Your Fund Surrey backs seven new community projects with over £537k investment

Following the final Your Fund Surrey Advisory Panel (for Large Community Projects) meeting held in January, seven community projects across Surrey have been awarded a combined £537,533 to enhance local facilities, expand opportunities for young people, and improve access to inclusive community spaces.

A further eight larger‑scale proposals within this round of funding continue to the final stage of assessment, with decisions anticipated by the end of February.

Your Fund Surrey was created to empower local people to shape their communities by supporting the projects that matter most to them. It supports initiatives that deliver long term benefits, bring people together, and respond directly to local priorities.

The newly approved projects are: 

• Cranleigh Cricket, Waverley: Awarded £99,999 to support the extension and refurbishment of the existing pavilion to create a modern, accessible community hub. The project will enable increased participation, improve inclusivity and provide facilities suitable for wider community use.
• University Vandals Cricket Club, Elmbridge: Awarded £99,000 to replace an ageing netball court with three floodlit courts on Desborough Island. The new facilities will expand access, reduce waiting lists and provide much‑needed capacity for local schools and community groups.
• Change of Scene (CoS), Waverley: Awarded £77,506 to support the development of a new site for Change of Scene, which provides outdoor learning and one‑to‑one support for young people with Special Educational Needs. Funding will contribute to infrastructure including pathways, fencing, a workshop, and gardening facilities.
• Lingfield Nature Reserve, Tandridge: Awarded £40,190 to enhance accessibility by improving pathways, installing pond platforms, and adding seating to the volunteer‑run 25‑acre reserve. The project also includes biodiversity features such as a wildflower interpretation board and a gabion wall supporting drought‑resistant plants and wildlife habitats.
• Dramatize, Woking: Awarded £52,405 to upgrade its newly established Woking centre by refurbishing existing toilets and installing a changing places facility. This improvement will ensure inclusive access for visitors with complex mobility needs.
• Walliswood Village Hall, Mole Valley: Awarded £78,433 to provide external toilets, showers, and washroom facilities to meet growing community demand, particularly from Duke of Edinburgh groups, while enhancing the hall’s capacity to host events year‑round.
• Lightbox Garden, Woking: Awarded £90,000 to transform a disused courtyard in central Woking into a free, open-access community garden. The redesigned space will offer residents a welcoming environment to connect with nature.

Denise Turner-Stewart, Surrey County Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities said: “The Your Fund Surrey Large Community Projects Fund showcases the incredible ambition and talent within our communities. These newly funded projects reflect our commitment to investing in inclusive, modern and accessible spaces that improve lives and bring people together.

“Working in partnership with local organisations, volunteers and communities, these projects will make a real difference across Surrey. We’re proud to back bold, resident‑led ideas that strengthen local pride and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. I look forward to seeing these projects progress.

“I also want to remind residents that as the Large Fund draws to a close, the Your Fund Surrey Small Community Projects Fund is still open to help make smaller but equally impactful local projects a reality. I encourage residents to contact their local Surrey County councillor and make the most of this support.”

Bring your idea to life with the Your Fund Surrey Small Community Projects Fund

Residents and community groups across Surrey are encouraged to submit their ideas to the Your Fund Surrey Small Community Projects Fund, which is accepting applications until Friday 20 March 2026.

This fund supports capital projects valued between £1,000 and £50,000, enabling communities to invest in improvements such as building enhancements, accessibility upgrades, environmental initiatives and upgrades to local facilities. Applicants to the Your Fund Surrey Small Community Projects Fund need to contact their local Surrey County councillor to ask for support for their project.  If the Surrey County councillor would like to fund the project, they will send the applicant a link to the online application form.

Notes:

Further information about Your Fund Surrey Large Community Projects, including previously funded projects can be found here: Large Community Projects – Surrey County Council

Further information about Your Fund Surrey Small Community Projects, including funding criteria and can be found here: Small Community Projects – Surrey County Council