or three unitary authorities expected in October.
Department of Health and Social Care Easy Read about the Casey Commission
In April 2025, Baroness Louise Casey started working with a team of people called the independent commission into adult social care.
They will look at how to change support for adults in England and make it better. There is easy read information available about this team.
The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD)
NCEPOD is a charity which works to make healthcare services better for the people who use them. Their work has led to lots of good changes in how healthcare is provided. They are trying to make hospital admissions for people with a learning disability better.
They are collecting information to understand how hospitals can give better care to people with a learning disability.
If you have been in hospital when you were unwell, they want to hear about your experience. You may have taken an ambulance to hospital.
The information they collect will help doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff learn how to give better care in the future.
They (NCEPOD) have made a survey for someone with a learning disability to complete to tell us what they think. There is also a survey for carers of people with a learning disability to complete.
The survey is anonymous, NCEPOD removes all personal information from any surveys they receive, so you and your family cannot be identified.
The closing date to complete the survey is 16 October.
NHS England Learning Disability and Autism Update
Read the latest newsletter (number 19) in easy read and plain English with the following topics:
- Mental Capacity Act (2005) guidance
- building better lives in the community
- annual health checks
Gamers’ Lounge Sessions in Cranleigh
Gamers’ Lounge Sessions are running in Cranleigh. They will have over 3,000 console games from the 1980s through to the mid-2000s. This event is suitable for all ages, but parental supervision is recommended (only players need to purchase tickets). Each session is about 2 hours.
When: 28 August 2025
Where: Cranleigh Arts Centre
Time: 11am to 1pm
Book your place on the Cranleigh Arts website.
University of Bath Research
Sometimes, decisions about when to help if your heart stops are made for people with a learning disability without asking them.
The University of Bath want to speak to people with a learning disability or anyone that helps or cares for them about this. They want to help doctors talk to patients and families better in the future.
The researcher will talk to you using a computer or your phone.
To find out more email: io317@bath.ac.uk
Y-Mania Summer Scorcher
Book your tickets for a nightclub experience for adults with learning disabilities on
Date: Friday 29 August 2025
Time: 7.30pm to 10pm
Place: YMCA Sports and Community Centre
Princes Road
Redhill RH1 6JJ
- £6 in advance (£8 on the night)
- carers and support free
- cash bar
- must be 18+
- ID required
To book:
- email: russell.bewley@ymcaeastsurrey.org.uk
- phone: 01737 779 979
Opportunities with Surrey People’s Group
Following votes at the East and West Surrey People’s Group meetings it has been agreed to elect a chair and deputy chair for each group.
If you or anyone you support may be interested in becoming a chair or deputy chair, please email disabilitycomms@surreycc.gov.uk. We have easy read job descriptions to share.
Deadlines:
West 8/8/2025
East 12/9/2025
Charging policy consultation
Surrey County Council is asking for views on proposed changes to how much adults pay for care at home or in the community. This aims to bring their approach in line with national guidance.
National social care laws allow councils to ask people to contribute towards the cost of their care and set out how much can be charged. In Surrey, people have been charged less than the national guidance recommends for home and community-based care. However, when less money is collected through charging, there’s less funding available to run and improve the care services that many people rely on.
Full details about the proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Charging Policy for community care services is available to download in a range of formats from the related documents section at the bottom of this page.
Share your views by completing our consultation questionnaire, either online or by using one of the alternative formats.
If you would like a copy of this proposal in hard copy, you can contact us:
Telephone: 01372 832 370
(Textphone (via Relay UK): 18001 01372 832 370)
Email: chargingpolicyconsultation@surreycc.gov.uk
This consultation closes on 7 September 2025.
Beat the heat: staying safe in hot weather
Anyone can become unwell if they get too hot. Some people are at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell.
The UK Health and Security Agency has shared guidance on staying safe in hot weather.
It is important to follow this guidance so that you are prepared for hot weather and can take action to cool yourself and your home.
There is a range of resources available including easy read and British Sign Language (BSL) video.
Tickets are now live for The LinkAble Inclusive Games 2025!
The LinkAble Inclusive Games is taking place on 26 August 2025.
- Time: 10.30am to 4pm
- Where: Woking Sportsbox, Egley Rd, Woking, GU22 0AF
- Cost: £8 early bird (carers free). £10 if purchased after July 23
Four exciting sports designed for all abilities! This is your chance to try:
- Boccia – a precision ball game where players aim to get their balls closest to a target ball
- Table Cricket – an adapted version of cricket played on a table tennis table with teams taking turns to bowl or bat, run by Surrey Indoor Cricket
- Accessible Cycling – enjoy adapted bikes provided by Wheels For All meaning everyone can experience the joy of cycling
- Walking Football – a slower-paced version of football, promoting inclusivity and fun, facilitated by Woking Walking football club