Surplus to Supper – No Parts of the County Left Unserved.

Suzanne and I had enjoyed the hospitality of Surplus to Supper at my predecessor, Shahid’s Summer Party last year But it was wonderful to return to find out more about the charity and how fast it is growing. I grew up in the Hampton and Sunbury area so it is always good to take a trip down Memory Lane, but I remember the pockets of deprivation that existed then and sadly still exist today. Surplus for Supper sources and distributes surplus food to those in need and fund-raises for local food banks and other charities. We were shown round by Andrew Osborne the Founder and CEO and introduced to both staff and the many volunteers that co-ordinate the arrival of surplus food and its onward delivery to those in need. Andrew is keen to link up with similar charities across Surrey to ensure no parts of the County are left unserved.

The charity, which has been running since 2017, now saves around 30 tonnes of food a week, and provides around 3000 free meals a month to communities in need. Surplus to Supper is based at Sunbury Cricket Club, but works across North Surrey and boroughs of West and South West London, delivering to over 180 different organisations. There are four strands to what the charity does:

  • Food redistribution: Fresh food that would otherwise have gone to waste is redistributed for free to support local foodbanks, schools, care homes, shelters, clubs, religious organisations and more.
  • Surplus café: The Surplus Café is run by a professional chef cooking surplus food. The ethos is to provide one free meal for charity from each meal sold at the cafe (Buy One Feed One Free). The menu is varied with a range of staple and special items and produce will change weekly, so what’s on offer will too. The café is open to the community.
  • Surplus shop: Every weekend the charity runs a Surplus Shop, providing good quality food which would otherwise go to waste. The Surplus Shop is for everyone in the community who needs fresh produce, and those that can are asked to donate a small amount to help Surplus to Supper to continue supporting local foodbanks, charities, school lunch projects and community groups across the local area.
  • Events: As part of the ‘Buy One Feed One Free’ initiative, the charity provides good quality surplus food right across the food industry for any occasion, with the income from this helping to provide free meals for people in need within the community.

Visit the website to learn more at; https://www.surplustosupper.org

FUNDRAISER FOR HOME START GUILDFORD – FEATURING JAZZ BAND – THE ACCIDENTALS.

FUNDRAISER FOR HOME START GUILDFORD – FEATURING JAZZ BAND – THE ACCIDENTALS.

I grew up in a house filled with Big Band Jazz as my father was a keen aficionado of the genre, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit The County Club in Guildford High Street for an evening being serenaded by a 20 piece jazz band called The Accidentals; which produced quite a sound! All in aid of the Club’s chosen charity this year, Home-Start Guildford, and including a couple of early Christmas numbers it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Could You be a Mentor? SATRO Needs Your Skills and Experience!

I would like to take the opportunity to highlight the work of SATRO, in particular their work of mentoring children who are not reaching their full potential or need help to reach their potential. At Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford. Further funding has been made available to continue SATRO’s mentoring schemes at the College for another two years, which will give them the chance to get the programme properly established in a school where there are students who will really benefit from this type of intervention. The following statement from the school tells of the impact this programme has:  “The students at TKC need a positive role model, who can help to provide guidance and kindness. Through the mentoring our students have received over the past year, we have seen a vast improvement in their behaviour, engagement, and attitude towards learning. The students who need this support most are those who are disadvantaged. They may be Pupil Premium, Free School Meals, have SEN or are Looked After. The support is absolutely essential to their success and long-term achievements. When students have someone to look up to, they realise how valued they are, and that they really can be successful.”

SATRO are now recruiting people who might be interested in mentoring, with a commitment of just an hour every couple of weeks, (although in our experience mentors want to carry on beyond that).  Mo, who runs the programme would be delighted to speak to anyone who is interested, or has questions (mo.forgan@satro.org.uk)

Read the information attached or download the PDF at: https://www.highsheriffofsurrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SATRO-Mentoring-2025-General-Information.pdf

Vespers at Arundel Cathedral.

Advent commenced in wonderfully imposing fashion for Suzanne and I in the magnificent setting of the Cathedral of Our Lady & St Philip Howard in Arundel, West Sussex. 

We had kindly been invited, along with the High Sheriffs of West and East Sussex, Dr Tim Fooks and Annie Brown respectively, to join the friends of Arundel Cathedral for the Pontifical Sung Vespers for the First Sunday of Advent. Suzanne and I have visited the cathedral before but you can never cease to be overawed by its majesty. The service was presided over by Rt Revd Richard Moth, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and was followed by refreshments in the hall nearby.

You can also visit the friends of Arundel gallery with Photographs by Andrew Mardell of ARM Photography by clicking HERE

Photo by Andrew Mardell

Surrey Maths School at their temporary home at Kings College in Park Barn.

Suzanne and I went back to school recently – we visited this specialist maths school for 16-19 year olds, now in its second year, part of the Learning Partners Academy Trust and working in partnership with the University of Surrey. They are a centre of excellence for the delivery of mathematics and further mathematics at A level together with other STEM subjects, fostering inclusivity and diversity. They prepare students for their future pathways, be that an internship, apprenticeship or university.

It is a free school and 90% of its pupils are from state schools, the only criteria for admission being academic achievement at GCSE. The classrooms encourage collective problem solving and presentation by arranging tables in squares and the walls being covered in whiteboards to enable collaboration and for the teachers to easily see progress.

We were shown round the school by four of its pupils who clearly enjoyed the style of teaching and the ethos of the school. Their experience is soon to be greatly enhanced as the school is moving to its purpose-built new home in the centre of Guildford in the spring next year.

Co- head teachers, Sahar Shillabeer and Nora Kettleborough, embodied the  enthusiasm we saw throughout the school and they also emphasised that a large part of their work is outreach providing maths support for local primary and secondary schools as well as training for teachers. We saw this in operation as a group of Year 7’s from Kings College were having a lesson and they were clearly enjoying the experience.

I look forward o hopefully seeing them in their new home soon.

The Rotary Club of Leatherhead.

I was delighted to be invited to address the Rotary Club of Leatherhead, not least because it was my fourth engagement of the day and they were providing dinner!

They meet weekly at Federation House in Leatherhead  and Arthee Gunness the President (pictured with me) and the rest of the Club made me feel most welcome.

After a delicious meal, I outlined the role of a High Sheriff past and present and my Shrieval theme for the year, being helping to prevent young people from becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). It was especially relevant being in North Leatherhead as this is an area with a high level of deprivation and I have been engaging with the local schools and community to help put in place earlier and alternative interventions that hopefully will lead to better future pathways.

Reigate Grammar School – Expanding its Outreach in the Local Community.

Suzanne and I were delighted to be given a tour of Reigate Grammar School and meet with the Head Shaun Fenton, who outlined how the school has been developing its footprint internationally with nine schools now overseas utilising the same curriculum and school ethos. He also outlined how the school is also expanding its outreach in the local community. They had recently be graced by a visit by the Duke of Gloucester who had seen first hand the wonderful new library building and other recent developments.

The Sovereign Pre-School – at Reigate’s Sovereign Centre.

Suzanne and I were delighted to be invited to the Sovereign pre-school in Reigate. Run by YMCA East Surrey the pre-school was in full swing and we had the opportunity to sit down and enjoy some serious play dough making. The young children were enjoying a number of varied activities both indoors and out and clearly were all having a wonderful time 

The Sovereign Centre is multi-purpose with a large gymnasium, separate dojo for martial arts and a youth club space which is also used during the day for children struggling with mainstream education to interact and learn in a more relaxed manner.

Many thanks to Judith Brooks, deputy CEO, Sam Harding Trust Advisor, Stacey Lawrence pre-school manager and Rachel Summers Trust Fundraiser for showing us around. The Sovereign centre is one of a number operated by YMCA East Surrey which in the last year have benefitted over 18,000 people.

White Lodge, Chertsey – ‘BIG GIVE WEEK’ Campaign (match funded) to provide almost 2500 hours of Neuro Therapy/Fitness Sessions!

Suzanne, my police cadet Imogen and myself, thoroughly enjoyed our tour of White Lodge in the company of CEO, Lesleigh Bounds and Community Engagement Lead, Carol Ellis. It is a truly remarkable facility, sitting in two acres of grounds in Chertsey where it supports over 1,200 children, young people and adults with disabilities (both physical and neurodiverse) and their families; and they have done so since 1962!

They offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, hydrotherapy, holiday clubs and personal support and the centre also provides a Face-2-Face service for parents together with separate befriending groups. It  relies on voluntary donations and community involvement and fundraises a total of around £700,000 annually. They host a day nursery, a wonderful short break facility called Treetops and an Adult day centre called Rendezvous.

It is constantly reinvesting in its services, having recently completely refurbished its hydrotherapy pool and last year funded an amazing piece of equipment called the Walking Lab which helps people rebuild movement, strength and confidence after neurological conditions like a stroke, MS or brain injury. Next Week during Big Give Week they hope to raise funds (which will be match-funded 100%) to be able to give some 910 hours of advances neuro-therapy and over 1,550 hours of inclusive fitness sessions. Anyone wishing to find out more see https://www.whitelodgecentre.co.uk/get-involved/donate/appeals/big-give-christmas-challenge-2025

‘Connections’ – A ‘Daisy-Chain’ Exhibition

Suzanne, myself and my police cadet, Imogen, were delighted to have been invited to attend Connections a DAISY-chain exhibition. Disability Art in Surrey (DAISY) brings together a collection of deaf, disabled and neurodiverse charities across Surrey and the South East. We met with Cara Flowers and Jasmine White who organised this wonderful event which brought together a wide number of charities, some of which we have already met on our travels this year, such as Art-venture, The Meath, Halow and Linkable but we also met with Post19, the Stopgap Dance Company, saw a wonderful performance of The Other Library by Freewheelers, an amazing puppet show by Bloomin’ Arts and an incredible array of pottery pieces being made from a single ball of putty collated by The Grange (as a homage to Anthony Gormley).

It was so uplifting to see so many people having a wonderful day out and expressing themselves in a variety of artistic pursuits.