Family Voice Surrey

09/06/2026

🌟 Surrey Youth Voice Awards 2025 – Nominations Now Open! 🌟

Family Voice Surrey is delighted to share that nominations are now open for the Surrey Youth Voice awards!

These annual awards celebrate the incredible achievements, resilience, and contributions of young people across Surrey. Organised by Surrey Youth Voice and the User Voice and Participation Team, the awards recognise young people and groups who are making a positive difference in their communities.

🏆 Award Categories:
• Youth Voice and Participation Champion
• Championing Climate Action and Greener Futures
• Wellbeing Award
• Education Achievement Award
• Employment Achievement Award
• Inclusivity Award
• Young Unsung Hero Award

Do you know a young person or group who deserves recognition? Whether they've championed inclusion, supported the wellbeing of others, taken action on environmental issues, or overcome challenges in education or employment, now is the time to celebrate their achievements.

💡 Individuals and groups can be nominated, with their consent.

For al the details on how to vote please see here: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/children/support-and-advice/youth-voice/news-and-events/awards

📅 Nominations close at midnight on 1 October.

Let's help shine a spotlight on Surrey's amazing young people and the difference they make every day. 💙

08/06/2026

🧡 CARERS WEEK 2026 STARTS TODAY 🧡

This year's Carers Week theme is "Building Carer Friendly Communities"

At Family Voice Surrey, we know that many parents and carers and siblings of children and young people with additional needs and disabilities provide care and support every day, often while balancing work, family life and their own wellbeing.

If you're looking after someone who couldn't manage without your help, please remember that you don't have to do it alone. Support is available, and reaching out can make a real difference.

This Carers Week, let's celebrate the incredible contribution of unpaid carers and work together to create communities where carers feel seen, understood and supported. A carer-friendly community is one where carers are recognised, listened to and connected with the help they need.

For support in Surrey, you may wish to contact:

💙 Action for Carers Surrey - offering information, advice, wellbeing support and services for unpaid carers across Surrey.

Or for national national support for carers, including young carers and local support networks you could visit Carers UK and Carers Trust

Carers Week runs from 8–14 June 2026.

08/06/2026

🌞The Appeer Holiday Club will take place in August in Woking.

🌞This group is for autistic girls aged 7-14+. The club will take place on Tuesday 4th August, Thursday 6th August, Tuesday 11th, Thursday 13th from 11am to 3pm. Ideally each participant will attend all sessions but you are able to book on to individual sessions if this suits you better.

🌞We will have around 12 girls in each group with 3 or 4 staff to facilitate. The aim of our sessions is always to encourage peer connections through skills focused activities. This summer's Holiday Club has the theme "Happy, Healthy Me" and we will be focusing on health and wellbeing through our activities.

🌞Activities will include:

🍳Cooking: Make your own lunches! Smoothie making, fruit tasting and more!
🎨Crafts: Carving, squishy making, Shrinkies, Drawing and Painting and more!
👾Indoor/Outdoor Games

Register your interest here: https://forms.office.com/e/69jFYxTJ4u

✅Some places can be fully funded by HAF from Surrey County Council if you are in receipt of certain benefits. See our listing here: https://eequ.org/book/appeer-holiday-club-with-appeer-community-interest-company-30166

05/06/2026

📢 We have TWO great events happening next week on 9th June and we'd love you to join us!

💻 12:30pm – Join us online for our second session on the draft EHCNA Request Form for parents, carers and young people.

Together we will:
✔️ Share feedback already submitted through our online form
✔️ Review the draft form
✔️ Discuss how easy it is to understand and complete

We'll be exploring:
🔹 Are the questions clear?
🔹 Are there any barriers for parents or carers?
🔹 What additional guidance would be helpful?

👉 Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1988083399967?aff=oddtdtcreator

🌟 5:30pm–7:30pm – Post-16 Preparing for Adulthood Showcase
Join Family Voice Surrey at East Surrey College, London Road, Redhill.

There is no need to book – just drop in anytime between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.

This is a fantastic opportunity to:
✨ Discover local schools and services
✨ Get helpful information about post-16 options
✨ Connect with other families and professionals in your community

We look forward to seeing you at one or both events next week!

05/06/2026

The Surrey SEND Local Offer latest AND newsletter is available to read online: https://news.comms.surreycc.info/pa2/Design/u5-h7cj4

The latest AND newsletter is out now! This edition includes information about Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP), upcoming events and ways to share your feedback: https://orlo.uk/R6O61

03/06/2026

🔴 LIVE NOW!

Do you have a question you'd like to ask or feedback you'd like to share?

Our Participation Managers, Kate and Leanne, are online and available to chat with parent carers now until 12:30pm.

💬 Drop in at any point this morning to discuss what's important to you, ask questions, or share your experiences and views.

We'd love to hear from you!

👉 Please use the registration link below to join the session: 8d92553c-eb3c-4e6f-b55a-eecd564c75b1@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8d92553c-eb3c-4e6f-b55a-eecd564c75b1@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b

02/06/2026

Join Family Voice Surrey at our next Additional Needs Showcase on 16th June, taking place at Eastwood Leisure Centre, Sheerwater, from 9:30am – 2:00pm.

Come along and say hello! Organised in partnership with Surrey SEND Local Offer, the showcase is a fantastic opportunity for families and professionals to meet, connect, and explore local services and support available in the area.

We are also excited to invite you to our Post-16 Showcase taking place on 9th June, from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at East Surrey College, Redhill.

This is a fantastic opportunity to:
✨ Discover local schools and services available
✨ Get helpful information about post-16 options
✨ Connect with others in your community

Perfect for families with children of secondary school age and above.

👉 No need to book for either event - just turn up.

For more details: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/.../additional-needs-service... See less

02/06/2026

UPDATE:

Thank you for taking the trouble to feedback and for telling us your views.

Family Voice Surrey (FVS) was only made aware of this change late last week during the half-term break, with very little notice.

To be transparent, we had no prior involvement in, or communication about these changes. We feel your frustration and are actively working to obtain more information so we can better understand these changes and provide updates as they become available.

Understandably, this announcement has raised questions and concerns for many parent carers, particularly as some families may not yet have received information directly about what these changes mean for their child or family and heard it first from FVS.

As soon as we became aware of the situation, we contacted Surrey County Council's (SCC) SEND Team to seek further information and clarification. We are already collating the questions and feedback we have received and will be raising these further with the SEND Team.

We will share any information and updates with you as soon as we are able.

If you have any questions, concerns or feedback that you would like us to include in these discussions with SCC SEND Team , please email them to [email protected].

Original Post:

We wanted to inform you on an important update from Surrey County Council taking effect from 1st June. Please see link for details: https://familyvoicesurrey.org/2026/06/02/%f0%9f%93%a2-important-send-update-for-surrey-families/

As your Parent Carer Forum, Family Voice Surrey will continue to monitor how these changes are experienced by families and will share feedback with Surrey County Council.

💬 As always we'd love to hear your thoughts once the new system is in place. Please let us know how it is working for you by sending us your feedback to [email protected]

01/06/2026

📢 Join Us for Our First Drop-In Participation Session THIS WEDNESDAY, 3rd June!

Join our Participation Managers, Kate and Leanne, anytime between 10:30am and 12:30pm. They'll be there to:

✅ Listen to your lived experiences
✅ Answer your questions
✅ Share updates on current FVS projects
✅ Discuss opportunities for you to help shape future projects

There's no need to book – simply drop in at any time during the session using the Teams link below:

8d92553c-eb3c-4e6f-b55a-eecd564c75b1@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8d92553c-eb3c-4e6f-b55a-eecd564c75b1@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b

We look forward to seeing you there!

29/05/2026

📢 Don’t miss these FREE upcoming webinars from Family Voice Surrey after half term!

🌱 23 June | 7:30pm
Neurodivergence & Nutrition with Sandrine Olmi
Practical support for calm, focus, sleep, wellbeing & managing mealtimes for neurodivergent children and young people.
edcd3ea7-41d2-44cc-9728-206b9731e604@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/edcd3ea7-41d2-44cc-9728-206b9731e604@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b

🚌 1 July | 10:30am–12pm
Home to School Transport Webinar with Saskia Barnett (HCB Solicitors)
Learn about your legal rights, common transport issues, and practical advocacy tips for parent carers.
7e5c5189-93e9-4f2f-85ef-37b53c955775@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7e5c5189-93e9-4f2f-85ef-37b53c955775@47850cc7-0029-456e-a39f-868909baf60b

Both sessions are FREE and online via Teams.
Book your place today via the QR codes or links above 👆

We look forward to welcoming you and empowering parent carers together 💙