Surrey

Surrey Community Action has a long history of supporting local people and organisations, though it wasn’t always known by that name. When it was first established in 1950, it was called the Surrey Council of Social Service (SCSS) and the aim was: “to support voluntary organisations, especially in rural areas, promoting health, relieving poverty and sickness, and advancing charitable purposes.”

Wimbledon, Barnes, and Morden still lay within Surrey’s borders. Then, as now, pockets of deprivation sat side by side the wealthier neighbourhoods with which Surrey is synonymous and which mask the challenges of people facing real difficulties.

And so, although the 1950s are often seen as a time of optimism, many communities struggled. Social care was limited, and the early National Health Service left gaps, especially for the elderly. Voluntary organisations, including Councils of Social Service, stepped in to support disadvantaged groups, particularly in rural areas.

Supporting rural communities was central to the work of SCSS, with focus on housing, local jobs, and youth retention. In the 1950s, many young people left rural areas due to limited
opportunities. To address this, SCSS established a Rural Industries Committee and
appointed Mr. Gloyn as Rural Industries Organiser, who made an impressive 329 visits to local craftsmen in just two months in 1951.

Training in rural crafts was key to sustaining rural communities. SCSS organised welding
lessons and apprenticeships for farriers, blacksmiths, hurdle makers, and agricultural engineers.
In the late 50s, a committee was set up to support village halls as “vital centres” for rural community life. 1960 saw the introduction of The Charities Act and many halls registered as a charity with substantial benefits to their finances.

Surrey’s Old People’s Welfare Committee became so successful it split in 1963 to form the Surrey Association for the Elderly, enabling SCSS to focus its work in community development, the voluntary sector, and rural life.

In 1975 SCSS became the Surrey Voluntary Service Council (SVSC) to reflect its new focus on volunteers.
The 1970s were all about training and the role of volunteers grew even more important as the National Health Service underwent reorganisation.

During the 1980s, SVSC also supported the Youth Training Scheme, sponsoring 130 placements, with 70% leading to employment.

The 1990’s saw the development of our voluntary car scheme (now known as good neighbour schemes) project – a particular lifeline for people living in rural areas without transport who had difficulty in accessing medical appointments.

In 2003 Surrey Voluntary Service Council (SVSC) was renamed Surrey Community Action (SCA), reflecting its wider role across community, faith, rural, and voluntary sectors, and aligning it with similar organisations nationwide.

By early 2000s, alongside funding advice, Surrey Community Action offered
payroll and financial services to not-for-profit organisations, CRB checks (now DBS), training,
conference facilities and insurance for voluntary car schemes.
Our support now extended to minority ethnic groups, including Gypsy and Traveller communities, refugees and asylum seekers. We also developed a community-led housing scheme to enable more affordable housing provision for rural areas.

In 2015, Surrey Community Action launched its Warmth Matters project to tackle fuel poverty with energy advice, bill support, and guidance on staying warmer for less.
During the pandemic our outreach projects became a lifeline for many in Surrey, offering essential advice and practical help. We also researched and reported on the challenges facing the VCFS, guiding Surrey’s response through the Recovery Support Group.

Surrey Community Action celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2025. We continue to support voluntary and not-for-profit groups across Surrey with advice and services to help them to operate more effectively and to run projects to give local communities in need a helping hand.
A timeline of our history is available on our website.

Surrey Resources