Surrey Coalition of Disabled People

19/06/2026

We're Hiring: FoCUS Involvement Coordinator

Are you passionate about mental health, co-production and ensuring people with lived experience are involved with shaping services?

We're looking for a FoCUS Involvement Coordinator to help grow and support our network of service users and carers across Surrey and North East Hampshire, promoting meaningful involvement in mental health services.

To find out more and to apply please visit our website: https://surreycoalition.org.uk/vacancy/focus-involvement-coordinator/

Closing date: 22/06/2026

[Image description: Green and blue megaphone with large blue text below it saying 'We are hiring' below is a search bar with the words 'FoCUS Involvement Coordinator' and search icon. Below this is a button that says 'Apply now' and the Coalition logo.]

18/06/2026

18/06/2026

Wildlife Walk and Wheel

What: Enjoy a wildlife walk and wheel alongside the beautiful River Mole as part of our new Thames Water funded project.
Where: Meet outside the Leatherhead Leisure Centre, Guildford Road, KT22 9AS
When: 22nd June at 1pm

Free activity! Contact Katy to join or for any questions: Tel/SMS: 07434 865062 Email: [email protected]

[Image description: poster with the title 'Wildlife Walk and Wheel', the text in the caption a graphic of water in the background and two images of members at events by rivers.]

17/06/2026

We're excited to announce our new Engaging with Rivers project, funded by Thames Water. We'd like to say a big thank you to Thames Water for funding this project over the next year.

Our Engaging with Rivers project will involve visiting different rivers in Surrey and participating in accessible activities such as kayaking and historic walks and wheels along towpaths. We'll be sharing the details of our fist event on social media tomorrow!

[Video description: the video starts with Coalition member David wheeling along a path by a river, followed by videos of rivers, canals, canoes and a boat.]

16/06/2026

Share your experience: education and employment in Surrey

The Coalition is co-leading a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) chapter with Surrey County Council. This chapter will assess the current and future health and social care needs of people with physical disabilities and sensory impairment in Surrey.

We want to ensure the voice of those with lived experience is reflected in this work as much as possible. Over the next few weeks, we will be asking for feedback on a different theme from the report.

The first theme will be education and employment. What is your experience of working or learning in Surrey? What has been helpful? What hasn’t worked so well? Have you faced any barriers? Please email [email protected] with your feedback.

[Image description: a man who is a wheelchair user at a desk typing on a laptop.]

15/06/2026

Chair of Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, Vikki Walton-Cole, talks with the BBC about her experiences of trying to access courts as part of her work and for jury service.

A wheelchair user says the barriers she faced at Guildford Crown Court when she attended for jury service made her feel "unprofessional".

More here: https://bbc.in/3SFHD7o

12/06/2026

Are you an East Surrey resident? Would you like to improve your physical and mental wellbeing? Staying active as a Disabled person isn’t always easy – low energy, pain and accessibility challenges can often make it feel like a huge effort – but small achievable activities can make a BIG difference!

We are looking for 10 people to join our East Surrey Wellbeing group. Members will have 5 months of support to increase their physical activity in the way that works best for them.

We will have:
- Monthly taster sessions for different activities.
- Activity trackers and meta glasses available for loan.
- Our own peer support group to celebrate our successes, share ideas and motivate us to keep moving more!

To find out more please contact Katy Email: [email protected] Tel/SMS: 07434 865062

[Image description: Two photos - one is of a group of Coalition members and staff with medals around their necks, smiling and pulling superhero poses at Superhero Tri 2025. The second is of Coalition members and staff in a sailing boat smiling.]

11/06/2026

Experience of Transfers & Seating on Aircraft

This survey is being conducted by ableMove and supported by Kay Atkin and Jessie Buckle to gather additional data on passenger experiences during transfers onto the aircraft and on access to aircraft seating options.

Survey link: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/coventry/experience-of-transfers-seating-on-aircraft

The survey will close for submissions on the 13th June, 2026, at 23:59.

11/06/2026

💙 CARER'S WEEK 2026 STARTS TODAY 🧡

This year's theme is Building Carer Friendly Communities because unpaid carers should feel recognised and supported wherever they live, study or work.

If you're looking after someone who couldn't manage without your help, we are here to support you.

Find out more about the support available from Action for Carers Surrey: www.actionforcarers.org.uk

09/06/2026

Peer Research Project – Disability Awareness and Accessibility in Surrey

We are conducting a research project to understand more about the type of challenges faced by Disabled people when accessing businesses and services across Surrey. We hope to make a difference by providing Disability Awareness Training where it is most needed, coproduced by those with lived experience.

You can help by completing a short anonymous survey about your experiences, which should take 10-15 minutes. If you need assistance to complete this our Involvement Officer, Megan, will be happy to help you over the phone. You can contact her on 07454 759684 (weekdays 10am-4pm).

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/disabilityawarenessinsurrey

We are also looking for 10 people who would like to join an online focus group to discuss their experiences in more detail. The group will meet on zoom on Wednesday 8th July 2:30pm-3:30pm.

If you would like take part in the focus group, please contact Megan to book your place. Email: [email protected] Telephone or SMS: 07454 759684 (weekdays 10am-4pm).

For further information on this research project and FAQ's please see our Research Project Information Sheet which is available in standard print, large print, plain text and Easy Read formats here: surreycoalition.org.uk/disability-awareness-research-project/

[Image description: graphic of a group of people including a wheelchair user around a table talking, one is holding a sign with accessibility icons on it and one is on a laptop. Above the graphic is the title 'Peer Research Project - Disability Awareness and Accessibility in Surrey'.]