Community

Winter Wellness Support – Mole Valley

This document aims to give a flavour (not an exhaustive list) of what support is available across Mole Valley through the winter months and beyond. The majority of the support listed is free of charge or low cost. We have tried to include website links/email addresses as well as phone numbers where we have them. This document was last updated November 24^th 2025.

Warm Welcomes

A warm welcome space is a physical venue run by a community group, church, charity, or organisation where people having trouble in heating their homes can come to warm up, get a hot drink, energy advice & debt support while also enjoying some social interaction. Each Warm Welcome venue runs throughout the winter starting from the 1^st November until 31^st March. Some warm welcome venues provide similar services throughout the year. All are welcome to attend, regardless of where you live or your circumstances.

Each venue offers something different but some of the services available are:

Free Hot Drinks, Fuel Vouchers, Winter Warm Packs, Energy Advice, Debt and Budgeting Advice, Free Meals and Food Bank Referrals. For more information on warm welcomes across Surrey please visit this website:  Warm Welcome Venues in Surrey – Surrey County Council

Locations across Mole Valley:

– Libraries: Ashtead, Leatherhead, Bookham and Dorking – All open as warm welcome venues for the duration of their staffed opening hours (not during super access hours at Dorking Library)

– Boxhill Village Hall, Boxhill – Thursdays – 1.30pm-3pm Box Hill Village Hall Diary
– Chart Downs Social Club, Dorking – Fridays – 10.30am – 2pm (15) Chart Downs Community & Social Club | Facebook
– Crossways Community Café, Crossways Baptist Church, Dorking – Wednesday 12-2.30pm (term time) Crossways Church – Crossways Community Cafe
– Leatherhead Community Hub, North Leatherhead – Thursdays – 9.30am – 11.30am
– Westcott Village Hub, Westcott – (Various times when open)

1-2-1 – Support & Advice
British Red Cross – (covers central Dorking – please contact for more areas)
Support available up to 4 weeks from leaving hospital

Our service supports people as they leave hospital following an illness or injury. We aim to help you rebuild your confidence as well as your social and support networks. Our support is available as a one-off visit, support over the phone or regular visits for up to six weeks

To get in touch please email HealthandCareSouthEastAdmin@redcross.org.uk or call 01622 690011.

Citizens Advice Mole Valley

Citizens Advice provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice on issues such as benefits, housing, debt, family & relationships, immigration, work and much more.
Advice Line – 10am – 4pm – Daily – 0808 278 7930
Drop-ins:
Tuesday – 10am-12pm in Leatherhead & Dorking
Wednesday – 10am-12pm in Leatherhead & Dorking
Thursday – 9.30am – 11.30am – Leatherhead Community Hub – Advice Café
Thursday – 2pm – 3pm – Dorking Foodbank

Energy Manage
At Energy Manage, we provide advice and information to households in Surrey and East Hampshire who are in or at risk of fuel poverty, with the aim of reducing their energy usage and saving them money.

Our aim is to to help households in or at risk of fuel poverty to save energy, save money and change behaviours for the better.

Circular Dorking
Free home energy surveys

NHS Social Prescribing

Social prescribing is an approach that connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. This can include things such as: Mental Health Support, RSPB nature prescribing, Fuel & Food support, support to reduce bills, funds from household support fund, Dementia buddies, Transport services, Social activities, Befrienders.

Dorking and surrounding area – Live Well Service in Dorking | DHC

Get in touch with Live Well Service:

01306 733536 / dohel.livewell.dhc@nhs.net (Monday – Friday 08:30-16:30, except Bank Holidays).

People are welcome to self-refer by letting us know their name, telephone number and their registered GP practice name.

Social Prescribing at Leatherhead PCN

Please note that we can only accept patients who are registered with one of the following practices:

• Ashlea Medical Practice – Leatherhead and Ashtead
• Eastwick Park Medical Practice
• Fairfield Medical Centre
• Molebridge Practice – Leatherhead and Fetcham

At present, we offer telephone consultations on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.

This will be expanding from in December, when we expect to begin offering face-to-face appointments, as well as possible evening and Saturday sessions through extended hours access.

Referral Pathways
Patients can self-refer online via Joy App:
https://services.thejoyapp.com/en/listings/12725

Alternatively, they can call 01306 771125, select option 2, and leave a message.

Anyone can refer to our service, provided the patient has agreed to and is aware of the referral.

Surrey Coalition of Disabled People

Energy Bill Support, Fuel Vouchers, Warm Packs, Energy Efficient Appliances, Household Support Fund

info@surreycoalition.org.uk

Tel: 01483 456558

Food Support

The food support organisations listed below can help with low cost or free food. The Mid Surrey Community Fridges hubs and mobile stops are open to anyone. Just turn up at the locations during the opening times and get a range of food. The food varies each week according to what they receive. Please bring a bag with you and donations are welcomed to help keep the service going.
Support from Foodbanks require a voucher (more information in text below)

Mid Surrey Community Fridges

MSCF help prevent food going to landfill and redistribute it across Surrey. Suggested donations are £2.50. Below you can see Hubs and Mobile stops.

HUBS

Mobile Stops

FOODBANKS
Dorking Foodbank

Venue: The Christian Centre, Church Street, Dorking, RH4 1DW,
Opening times: Tuesdays 4:15-5:30pm

Venue: Communications House, Curtis Road, Dorking, RH4 1EA
Thursdays 2pm-4pm.  (By appointment only)

To access the foodbank, you will require a foodbank voucher, which can be provided to you by various different organisations, such as Citizens Advice – health visitors, housing officers and more. If you require an emergency voucher please call the voucher hotline on 07471 753436, 10 am to 12 noon, Monday to Thursday or for all other enquiries or questions please call the general number: 07494226743, 10am to 4pm Monday to Thursday or fill out an online enquiry form here:
www.dorkingarea.foodbank.org.uk/contact-us

Leatherhead Foodbank

Venue: Leatherhead Community Hub, Kingston Road, Leatherhead, KT22 7PX

Opening times: Saturdays 10-11:30am

Our foodbank works with a number of different agencies, such as Citizens Advice, children’s centres and health visitors. To find out more about the agencies that hold our vouchers and how you can get help, please call us on 0208 786 8221 or email us on foodbank@goodcompany.org.uk

Community Activities and Support

Chart Downs Social Club

– Craft Club – Fridays 10am – 11.30am
– Comfort Cafe – Fridays 12pm – 1.30pm

The Harvest Church

– Creation Cafe – Craft Group – Tuesdays – 1pm-5pm – Craft and Soup
– Community Cafe – Thurdays & Fridays – 9.30am – 11am

Saint Mary’s Church Fetcham

Afternoon Teas last Saturday of each month 3 – 4:30 PM

Footprints (toddler group) – Wednesdays – 10-11:30 AM

Coffee mornings & Hear Here Clinic (Hearing Aid Clinic; retubing, ear mould cleaning & battery replacement – NHS hearing Aids) 3rd Thursday of the month -10:30am –12pm

Repair cafe and coffee shop first Saturday of the month 10:00 – 1:00 PM

Bereavement café – 1st Thursday of month 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Men’s breakfast club – 3rd Saturday of the month 9:30 AM till 11:30 AM

Leatherhead Community Hub –LCH – What’s on

Old School House Café open 9-2 Tuesday-Saturday

Advice Café every Thursday 9:30 – 11:30

Wescott Village Hub – Home | Westcott Community Hub

Free Kids Meals every school holiday, no purchase necessary, whenever we’re open.

Free Lunch, Hot Drink available to all via the Ripple Effect Board whenever open.

Locals, Westcott, delivery of a Referral Bag if through local support group.

TRANSPORT

Connect service Surrey Connect: on demand bus service – Surrey County Council
Surrey Connect is a safe and reliable bus sharing service connecting you to your local community. It is available to everyone in Surrey in the areas shown on the map. (please click link to navigate to map)

Mole Valley Life – Community Transport Community Transport – Mole Valley Life

We will pick you up from your home and transport you around Mole Valley.
Booking a journey

Call us on 0300 123 7749 between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday (please note that lines will be closed from 12 – 1pm) to book.

You must register as a member to use this service – find out more on our Keep Mobile page. Keep Mobile – Mole Valley Life

Good Neighbours Schemes
There are over 100 voluntary good neighbour schemes in Surrey. Most of the groups take people to and from hospital, GP and other health appointments. Some groups offer befriending, shopping, library book and prescription collections, or run lunch and social clubs. It is always worth asking if a Good Neighbours group can help you. To find your nearest scheme, enter your postcode on the website: Good Neighbours – mole valley

COUNCIL SUPPORT

Surrey County Council – Everyday Essentials
Surrey County Council has launched a new Everyday Essentials E-voucher scheme that eligible residents can apply for to help with everyday living costs. The Everyday Essentials E-voucher can be redeemed at a supermarket of the recipient’s choice to help with buying everyday essentials.

Everyday Essentials E-voucher Scheme – Help with everyday living costs – Surrey County Council (The next E-Voucher scheme application window will open on Tuesday 2 December at 10am)

MOLE VALLEY

Fairfield Centre

The Fairfield Centre offers a warm welcome to all aged 60+. The Centre is open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm. There is a café offering beverages and light snacks open from 10am to 3.30pm and a nutritious, home-style cooked two-course hot meal is served daily at 12.30pm (alternative selections also available).

We have classes to help you feel stronger and more steady, improve your balance and increase your confidence for everyday activities, as well as Tai chi, singing, art, knitting and much more

PARISH COUNCILS AND RESIDENT ASSOCIATIONS

Most (not all) Residents Associations and Parish Councils have a dedicated website where you can find out up to date information about where you live. Some also have social media accounts where you can also ask questions and stay informed about your local community. Please see the links below from the Mole Valley District Council website for more details on Parish Councils and Residents Associations in Mole Valley.

Residents’ Associations – Mole Valley District Council

Parish Councils – Mole Valley District Council

Useful websites:

Citizens Advice Mole Valley – Citizens Advice Mole Valley

Mole Valley District Council – Homepage Live – Mole Valley District Council

Mole Valley Life – Mole Valley Life – Your Life. Your Journey. Share it with us

Central Surrey Voluntary Action – Home – Central Surrey Voluntary Action

Connect to Support – Home Page | Connect to Support Surrey

Surrey County Council – Surrey County Council

Healthy Surrey – Healthy Surrey

Family Information Service – Family Information Service – Surrey County Council

Useful Phone numbers

Make a difference to the community you live in! Want to find out more?

What is a Parish Council?
A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish.  It is the level government closest to the community, with the district authority (Mole Valley District Council) above it in the hierarchy. As it is the authority closest to the people, parish councils are invariably the first place people will go with concerns or ideas.  For this reason they are a vital part of any community.

Why become a Parish Councillor?
If you’ve never been to a parish council meeting before, you may be forgiven for thinking that parish councillors are a group of (probably older) people who meet now and then in a draughty village hall.  If, however, you live in a community where something ‘big’ has happened, you’ll know that when people in the community need support and guidance, it is sometimes the parish council that is turned to.

By becoming a parish councillor, you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support – a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve. Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, is something that can give you a sense of achievement and pride.

What decisions do Parish Councils make?
Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community.  Probably the most common topics that parish councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), crime prevention, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.

It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions.  But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the borough council, health authorities, police etc).

In this respect parish councils are extremely powerful.  The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.

How much time does it take up?
Leigh Parish Council usually meet once a month for the council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited.  Meetings normally last up to two hours, depending on the agenda set for the meeting to discuss.  In addition to the regular meetings, councillors are  sometimes asked to attend other meetings representing the council.

How long does a parish councillor serve for?
Once elected, parish councillors sit on the council for a maximum of four years.  If they then want to stay in the post they can stand for re-election.

Am I eligible to be a Parish Councillor?
To stand for election on a parish council, you must:

• be a UK or commonwealth citizen, or;
• be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or;
• be a citizen of another Member state of the European Union;
• be a least 18 years old.

To be eligible to stand for an election for a particular parish, you must:

• be an elector of the parish, or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months have occupied (as owner or tenant) land or other premises in the parish, or;
• during the previous 12 months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.

You don’t have to be connected to a political party.

If you do become a parish councillor you will have to sign up to the Code of Conduct.

What powers do parish councils have?
They have a wide range of powers which essentially related to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, bus shelters, car parks and much more.  The council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept.  The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax.  The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the district council, which collects the tax for the parish council.

Parish Duties – Leigh Parish Council meets at Leigh Cricket Pavilion on the 3rd Monday of a month in the evening from 7:30pm (apart from August). There are currently 2 vacancies which means that new councillors if suitable, can be co-opted on without election.

Don’t take our word for it! The best way to find out what it’s like to be a parish councillor is to talk to someone who’s doing it now.  Come along to a parish council meeting, or speak to one of our councillors and find out what they think of the job.

If you contact the clerk on leighparishcouncil@gmail.com they will put you in touch.

Make a difference to the community you live in! Want to find out more?

What is a Parish Council?
A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish.  It is the level government closest to the community, with the district authority (Mole Valley District Council) above it in the hierarchy. As it is the authority closest to the people, parish councils are invariably the first place people will go with concerns or ideas.  For this reason they are a vital part of any community.

Why become a Parish Councillor?
If you’ve never been to a parish council meeting before, you may be forgiven for thinking that parish councillors are a group of (probably older) people who meet now and then in a draughty village hall.  If, however, you live in a community where something ‘big’ has happened, you’ll know that when people in the community need support and guidance, it is sometimes the parish council that is turned to.

By becoming a parish councillor, you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support – a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve. Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, is something that can give you a sense of achievement and pride.

What decisions do Parish Councils make?
Parish councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community.  Probably the most common topics that parish councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), crime prevention, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.

It’s true to say that on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions.  But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the borough council, health authorities, police etc).

In this respect parish councils are extremely powerful.  The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.

How much time does it take up?
Leigh Parish Council usually meet once a month for the council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited.  Meetings normally last up to two hours, depending on the agenda set for the meeting to discuss.  In addition to the regular meetings, councillors are  sometimes asked to attend other meetings representing the council.

How long does a parish councillor serve for?
Once elected, parish councillors sit on the council for a maximum of four years.  If they then want to stay in the post they can stand for re-election.

Am I eligible to be a Parish Councillor?
To stand for election on a parish council, you must:

• be a UK or commonwealth citizen, or;

• be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or;

• be a citizen of another Member state of the European Union;

• be a least 18 years old.

To be eligible to stand for an election for a particular parish, you must:

• be an elector of the parish, or;

• for the whole of the previous 12 months have occupied (as owner or tenant) land or other premises in the parish, or;

• during the previous 12 months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;

• for the whole of the previous 12 months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.

You don’t have to be connected to a political party.

If you do become a parish councillor you will have to sign up to the Code of Conduct.

What powers do parish councils have?
They have a wide range of powers which essentially related to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, bus shelters, car parks and much more.  The council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept.  The precept is the parish council’s share of the council tax.  The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the district council, which collects the tax for the parish council.

Parish Duties – Leigh Parish Council meets at Leigh Cricket Pavilion on the 3rd Monday of a month in the evening from 7:30pm (apart from August). There are currently 2 vacancies which means that new councillors if suitable, can be co-opted on without election.

Don’t take our word for it! The best way to find out what it’s like to be a parish councillor is to talk to someone who’s doing it now.  Come along to a parish council meeting, or speak to one of our councillors and find out what they think of the job.

If you contact the clerk on leighparishcouncil@gmail.com they will put you in touch.

It is with sadness that we report the news that  Ted Brain passed away last Wednesday 3rd May.  In his long time living in Leigh, Ted served on the parish council and for many years looked after The Spinney, the patch of woodland behind the recreation ground.  Our thoughts are with his wife Caryl and his family at this time.