{"id":5657,"date":"2021-06-09T17:01:05","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T16:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/epsom-and-district\/?p=5657"},"modified":"2021-06-14T19:46:40","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T18:46:40","slug":"why-is-transform-one-of-surreys-best-kept-secrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/epsom-and-district\/2021\/06\/09\/why-is-transform-one-of-surreys-best-kept-secrets\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Transform one of Surrey’s best kept secrets ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Let's<\/p>\n

How much do you know about supporting street homeless people?\u00a0 Would you buy them a cup of coffee, give them money or start a conversation? These questions and more were answered during the talk we received from\u00a0 David Annand\u00a0 of Transform Housing & Support. David\u00a0 referred to\u00a0 Why Transform\u00a0 is one of Surrey’s best kept secrets as so little is known about it’s existence. Transform support a wide range of people from the ages of 16 to 90. In 2019\/20 they were dealing with 1734 clients.\u00a0 There were 160 properties containing 920\u00a0 clients. Both men and women are being supported and the majority of women are aged between\u00a0 30-59 years of age. The focus of support is very much on skills development, for example tenancy management, budgeting, managing harmful behaviours\u00a0 and independent living skills such as personal hygiene and cooking.\u00a0 Amongst their clients,\u00a0 they have people with a wide range of complex needs, such as substance misuse, alcohol\u00a0 addiction and mental health issues. Some clients may be ex offenders\u00a0 or those with\u00a0 learning difficulties.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a Soroptimist Club,\u00a0 we have focused on domestic abuse charities but Transform are also dealing with both men and women who are domestic abuse survivors. David stressed the point that nearly all their clients had been involved with some form of domestic abuse. Transform help people to re establish healthy relationships. They work alongside other charities such as Women’s Aid\u00a0 and will also make referrals. They will accompany clients to the Sexual Assault\u00a0 and Referral Centre\u00a0 (SARC) and are sometimes supported pro bono by solicitors and surveyors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Transform receive funding from Surrey County Council, there is still a need to raise more funding\u00a0 to pay for a range of items. Some items such as pyjamas and dressing gowns have been supported through retail outlets.\u00a0 Here, David describes how Transform buys ID papers:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n