Cheques to Charities

Chris Shortt, our chair of Youth Services handed out some cheques from Community and Youth to deserving local charities

Main picture shows Chris handing a cheque to Jackie McKee of Epsom and Ewell Food Bank. Jackie works with Jonathan Lees who leads Foodbank.

Epsom & Ewell Foodbank opened in October 2012 following a public meeting in July 2012 when over 70 people turned up, people from all walks of life. The majority were supportive but in disbelief of the need. A few just dismissed the idea saying that ‘nobody in Epsom & Ewell goes to bed hungry at night’. Unfortunately that theory was disproved as people were already being referred to Kingston foodbank from agencies in Epsom due to the need and lack of service in the area.

The group has expanded to include Leatherhead, Tadworth and Banstead. Since opening they have seen a steady increase in need.  More than 20,000 people have been fed since opening. In 2019 they fed more than 5,300 people.

Secondly we donated to Home-Start Epsom, Ewell and Banstead which provides emotional and practical support to parents with at least one child under five years old. 

Their volunteers are all parents and are trained, supported and supervised to Home-Start UK standards. Their aim is to provide early support to families who are facing the challenges and stresses of family life, including a wide range of difficulties such as isolation, low self-esteem, physical and mental health issues. They work alongside parents in their homes to help raise their self-confidence and their ability to cope in an increasingly pressured society. The emphasis is on parents helping parents.

And thirdly we gave a cheque to the Chief Executive of Action for A-T Sean Kelly outside their Epsom Office.

Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) is a very complex condition that affects a variety of different systems in the body. Research into A-T can also give insights into common conditions like cancer, compromised immune system, lung conditions and health generally.

For many people living with a rare condition such as A-T, sustainable, high quality medical research offers hope for the future. Hope that there will be something that will change the difficulties they face in every day life. Hope that the prognosis may be improved, and hope that increased interest in A-T will lead to greater understanding of not only this disease but others too