We’re so excited to announce that The Wolfson Foundation has awarded Surrey Support Service £35,000 for home improvements to support people in an even more personalised way.

The refurbishment project will take place at Surrey Support Service in Surbiton and will provide for the evolving needs of five young people who require greater space to support their mobility and develop their unique interests. Their Home for the Future will increase internal space with the addition of a conservatory and accessible kitchen, while the outdoor space will be transformed through creating an interactive sensory garden and accessible planting area, as well as specialist, sensory equipment.

Our in-house specialist support team offers speech and language therapy, positive behaviour support, physiotherapy, vision rehabilitation and optometry – making SeeAbility one of the only social care providers in the UK to offer such personalised and ambitious support.

Welcoming the grant was Norma Williams, Manager of the home in Surbiton, who said:

Winning this grant means we’ll be able to provide more personalised support. The additional spaces will offer more opportunities for them to exercise choice and control which, in turn, will help them to relax and explore different interests. We’ve identified that, as the people we support develop their skills and mobility, they require greater space to manoeuvre, explore their abilities and socialise. Over the last decade, they have become more active and have been encouraged to have greater ownership over every aspect of their lives. To help these young people achieve these goals, we must now ensure their home continues to meet their evolving needs - by creating additional space, installing adaptations and developing the environment.

Now, thanks to the continued support of The Wolfson Foundation, their accommodation will continue to meets their needs and truly be a ‘Home for the Future.’

2019 saw our celebrations for our 220th birthday, as well as 20 years of working in partnership with The Wolfson Foundation. Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of The Wolfson Foundation said:

The planned work at SeeAbility’s Surrey Support Service in Surbiton will enable the young people they support to achieve greater independence leading to happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives. The Wolfson Foundation is delighted to have been working in partnership with SeeAbility for 20 years now, and this particular refurbishment grant will make a fundamental difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities and sight loss in Surrey.