11 Surrey organisations receive grants that work towards reducing financial hardship

Over £150,000 of the last round of government provided Household Support Fund 7 has been awarded to 11 organisations across Surrey. 

The Poverty Prevention Grant has been awarded to organisations whose initiatives demonstrate they have a real impact on addressing the root cause of financial hardship. Over 55 applications were received, and consideration was also given to those projects operating in areas of high deprivation in Surrey.  Bids were scored on evidence of need, clear objectives and defined outcomes and measurement reporting.  

The issues tackled by the projects range from supporting financial resilience, helping those struggling to heat their home, put food on the table, assistance with housing and employment and providing support for those who have suffered from domestic violence or mental health issues.   

Councillor Mark Nuti – Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Public Health, said “Surrey’s commitment goes beyond crisis support — we are working to address the root causes of financial hardship and build pathways that help residents regain lasting financial stability.  

“In 2024 we signed an End Poverty Pledge which encourages organisations to understand how their services impact people living in poverty and ensure the support they provide is accessible, empathetic, and effective. We need to work harder and smarter within the financial constraints we face to prevent and mitigate the effects of poverty in Surrey, so no one is left behind. This funding will go someway to ensure longer term financial resilience is attainable by those who need it most in Surrey.” 

Organisations Funded 

• ESDAS – East Surrey Domestic Abuse Service £6,262. 

– This project will deliver longer-term financial resilience support for domestic abuse survivors, including new financial skills resources, themed workshops, life-coaching, and employment-readiness sessions. 

• Rentstart – £15,000

– Rentstart will use the funding to deliver a 10-week intensive poverty-reduction programme for 200+ people at risk of homelessness by providing financial coaching, energy saving support, affordable-food access, wellbeing activities, and peer support. 

• Oakleaf – £3,171 

– This mental health charity will run an 8‑week financial‑wellbeing drop‑in and six themed workshops for adults managing mental illness, providing benefits advice, budgeting support, crisis‑help navigation, fuel‑cost support, and wellbeing interventions.  

• Surrey Community Action – £39, 947 

– Will help families struggling with energy bills payments to empowering individuals to take action, such as switching supplier, signing up for new grants and schemes, and providing homeowners with the knowledge and advice they need to make their homes more energy-efficient. 

• Transform Housing – £12,500 

– Deliver employment training to help support housing residents improve financial resilience, reduce debt risk when moving to independent accommodation, and increase their confidence to move into work.  

• Good Company – £23,000 

– Will run a pilot “cash‑first” intervention scheme to 36 regular attendees at the foodbank providing time limited, conditional cash payments. Paired with structured support from partner agencies to help them pay essential costs, reduce debt, and permanently move away from a reliance on emergency food provision. 

• Homestart Waverley – £14,346  

– Provides a service to families with young children who are struggling to enable them to get back on track by providing help, support and advice. This funding will deliver 560 hours of crisis‑support work for 50–60 disadvantaged families, helping them access benefits, overcome financial barriers, and stabilise their household circumstances while building long‑term resilience.  

• Homestart Guildford – £12,000 

– Provide intensive three‑month support to 30 vulnerable families facing debt, housing instability, and hardship, using home‑visiting volunteers, staff support, and group programmes to improve financial resilience, stability, and children’s wellbeing. 

• Guildford Foodbank – £2,300 

– Will deliver two energy-saving workshops for 20 low‑income households, providing tailored energy‑saving advice, small energy‑saving items and appliances, and crisis energy vouchers to reduce bills and improve ongoing financial resilience. 

• York Road Project – £9,750  

– This Homelessness charity are helping people to get off the street and offering support to find a secure long-term home. They will deliver a 12-week Changing Journeys programme providing intensive group workshops and one-to-one coaching to people at high risk of poverty, helping them build resilience, life skills and mental wellbeing to prevent future hardship and break cycles of poverty. 

Surrey County Council will now be working with the organisations listed to support delivery of monitoring of the schemes, which will conclude by April 2026.  

Household Support Fund will no longer be a source of funding from UK government but a new Crisis and Resilience Fund has been announced. More details can be found here: Household support fund – Surrey County Council