Help us to shape a brighter future for all in Elmbridge, especially those in need

17 December update

We have closed the current online survey as we will launch a more interactive community and stakeholder engagement in the new year. There will be a more detailed survey then too.

Many thanks to everyone who completed this survey.

11 December update 

In October, we announced our plans to expand support to help more people in need. Currently, Elmbridge community services support 2% of our residents, mainly older adults. However, research indicates that at least 9% of residents need help.

Elmbridge is fortunate to have many dedicated charity groups, faith groups, and social enterprises, but some families and individuals still lack support. We aim to step up our efforts to ensure everyone in need receives assistance.

Thank you to the hundreds of people of have already expressed their views through our initial survey gathering opinions and ideas on how to better support vulnerable people in Elmbridge. The survey remains open, and paper copies are available at our Centres for the Community.

Beyond the survey, we are developing a programme of feedback and engagement for the new year which will include speaking to community partners, public sector partners and faith groups who are directly supporting our residents. We will host workshops and enable these groups to host their own sessions, all to gather the essential real lived experience of our residents. This will ultimately help us to use community resources to achieve the best outcomes for all residents in need.

We will also speak to our current service clients, as well as local residents gathering their experiences, feedback and suggestions for community support in Elmbridge.

This detailed programme will be available in January, and we look forward to working with the community to shape a brighter future for all in Elmbridge, especially those in need.

October 2024

• In 2022/23, 13% of children in Elmbridge were living in poverty 
• 75% of children in poverty in Elmbridge are in working families
• There were 330 young carers in Elmbridge (as of 2021)

This is Elmbridge today. It isn’t everyone’s experience but for thousands of people in Elmbridge daily life is a struggle. Rising costs force them to choose between heating and eating; foodbanks and community fridges have increased since the covid pandemic. They worry about school uniforms, need respite from caregiving, crave conversation, and feel paralysed and forgotten, not knowing where to turn for help.

We are acutely aware of the problems being faced in our community. 

• The number of residents on the benefits we administer has risen.
• Homelessness applications received by the council have gone up 32% in the last 2 years.
• The number of local charity groups we have provided with funding to help with the cost of living has increased – in 2024 we have £662k available in grant funding to help those most in need in our borough.

Expanding our support to help more people in need

We are committed to supporting more people in need in our community.

Currently our community services help 2% of the Elmbridge population, mainly older people, through our Centres for the Community, meals on wheels, community transport and dementia services. 

However, our research shows a greater need, that at least 9% of our residents need help and we want to provide that help in the best and most financially sustainable way. That was the all-Council decision made in February 2023 and this is work we are now undertaking.

Elmbridge is fortunate to have many dedicated charity groups, faith groups, and social enterprises supporting our most vulnerable. In fact there are more now in Elmbridge than ever before. However, gaps remain, leaving some families, individuals, and children without help. We are stepping up our support to ensure they receive the assistance they need and feel part of our community.

In the months ahead, we will be talking and listening to our residents, community partners, our public sector partners, local Councillors, faith groups, as well of course our current community services members, volunteers and employees. Our aim is to identify community needs, assess existing support, and find ways to help more people, especially those struggling without assistance.

For now, we can say:

• We want to understand in more detail the needs of the 2% of people that we currently serve and the needs of the hidden 9% plus that we need to support.
   
• We are launching an engagement programme and want to hear from all residents, especially those facing financial struggles, about what would make a difference for their lives. 
   
• If you have any ideas, creative solutions or proposals for how we can help more people, we want to hear from you.
   
• We will be open and share the findings from the engagement programme and this will feed into our work.
   
• We want to use our resources, and the wider resources within the community, to enable the best outcomes for all our residents in need.

Your voice matters

As part of our work to help more people in need in Elmbridge, we’re inviting you to share what you value about community services and your ideas on how to better support vulnerable people in Elmbridge.

Survey: there is a survey you are welcome to complete, either online or there are paper copies at the Centres for the Community

Email: you can email us at commservices@elmbridge.gov.uk

We always aim to engage with residents in the most appropriate way for them.

We are committed to helping and supporting the most vulnerable in our borough and ensuring everyone in Elmbridge feels part of our community. We welcome your collaboration to achieve this.

Councillor Gill Coates, 
Portfolio Holder for Community Care