Tandridge REPF grant success stories

The current guide group in Lingfield has been in place for 12 years.

They currently have 28 Guides and 8 Rangers and four leaders with the Guides and two with the Rangers, plus two university students who help when they can, particularly on camps.

Camping and cooking in the outdoors

The grant enabled the purchase of three new tents and a camping stove to allow them to take Guides and Rangers away on camp, to experience sleeping and cooking in the outdoors and a large tent to do activities in when its raining.

Successful summer camp

Following a fundraising event, the guides raised enough money to be able to make their purchases with the help of the REPF grant. The guides had the pleasure of going on Summer camp in the Peak District and test out all their purchases - sleeping in their new tents, cooking with their new campaign stove and new gas gridle, keeping warm with cups of teas thanks to their new gas water heater and doing activities in the dry under their gala tent.

• Total project costs: £1,651.94
• Grant: £1,651.94

Agility Films is a socially conscious local film and corporate production company that specializes in creating branded content and documentaries for local businesses and social initiatives in Surrey and Sussex. Established in 2018 to develop digital marketing solutions for small, medium enterprises in the local community, they have been crafting film and videos that tell stories since 2022.

Film equipment and accessories

The grant enabled the purchase of additional high quality cameras and accessories including two cameras and a camera mount, five lights, two camera lights, two camera lenses, two grips, three monitors, two wireless transmission combos, and eight batteries.

More competitive, higher quality offering

The new equipment has enhanced their operational flexibility, enabling multiple teams to film concurrently on different projects. Additionally, they are now better equipped to manage larger, more complex productions, utilising multiple cameras to capture diverse perspectives and deliver polished, professional results. The project has allowed Agility Films to compete for high profile opportunities with Linear TV networks and major streaming platforms.

• Total project costs: £24,480
• Grant: £12,240
• Jobs created: 5

The farm produces organic, free-range pork and beef for the local community as well as raw honey. It employs three staff, two volunteers and uses regenerative practices for healthy soil. They hold open community days and wildlife walks on the farm and the produce is sold at local markets. There is an opportunity and demand for more knowledge sharing.

Teaching spaces

The grant enabled the conversion of a disused barn into classrooms, with electrics and handwash facilities and the installation of two compostable toilets suitable for children, the self-contained site is fully accessible. The adjacent old walled garden lends itself nicely to planting with a variety of fruit and vegetables and to hold the outdoor classes.

Learning and growing food

A partnership with the Harmony Project is helping the development of a science curriculum for schools which could also cover geography, maths, history, art and many other subjects. Six schools are already interested in the ability to run classes all year around, visiting termly, to show nature evolving across the year and for children to learn about growing food and managing land. An over 11years old day/week holiday club would also be offered.

• Total Project costs: £34,205
• Grant: £17,102.31
• Job created: 2

Founded in 1929, Bletchingley Bowls Club is a community group which prides itself as having one of the best playing surfaces in East Surrey. It caters for male and female members of all ages and abilities. Competitions and regular social events are held throughout the year, creating an opportunity to remain socially connected for members year round. Maintenance of the club, including the bowling green, is done by volunteers.

Electric hover mower and switcher

The grant allowed the club to buy a battery powered hover mower and a switcher. The battery powered hover mower assists the cutting of grass, especially along a steep bank, where maintenance is otherwise time consuming and dangerous for the volunteers. While the switcher is required to deal with worm casts and dew on the playing field, so members can play on smooth even ground.

Improving the environment

In a rural setting bowls is both an important sport and social venue. It promotes regular physical activity along with wellbeing. Proper care of the green should attract new people to join. The battery powered mower is more environmentally friendly than a petrol mower, reducing air, noise pollution and the club's carbon footprint.

The club has now planted non self seeding flora around the green to increase the variety of plants and bio-diversity, and help reduce the impact of the self- seeding plants onto the green.

• Total project costs: £1,288.68
• Grant: £1,288.68

Brightleigh Farm, family owned since 1959, covers 150 acres of which 30 are woodland. The family farms beef cattle and some rare breed pigs, farming with regenerative principles, working with the soil and nature to produce nutritious beef, pork and chicken.

Expanding and modernising the farm shop

The farm had a small shop, selling fresh and frozen meat and eggs, sited in an old building with freezers elsewhere and customers often left queuing outside. The expansion into a larger space, along with new freezer display storage and a coffee machine much improves the customer experience.

Driving revenue and growth

The expanded shop enables the farm to operate more productively, carry more stock, encourage more customers to site and looking to buy local produce grown to a high welfare standard. The shop adds value to the farm’s homegrown produce, increasing revenues and will generate a part time retail role in the near future.

• Total project costs: £33,848
• Grant: £16,925
• Job created: 0.25

By Holly is a start up hairdressing business. Holly is a 22 year old sole trader with over 2 years experience as a stylist since completing her apprenticeship. She covers a range of services with a specialty in balayage (hand colouring) and blonding.

Salon equipment and furniture

Funding was awarded to purchase the big items needed for By Holly to set up. This included a reception desk, a sofa for customers to wait for their appointment, one basin chair, two salon chairs, a salon trolley, curling tongs, hairdryer, straighteners, scissors, a mirror and salon shelves, as well as a fridge and washing machine and the plumbing work required for the wash basin.

New rural business

The project has allowed Holly to set up her own business and eventually take on more staff to train up. One of the salon chairs will be for Holly herself, with two other chairs, opening the possibility of a chair rent and training an apprentice. Her clients which have followed her from her previous move have been positive and her market research on Instagram has shown customers are 98% positive towards the move.

• Total project costs: £5,477.81
• Grant: £4,382.25
• Job created: 1.5

Starting in 2019, Ceramic Fitch has grown. Moving in 2020 to Brightleigh Farm, Julie Fitch Davey delivers pottery classes for people to learn to throw their own masterpiece and she also sells her handmade functional tableware ceramic pieces. She makes all her own glazes with the guarantee that they are all food safe, non-toxic and lead free.

Studio extension and sales area

A grant was awarded to fund building work to expand the studio and sales space, and purchase shelving for the shop, as well as additional pottery equipment, two pottery wheels and a mill to recycle the clay.

Set for growth

The new extended, insulated space allows for more customers to attend classes and gives Julie more room to create and sell her own works. Adding insulation in the building enables the pottery business to run all year round and customers to be more comfortable whilst in the studio. Thanks to the mill, clay can be recycled making the business more sustainable.

• Total project costs: £27,660.23
• Grant: £13,830.12
• Job created: 0.6

Since 1980, Surrey Young Framers is a charity who have organised the annual Cowpie Country Show. The event hosts the Surrey County Federation of Young Farmers Clubs' outdoor competition, raising money for the charity and giving the public an exciting day out.

Storage containers

Thanks to the three new lockable 25 foot storage containers, all the equipment and setting for the show can now be stored securely onsite rather than over 20 miles away and having to be transported using a large tractor and 25 foot trailer over at least four journeys.

Savings

Having storage onsite simplifies the set up and take down of the event, saving time for the volunteers, between the driving, loading and unloading as well as cutting miles, traffic, saving fuel costs and reducing the event's carbon footprint.

• Total project costs: £8,634
• Grant: £6,907

Derelict village hall

Originally built in the 1920s, this large village hall had become derelict. Saved from demolition in 2021, by over 100 passionate villagers, it is now set up as a charity providing community spaces and a youth club.

Equipment, flooring, furniture and curtains

Funding was awarded for equipment, kitchen, lighting, wifi, tables and chairs, entertainment equipment such as a TV and a pool table as well as flooring and heavy duty curtains to split up rooms, allowing multiple groups to use the hall at the same time.

New spaces ready for hire

The aim now is to make the hall a social centre for the village, hiring it out to public and private companies at below market rates. Events such as fairs, memorial services, exercise and dance classes and other social groups such as youth groups will all be welcome to use the space.

• Total project costs: £19,699
• Grant: £15,759

Established in 2006, Head2Head is a charity serving the special needs community, helping children and young people with learning difficulties, brain injuries, and those with sensory impairments to enjoy interactive theatre experiences.

Creating a memory cafe

The project delivered a memory cafe for those living with dementia and their carers to stimulate and entertain with live music, therapy, arts and crafts. Funds were also used to install safety vinyl flooring, a full kitchen, stage platforms with access for wheelchairs and a mobile interactive table.

Making full use of the available space

After two years developing the barn, including solar panel heating and air conditioning, a Changing Places toilet, the cafe, studio and sensory room, this project completes the work to enable all the key activities that the founder had planned for the charity. The surrounding community is also very supportive as the facility becomes a unique centre for social engagement.

• Total project costs: £46,161
• Grant: £36,929
• Job created: 0.35

Kate Creative is a famiy run pottery painting studio, trading since 2016 and situated in Lingfield. It offers creative activities like clay and glitter workshops, foam clay making, bear building as well as pottery painting on pre moulded products and keepsake making like handprint plates. They also run a mobile studio that travels across the south east and offer after school clubs in the local area.

New electric kiln

The existing electric kiln holds 90 litres and is firing five times a week. The grant enabled the purchase of a new more efficient 227 litre electric kiln with wifi touchscreen controller, reducing their kiln firing to twice a week. The new kiln is bigger so fits a lot more pieces requiring less frequent use and it is also better insulated, more efficient and uses less power.

Offer expansion and growth

This larger kiln allowed the business to expand into offering evening parties for adults and an increased number of events as they would not be restricted due to the kiln capacity essentially future proofing the business.

• Total project costs: £9,245
• Grant: £4,623

The Centre has been running for 30 years. Its facilities are used for a wide range of classes for people of all ages, such as art classes, cooking and computer tuition, a busy nursery for young children and health related activities. They support vulnerable groups in society and provide the kitchen used by the local Meals on Wheels service. Lingfield parish council and Surrey Police both have offices at the Centre. The Centre also holds regular film nights, talks, plays and musical events.

New IT and AV equipment

A grant was awarded to fund new Information Technology (IT) equipment - three computers and ethernet switch as well as Audio Visual (AV) equipment, blackout blinds and chairs for a new AV room.

Improving digital access and audiovisual offer

The newly refurbished Jennings Hall now offers high quality audio-visual equipment permitting films and other presentations to be shown to audiences. This room is now available for rent to societies, businesses and others operating in the local community.

• Total project costs: £10,839.44
• Grant: £5,417.22

Next Step Removals was started in June 2024 by Jake and Sam. They previously worked for a removal company in East Sussex for two years and offer house and commercial removals and a man and van service in and around Woldingham and surrounding areas.

New van

The grant enabled the purchase of a second hand diesel Ford Transit Luton with tail lift. The van was chosen on its range, suitability for the types of jobs they currently are being booked for, allowing for easy loading.

Double output and halving time

The business has already increased their marketing to ensure they get more bookings. By having two vans they can attend different jobs or speed up the moves and removals rather than making two journeys.

• Total project costs: £16,000
• Grant: £8,000
• Jobs created: 2

In 2017, Matthew and Betsy founded Nutfield Dairy at Brays Farm in Nutfield as first generation farmers. They farm regeneratively and manage a herd of 25 pedigree Dairy Shorthorn cows, a milking parlour, dairy and milk processing room. The cows are used to improve the soil, which grows their food.

Mobile farm shop

The project created a mobile farm shop by converting and repurposing their existing milk float to carry whole milk and semi skimmed milk dispenser, a yogurt dispenser and a fridge to store its popular homemade cheeses as well as natural flavourings for milkshakes and ice cream.

Diversification community shop

The Nutfield Express now has 3 local trading locations, facilitating and promoting a reuse, refill, approach and enabling the business to diversify and increase revenue. These rural sites serve the wider community, including those less able to travel. The float has rechargeable batteries and is fully self sufficient, keeping the battery topped up using solar panels on the roof, keeping running costs low.

• Total project costs: £39,270
• Grant: £30,336
• Job created: 0.5

Purchased in 1985, this family-owned business offers a post office, newsagents and convenience grocery store selling One Stop products. They also sell take away coffee and freshly baked bread and croissants.

Shop extension and refit with solar panels

Funding was awarded to purchase energy efficient refrigeration equipment, shelving, and flooring to finish the shop extension and refurbishment along with the installation of solar panels

Increased shop floor, creation of a cafe and lowering of running costs

Now the business sell a wider range of products with stock from local farmers and suppliers of fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy. The extension also allowed them to open a community cafe, which they were particularly keen to do for their regular older or isolated customers who benefit greatly from staying connected with the other locals. It’s created a new social hub for the community.

• Total project costs: £84,981
• Grant: £42,490.50 
• Job created: 2

Only Dogs started in February 2024. The business is situated in the centre of Lingfield and offers all aspects of grooming for dogs, covering every breed from mini Chihuahuas to giant Great Danes. The salon offers bathing, blow dry, nail clipping, coat trims, hand stripping, teeth cleaning and special VIP packages. Beky and Michelle also find the time to offer regular free dog grooming for their local dog rescue charity - Last Chance Animal Rescue.

Opportunity to grow and extend services

The project helped increase productivity in the bathing area and usage of space to enable a new team member with further plans to take on an apprentice. There are now two bathing areas with showers and an additional grooming table which also then enables the salon to open its doors to cat grooming, ever more popular with designer breeds such as Ragdolls and Maine Coons, which is not currently offered locally.

Shop upgrade and additional equipment

The project enhanced the dog bathing area to upgrade the existing bathing facilities and add a new dog bath with shower as well as getting an additional grooming table.

• Total project cost: £7,265 
• Grant: £3,632
• Jobs created: 1.5

The Peacock Lodge is a traditional country pub serving good value fresh food. It has recently been fully refurbished to much improve its facilities and offers a diverse culinary selection to a growing customer base.

Enhancing its outdoor space

The project renovated an outdoor patio area to provide a level, accessible, safe and attractive paved surface with new garden tables and chairs and a large stretch tent to provide a facility which enabled year-round cover and extended the usable space for customers to enjoy.

Alfresco dining year-round

The new and improved covered area enables the business to offer customers and families an alternative to its inside hospitality space. It can now be used both in the summer months and during the rest of the year, as heating and lighting have been installed. The additional area increases custom and brings new revenue to the pub.

• Total project costs: £48,127
• Grant: £24,063
• Job created: 2.5

Rhizo Studio is a start up film production company based in Tatsfield, Surrey combining filmmaking and multi modal art. The business was founded by Jack Lafone-Hill, a young filmmaker/artist who plans to create an ecological and socially conscious film and art studio. Jack specialises in both narrative and documentary films, artwork and graphic design, environmental and multimodal designs merchandise.

Professional photographic equipment

Purchasing new to Rhizo high quality filmmaking, lighting and editing kit enhanced the new studio’s capacity for producing films and art installations. It also scaled opportunity to secure additional film contracts and establish the start-up business.

Opportunity to grow and spread sustainability expertise

The project allows Jack to better compete with other businesses and freelancers on larger scale productions as he has the right equipment to be considered. The studio will also host workshops and publish online videos on sustainable filmmaking, eco-friendly design and bio-art, providing valuable educational opportunities to raise environmental awareness and equip participants with enhanced, practical sustainability skills.

• Total project cost: £10,914
• Grant: £5,457
• Jobs created: 0.4

Smallfield Flower Farm was created following their daughter's wedding with home grown flowers. The flowers are grown mainly outdoors without additional light or heat, in an acre field on the family livestock farm in Smallfield. They grow beautiful, seasonal flowers for bouquets, jam jar posies, DIY weddings and wholesale to florists.

Irrigation and deer fencing

The farm wanted to continue their gentle approach using homemade compost from the farm’s own cows/chicken, flowers picked fresh and simply wrapped in paper or within florists' own containers and beehives for pollination. So, to take the production to the next level the flower farm needed to protect the flowers from deer who love to munch on them with deer fencing and water the flowers more sustainably with an irrigation system and buying a computer and printer.

Improving yield and increasing variety

The new deer fencing will be supporting climbing flowering plants to extend the flowers on offer as well as protecting seedlings and plants from roaming munching deer – enabling higher yields. The irrigation system will save watering time, improve efficiency and productivity, freeing more time to grow more flowers

• Total project costs: £33,403
• Grant: £5,481 
• Job created: 0.5

Established in 1893, the South Nutfield cricket club is a not- for-profit organisation, with programmes for children aged 5-11, five junior teams, four Saturday teams for adults and juniors, as well as a mid-week ladies’ team. It has almost 150 juniors and 60 adult members.

It’s a community club with grounds open to the public, so the field remains in use all year round, including for the local primary school events.

New cricket wicket

In partnership with Nutfield Parish Council, under-used playing fields were identified. The cricket club was awarded a grant to fund the addition of an artificial cricket wicket to form a second cricket pitch. An artificial cricket wicket placed between two football pitches requires little maintenance and means both sports clubs can use the space throughout the year without affecting each other.

More playtime, revenue and environmentally friendly maintenance

South Nutfield Cricket Club can now host the ever growing number of members and work with other local cricket clubs too, hiring out the additional pitch so they can all benefit and by shifting some of the matches to the second ground, there is less pressure on the main cricket ground so it can return to using more natural maintenance methods and not use fertilisers as they previously had to do.

• Total project cost: £24,828
• Grant awarded: £12,768

Soup Presents was set up in 2023 by Holly and Amy who have established a wonderful rural venue, developed partnerships to grow their events business named Tale & Hitch, offering festive style weddings, corporate awaydays and bespoke performances.

Low energy lighting for safe walkway

The business had most of the necessary infrastructure on its picturesque lakeside venue to hold wedding ceremonies. The new lighting festoons are strung along pathways leading from the car park to the lake and the wedding marquee creating a safe magical woodland walkway from the car park to the venue.

Adding more charm to the venue

The new festoon lighting transform the woodland path into a magical journey to the venue, allowing the team to show the venue in its best light to prospective brides, grooms and other event planners when selecting their special location in this unique environment, adding soft lighting and creating a magical, welcoming and warming atmosphere.

• Total project costs: £4,174
• Grant: £2,087 
• Job created: 1.5

Set up in 1998, the Orpheus Centre is an independent specialist arts college and charity in Godstone, which focuses on developing independence skills through the medium of the arts and makes big improvements to the lives of young disabled adults. 22 students live onsite and 42 students attend daily classes. 

New reception and access area

The grant enabled the move and expansion of the reception area, as well as an access area in front with barriers, the entrance door moved, new windows along the front of the glass fronted building and new reception furniture installed. It is saving time and resources as the doors don’t need two fully abled adults to man them.

Business growth and opportunities

The work has addressed the issue of crowding at the start of the day and improves accessibility. The reception can now be manned by disabled volunteers. It provides better access for all visitors and safeguarding is also improved by ensuring a safer entrance and day and crossing. The increased capacity supports the college growth to 100 students.

• Total project costs: £98,511
• Grant: £49,256

Titsey Brewing Co, is a small, independent brewery, crafting traditional ales and authentic lagers. Established in 2017 from an old bunker at the Botley Farmhouse and relocated to larger premises at Clarks Lane Farm in 2023, it now employs six staff including two brewers, an operations manager, two sales staff and a delivery driver.

New metal kegs and keg washer

The grant enabled the brewery to move from renting kegs and casks which is expensive and unreliable and sending the kegs to an outside company for washing to being more self sufficient with the purchase of their own metal kegs and keg washer.

Improved efficiency to meet growing demand

The investment enabled the business to significantly improve their production efficiency – keeping the production going and preventing any stop due to cask or keg unavailability, streamline operations, as it's now all onsite and reduce environmental impact. The energy-efficient keg washer allows for faster keg cleaning, minimising downtime and ensuring the kegs are ready for reuse with no compromise in quality. The owned-kegs also help meet growing demand, increase sales through product availability.

• Total project cost: £54,935 
• Grant: £27,467
• Job created: 1

Warren Clark Golfing Dreams was started in 2016 as a not-for-profit company, to provide golf tuition to people with autism and special needs. Warren is a qualified golf coach and the only autistic golf coach in the UK.

He currently spends his time teaching golf to disadvantaged and disabled individuals at his Horne Park Golf club and other clubs in the Southeast. There are 50 volunteers, speaking 12 languages as well as sign language between them. Horne Park Golf Club hosted the Special Olympics golf event in 2024.

New cabin with golf simulator

The grant enabled a wooden cabin to be placed at the Horne Park Golf course as a small standalone room with a golf and multi-sport simulator offering over 60 sports and including a projector and 3D motion cameras.

Improving access to sport

The new cabin and simulator can be used by Warren to teach visitors to play golf (and any other of the sports), it allows teaching within a controlled environment. As Warren is a qualified autistic coach, many of the guests may have learning difficulties, but this is a community facility and is open to anyone who would like to use it, including, some Muslim women who do not want to practice sports in open facilities in views of men.

• Total project costs: £118,702.47
• Grant: £34,796.27 
• Job created: 1

Viewpoint is a registered charity based in Dormansland, launched in 2017. It promotes social inclusion for those aged 8-24 using unmounted, horse-based interventions with specially trained horses. It has also recently set up ‘Men at Walk' a monthly, group country walk support. 

Farm transport and new fencing

The farm is over 60 acres with an urgent need for a suitable buggy to transport people safely and at a reasonable pace between the various activity points. In addition, it required secure fencing to ensure the safety of visitors and horses and a jet wash to maintain some of the pathways.

Facilitating social inclusion

The planned expansion of activities on the farm will bring many new people to the centre. As well as those who will attend their ‘ReStart’ course, additional nature based activities are planned for roll out – including a Forest School, pond dipping, vegetable growing , cooking and more.

• Total project costs: £17,110
• Grant: £17,110