Charities for 2024
Thursday 27th June | Friday 28th June | Saturday 29th June
After 13 years of hosting these evenings, we’ve raised almost half a million pounds for charity. It’s something we feel passionate about, and we’d love your support again this year. This year’s charities are Mobile Physio, Primary Robins (part of Grange Park Opera) and Forging Futures.
Over the years you have supported local charities including The Fountain Centre, Oakleaf, Guildford Action, Blackheath Cricket Club, Abbie's Fund, Friends of Chilworth Infant School, Surrey Sands, Chilworth2gether, Shooting Star Chase, Chilworth Village Hall, Cherry Trees, St Thomas' & St Martha's Churches, Tillingbourne Junior School, St Augustine’s Abbey as well as Welbodi, Grenfell and the Himalayan Trust.
Mobile Physio
When Lady Daphne Heald, who lived at Chilworth Manor, heard that there were no physiotherapy services for the rural villages of South West Surrey, in typical Lady Heald fashion, she gathered some like-minded friends and set about creating South West Surrey Mobile Physiotherapy Service “to meet the needs of those who would otherwise, for various reasons, be deprived of treatment”.
Much has changed since 1947 but we are delighted that the successors at Chilworth Manor have maintained the link with Mobile Physio and continued to support our work. Although we currently receive a certain amount of funding to treat patients at Shere, Horsley and Send surgeries we also provide an important service beyond the NHS remit; treating the elderly and housebound in their own homes. We rely on donations and fundraising activities to allow us to continue to offer this service. We currently make over 1,000 home visits per year and the majority of these would not be possible if it were not for the money raised by Chilworth Manor.
Registered charity number: 1176821
Primary Robins (part of Grange Park Opera)
Primary Robins is an initiative run by Grange Park Opera providing access to music for children within disadvantaged communities. In 2013, Primary Robins was introduced to four Hampshire schools. Today there are 6,060 Robins spread across Newcastle, Durham, Manchester, Essex, Kent, Lewisham, Hampshire, Staffordshire and Surrey.
Every week of the school year, Pimlico Opera gives primary school children a half-hour singing class at no cost to the school or parents. In a school year, this equates to more than 100,000 hours of teaching. For many of these children, it will be the first time they have seen or heard instruments like a bassoon or double bass.
In the summer, Surrey Robins stage a joint concert at the Grange Park Opera House with top-flight opera stars including Sir Bryn Terfel. On Friday 28th June, Sir Bryn Terfel will be performing at Picnics & Pinks as part of our ongoing partnership with Primary Robins. Besides sustaining the existing Robins classes, the Picnics and Pinks contribution will help expand the project into Doncaster and introduce summer concerts into more regions, with Robins of different schools performing together.
Registered charity number: 1068046
Forging Futures
Forging Futures provide training and personal development opportunities for young people with additional needs and disabilities. They create bespoke opportunities for young people with education, health and care plans in the local area including work experience and training.
Forging Futures have partnerships with four local specialist schools, Gosden House School, St Dominic’s, St Joseph’s and Elysian. This year five students will aim to complete an internationally recognised qualification which will help them to gain future employment in the hospitality sector.
The money raised will fully fund the employability training programme for 2025. The programme nurtures and provides young people and adults with the skills, qualifications, work experience, confidence and self-belief to successfully enter paid sustainable employment.
Registered charity number: 1145372
