News - The Simon Trust

Latest News & Events

The Simon Trust in the Press
August 2024

York-based tricycle manufacturer, Jorvik Tricycles, have kindly donated two non-electric trikes to The Simon Trust, to be used by the residents of Linden Farm on the on-site cycle track. The donation has been picked up by six news outlets, including The Yorkshire Post, Surrey World, The Care Forum, Cycling Insights and Living with Disability.

Jorvik Tricycles Founder & CEO, James Walker (pictured here), commented: “It’s a privilege to assist the residents at Linden Farm with the opportunity to get outside and enjoy their independence. We’re thrilled to hear that the residents continue to enjoy their new hobby and freedom of cycling. We remain driven to provide inclusive transport for people of all abilities to help them enjoy the benefits cycling can bring. The increased stability of a tricycle wheel has proven to be incremental in supporting and giving confidence to those less able to maintain their independence and enjoy movement without worry."

The Big Issue
March 2024

“Every day, we get letters from desperate parents wanting to know how we did it.”

The Simon Trust was featured in The Big Issue, where Connie Bowker writes about The Simon Trust's success in setting up Linden Farm, and how this has inspired other parents to set up similar supported living facilities in their counties.

Read the full article here.

Autism Eye Coverage
March 2024

The Simon Trust's campaign to support other parents looking to follow in the footsteps of Linden Farm has been featured in the Spring issue of Autism Eye.

The article describes the steps that Sally and Peter Lawrence took to set up The Simon Trust, and, subsequently, Linden Farm. It reads: "The move to build the property bucked a trend towards relying on the out-of-county placements that are so controversial with families. After news of the couple's success spread, families around the country started urging their councils to follow suit."

Read the full article here.

Living Willow Wigwam
January 2024

The Simon Trust’s latest gift to the severely autistic young adults living at Linden Farm is a living willow wigwam! Willows have now been planted in this beautiful shape, waiting for spring when they will start growing! This will be a calm place to sit inside in the summer, and with fairy lights it will be magical in the dark too

Carol Singing Fundraiser
December 2023

Huge thanks to the village of Seale and The Sands for organising their 2023 Carol Singing event in aid of The Simon Trust, and for their generous donations of £245. An enjoyable evening with a large turnout of locals and the excellent Shuffle Tunes choir to keep us all going. We were provided with warming mulled wine and mince pies and were even joined by the jolly Father Christmas himself. Thank you to everyone involved.

BBC Access All Interview
August 2023

Sally Lawrence, Chair of The Simon Trust, was interviewed by Nikki Fox (BBC Disability Correspondent) on the BBC's Access All programme about the steps The Simon Trust took to set up Lindon Farm, and shares stories with another mum who is trying to do the same in Hampshire.

The programme is called 'After the honeymoon' and can be heard here. Sally's interview starts at 12:10.

Trim Trail
June 2023

To add to the variety of daily activities at Linden Farm, The Simon Trust has installed a hand-crafted wooden Trim Trail beside the new cycle track. It is fun for all and will hopefully give the young people a challenge for years to come. Because of their severe autism, some of the residents find it very difficult to access the community, so it is crucial for their physical and mental wellbeing to have facilities onsite, in a safe, enclosed environment.

Cycle Track Opening
June 2023

After years of planning, on 12th June 2023 The Simon Trust was delighted to publicly unveil the new 400 metre cycle track at Linden Farm, generously funded by the Borrows Charitable Trust. Dame Stephanie Shirley CH was invited to officially open the track, and is pictured here with Sally Borrows, co-founder of the Borrows Charitable Trust, and Sally Lawrence, Chair of The Simon Trust.
The opening was attended by 80 guests, comprising loyal supporters of The Simon Trust, members of Surrey County Council and the local community and some of the residents, their care staff and parents. Many of the visitors enjoyed trying the track out for themselves - either by bike, trike or on foot!
The Simon Trust is hugely grateful to the Borrows Charitable Trust for turning their vision into a reality; the track will play a key part in enhancing the lives of the young adults living at Linden Farm.

The Autism Show
June 2023

On 9th June 2023, Sally and Peter Lawrence, founders of The Simon Trust, were invited to speak at The Autism Show in London's Excel Centre about supported living for young adults with autism. They spoke about how valuable in-county residential provision is for severely autistic young people, and outlined the steps The Simon Trust took to develop Linden Farm in partnership with Surrey County Council and care provider Choice Care.
Their aim was to show parents, authorities and care providers how the collaborative approach taken by The Simon Trust can provide young autistic people with a home that offers them a fulfilling life close to their families, and to encourage them to use Linden Farm as a model for similar establishments around the country.

Cookery Room
August 2022

We are so pleased with the new worktop and units we have just had installed; the Simon Trust’s latest contribution “to personalise and enhance Linden Farm for its severely autistic residents”. It has already been used to make pizzas, and we are now hoping to find some local volunteers to help the young people do some cooking and baking on a regular basis (with the support of their carers too of course).

Community Meeting
June 2022

The Trustees of The Simon Trust thought it a good idea to have an 'information' evening for the local villagers. An opportunity to talk about autism and to offer the services of these young people who have surprising abilities when they are guided in the right direction. Several volunteers came forward to help with cookery sessions at Linden Farm and generally it was an excellent evening with about 20 local people attending. Refreshments were served and one young resident handed out delicious cakes from JubyLee Bakes (another local charity providing jobs for people with special needs).

Bike Track
May 2022

Hooray! A 400 metre track has now been built by Covey Contracting and financed by The Simon Trust. The layout is based on the Kuwaiti Formula 1 race track and provides a much needed opportunity for the young people to walk or cycle for their daily exercise and to get rid of any pent up energy or frustrations. Autism and resulting difficulties with communication can cause a build up of stress and this track will provide a wonderful escape valve for the young people at Linden Farm.
We are now working with Surrey CC to organise some much needed landscaping with tree planting around the track, as well as allowing the grass to grow as the rains return and autumnal wild flower seeding over sections of the field. Nature areas plus several climbing structures and a living wigwam will also be sited around the track.
EDIT (June 2022): Two new garden benches have been purchased by The Simon Trust and now sit 'welcomingly' beside the new track.

Bike Shed
September 2021

≈	A bike shed, funded by The Simon Trust, was installed at Linden Farm in September. This provides some much-needed storage space for the young people's bikes, trikes, tandem, gardening equipment, as well as offering the Choice Care team some additional storage space.

Linden Farm Allotment Opening
July 2021

During the summer of 2021, The Linden Farm Residents' Association (LFRA) asked The Simon Trust to fund the the development of an allotment on a country estate near Linden Farm, to offer the residents a meaningful pastime and a chance to learn new skills.

After weeks of digging, building sheds and planting all sorts of crops, the allotment was officially opened in July. The Opening was attended by the residents of Linden Farm and their families, neighbours, as well as trustees and friends of The Simon Trust. After speeches by Sally Lawrence (Chair of The Simon Trust), Mark Sutcliffe (Allotment Manager and LFRA Chair) and Rev. James Hanson (Alfold Curate), three of the Linden Farm residents cut the ribbon to formally mark the opening.

The allotment is now a hive of activity, and the young people regularly visit the site to nurture and harvest their various fruit and vegetables: potatoes, runner beans, broad beans, leeks, sweetcorn, broccoli, various herbs, tomatoes and strawberries.

A big thank you to all the Choice Care staff who have been working hard to motivate and encourage the young people to get involved at the allotment, and to Mark Sutcliffe, the allotment manager, for getting it all up and running. Follow The Linden Farm Allotment Facebook page for all the latest allotment news.

Sensory Room
August 2020

We are so thrilled that a much-awaited Sensory Room was installed in 2020, thanks to an incredibly kind donation from Matt, Heather and Claire and their families, in memory of Gill Bullen.

The young people at Linden Farm are very much enjoying making use of the new facility, which offers sensory stimulation during downtime or moment of calm when in need of a time-out. There is an Interactive Floor Projector in which residents can sit and watch virtual fish swimming around, a Talking Cube, Laser Sky Projector, Rainfall Panel, Multifinity Explorer and a computer for immersive learning, to name a few of the exciting attributes.

Sensory stimulation can be extremely beneficial for autistic people, so The Simon Trust is extremely grateful to the Bullen family for this very kind gift.

COOK Donates Meals to Linden Farm
April 2020

The Simon Trust is delighted that COOK has offered to donate meals to Linden Farm, to help during the Coronavirus pandemic.

COOK, the company that has become famous for its homemade-quality freezer meals, advertised that they were willing to help local charities who support vulnerable people, so Sally Lawrence (Chairman of The Simon Trust) applied. The answer was yes, and COOK kindly donatied 31 meals to Linden Farm once a week for 8 weeks, reducing the need for these vulnerable people and their carers to go out shopping. This is a wonderful gesture from COOK and the meals really helped lift spirits for both staff and residents at Linden Farm.

Gareth Jones of Choice Care reported, ‘Thank you COOK! Items like this go a long way towards raising morale and it will be a nice way of all getting together at Linden Farm once or twice a week for meals. The staff team are really excited about this.'

Photo taken of happy care workers Libby and Tiffany after receiving the first week's supply of COOK meals.

Linden Farm Residents' Association
February 2020

The Linden Farm Residents' Association (LFRA) was set up in February 2020, and all the young people living there are members, represented by their parents. This organisation may apply to The Simon Trust for any facilities required by the Linden Farm residents, and will take ownership of these facilities. The first of these facilities was the swing shown here, which is the cause of endless delight for one particular resident.

Examples of other items in the pipeline;
A Cycle Trail. This will prove to be a real help for walking or cycling around, to help the residents let off steam and get rid of any frustrations. Planning permission and Surrey CC's approval is needed.
Storage Sheds for storing bikes, garden equipment etc. which will be invaluable.
A Sensory Room. Thanks to a very generous donation, this is now a popular feature of the Activity Centre. It houses both stimulating and calming equipment and provides a therapeutic room for all the young people at Linden Farm to enjoy.

Gifts by The Simon Trust
February - March 2020

While the larger gifts that The Simon Trust has funded (such as the sensory room) take longer to come to fruition due to various application and planning procedures, we have been able to provide many smaller items to enhance the day-to-day life of the young people at Linden Farm by giving them more activities to do on site. The recent Coronavirus pandemic showed clearly that it has become even more apparent how crucial it is to have on-site activities and facilities.

The Simon Trust has provided two lovely picnic tables and four benches, two bikes, a side by side trike, name plaques for the cottages and flats, curtains and blinds, a swing, arts & crafts equipment and some gardening tools. As it is difficult for these young people to access the community, we have also funded weekly on-site yoga sessions and some drumming workshops, both of which have been a great success.

Art Donation by Dame Stephanie Shirley CH
12th August 2019

Dame Stephanie Shirley CH, a wonderful supporter of The Simon Trust, as very generously donated a lovely painting called "Summer" by the artist Charlotte Sorapure. This has been gifted to The Simon Trust to mark the opening of Linden Farm in 2019.

We are enormously grateful to Dame Stephanie for all her help and support over the years.

Linden Farm opens
July 2019

Six young adults moved into Linden Farm over the course of July and August 2019. Moving house is a stressful experience for anyone, but can be especially distressing for autistic people, for whom structure and routine is key. As such, a transition plan was carefully devised for each young adult by their previous care providers, to gradually introduce them to life in their new home. This initial period was not without its challenges, but six of the young people are now happily settled, and ready for the arrival of two more during the summer of 2020.

Surrey County Council were keen that the young people settled in before The Simon Trust could start providing additional facilities for the site, and wanted to encourage the young people to spend the majority of their time doing activities in the community. This is fine and to be encouraged, but there are many hours when community facilities are closed, the weather is poor, or there are staff shortages, so we are delighted that Surrey County Council and Choice Care have now (as of February 2020) started applying to The Simon Trust for additional on-site facilities.

We are very grateful to Choice Care, the Linden Farm care provider, for supporting these young adults through their transition, and now through the Coronavirus lockdown. Families are currently not allowed to visit Linden Farm, and the young people are not allowed into the community, so families are reliant on the dedication and resourcefulness of the wonderful Choice Care staff team.

Carol Singing in The Sands
14th December 2018

Great support was shown at The Barley Mow in The Sands as about 70 people of all ages gathered there to sing Christmas Carols, this year accompanied by Juliet Lawrence on the clarinet.

Huge thanks go to the pub for providing deliciously warming mullet wine, and to everyone who kindly donated, raising a total of £297.73!

Waverley Singers raise £918 for The Simon Trust
4th November 2018

On Sunday 4th November, the Waverley Singers took to the stage at the Farnham Maltings to perform a wonderful programme of opera favourites. The concert featured powerful performances from four soloists from the Josephine Baker Trust, and ended with a retiring collection in aid of The Simon Trust. The kind generosity of the audience members brought this collection to a grand total of £918, and we are extremely grateful to the Waverley Singers for choosing to support The Simon Trust.

Photo by Simon Claiden

Surrey County Council reprimanded for cost cutting and reducing space at Linden Farm
October 2018

On 17 October Surrey County Council voiced their plans to build the Activity Centre 45% smaller, use cheaper building materials, remove windows and take away all horticulture at Linden Farm. County Councillors responsible for Planning said these plans were "appalling" and "shameful" and will make Linden Farm "unfit for purpose". Surrey County Council was told to amend and re-submit some more appropriate plans that will meet the needs of the ten severely autistic young people who will be moving into Linden Farm in 2019. We hope that Surrey County Council will now re-open a dialogue with The Simon Trust to see how the money we have raised can be used for facilities at Linden Farm that will benefit these disadvantaged young people.

Click here to listen to Chairman Sally Lawrence speaking on BBC Radio Surrey about how these altered plans will affect the Linden Farm residents' lives.

Editor's note: we are now back in communication with Surrey County Council, and are looking forward to working closely with them in 2022 to provide the much-needed facilities at Linden Farm.

The Simon Trust wins funding bid for horticulture facilities at Linden Farm
August 2018

We have just been informed that our funding application for the purchase and installation of the glasshouse and the salary of a horticulture manager for the first year at Linden Farm has been successful! We are extremely grateful to the kind donor, PL Trust, for this most generous pledge. What’s more, as long as progress is good, we hope to receive a pledge for the horticulture manager’s salary for the following two years as well. These onsite facilities will provide invaluable onsite activities for the ten severely autistic young adults who will be moving into Linden Farm in 2019.

Hampton Estate Camping Weekend
June 2018

The charity is very lucky to have the Hampton Estate and the Biddell family supporting The Simon Trust as its chosen Charity of the Year again. Numerous fund raising events have happened there, including the Italian Spinone Dog Training Days. Lucca, Dizzy, Muddy, Boots and other Spinones from all over the country gather twice a year down by the river at Hampton, get wet and learn all sorts of new tricks.

Also recently at Hampton was a camping weekend with Dads and children from Finton House School in London.

"Just wanted to thank the Biddells so much for what was an absolutely roaring success camping on Saturday.
I can’t tell you how many people mentioned how fantastic it was to get all the Dads and children together for a sleepless night at Hampton! We also raised £670 for The Simon Trust which is great. Our daughter said that the weekend ranks up there with her trip to Disney Florida, which is high praise indeed”.

Farnham Spring Festival
27th May 2018

The Simon Trust at the Farnham Spring Festival, Sunday 27 May 2018. We are very grateful to Farnham Town Council for providing us with this opportunity to raise awareness of our charity and show how we are supporting adults with autism in Surrey. A sunny afternoon enjoyed by hundreds of local people in Farnham.

Jacqs Selby beats the heat in the London Marathon
22nd April 2018

The Simon Trust was delighted to have Jacqs Selby as our first official London Marathon runner, raising a wonderful £2,530 for the Charity from a lot of very kind people. Here is her personal account of the Big Day!
‘Well that was fun! What an astonishing day. The weather was amazing, the crowds magnificent and London was at her very best. So that sets the context for my race.
However, I made the classic mistake of racing away with all the big boys - the adrenaline rush and excitement couldn’t be contained and my speed was stupidly fast. For me anyway! And this lasted for almost exactly 13 miles until...... I found myself at the St John’s Ambulance post being treated by three doctors for severe heat exhaustion- I was on the verge of being taken to hospital! I was delirious and couldn’t even remember Gary’s name!!! I was stripped, covered in ice and suffered several embarrassing indignities until my temperature came down. This fun lasted for over 2 hours.
And then perhaps, I was a bit silly, again! I ignored everyone’s wise counsel and decided to continue. Call it stupidity, delirium, stubbornness, pride, fighting for The Simon Trust, and all you folk (and not wanting to return the sponsor money!!). Whatever, I staggered off for the final 13 Miles. I don’t remember much about it but apparently I always had a smile on my face!!! I finished!
So, a truly amazing experience that will be with me for life. I learnt about London, running, and myself. I’d like to thank my amazing family for their support over the months, Peter and Sally of the The Simon Trust, and, of course, all you close friends and family for making me appreciate how lucky I am.’

Hindhead Golfers donate to The Simon Trust
15th February 2018

Having very kindly nominated The Simon Trust as the chosen charity of her year in office, Hindhead Golf Club Ladies' Captain Sam Dodd spent the year busily fundraising for us through a series of events and competitions.

With the year now at an end, Sam Dodd was delighted to present The Simon Trust Chairman Sally Lawrence with a cheque for £4,550.

A very big thank you goes to everyone at Hindhead who has supported The Simon Trust over the course of 2017.

"Farnham in Bloom" Carol Singing
17th December 2017

Two days after the carol singing in The Sands, some very hardy carollers brightened up a very cold, wet December afternoon by singing some Christmas carols in Farnham town centre.

The event was very kindly organised by "Farnham in Bloom", and led by the wonderful Farnham Brass Band, and the carollers raised £120 for The Simon Trust. Thank you to everyone who braved the elements to come along and sing!

Christmas Carol Singing, The Sands
15th December 2017

The Simon Trust brought some festive cheer to The Sands, near Farnham, where about 70 villagers gathered on a cold wintry night to sing some Christmas carols outside the Barley Mow Pub.

Their tuneful singing raised £220!

Thank you to the Barley Mow for generously warming everyone's vocal chords with mulled wine and providing a cosy pub for the singers and spectators to gather in afterwards.

Scottish Dancing
25th November 2017

Building on last year's rip-roaring success, The Simon Trust's Scottish Reeling Committee decided to put on another evening of reels in Farnham's TA Centre.

Powered on by the toe-tapping tunes of George Buchanan's band, 90 reelers of all abilities danced, dined, and, most importantly, raised a brilliant £3,800 for The Simon Trust.

Many thanks to the TA Centre for having us once again, and to all those who helped to make the evening such a success.

Charity Coffee Morning
18th November 2017

On a cold November morning, Sue Goater kindly hosted a coffee morning in Farnham to raise money for The Simon Trust.

Sue's delicious home-made cakes were on sale, and a raffle was drawn, raising an amazing £264.

Many thanks to Sue and to all those who attended.

The Simon Trust is Elstead WI's charity of the year
5th October 2017

Sally Lawrence was thrilled to receive a cheque for £1,000 from the Elstead WI Chairman Venetia Pierce, the result of the fabulous coffee mornings, raffles and other fundraising that the ladies had carried out for The Simon Trust over the past year, during which The Simon Trust was their chosen charity of the year.

Alice Holt Car Parking
23rd September 2017

The Simon Trust team donned their high vis jackets to be on car parking duty at the 2017 Alice Holt 5k and 10k races.

By shaking their bucket before, during and after the race, they received a fantastic £251 in donations.

The Pilgrim Marathon
10th September 2017

The Simon Trust had a great team of five runners in the Farnham Pilgrim Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday 10th September 2017. The photo above shows all five of them, left-right there is Emilie Amos, Sarah Bradbury, Jacquie Ashley-Collins, Richard (Shep) Sheppard and Ali Hardaway. Sarah and Shep ran the full Marathon and Emilie, Jacquie and Ali ran the Half, and between them they raised over £1,800 for The Simon Trust. Emilie Amos deserves a special mention as it was her first Half Marathon and she alone raised £952.
A successful day all round, on a course which is challenging for its hills and unbeatable for its beautiful countryside!

Wing Walk raises over £4,000 for The Simon Trust
20th August 2017

On Sunday 20th August 2017 at Chiltern Park Aerodrome in Oxfordshire, Morag James fearlessly climbed up onto the top wing of a Tiger Moth biplane and after a short health and safety briefing, she was strapped in and the plane set off - flying up to speeds of 120 mph at times!

It was an amazing sight to watch and afterwards Morag, having been bought the experience as a birthday treat by her three daughters, said, "What a fantastic experience! The Wingwalk was even more exciting than I had expected, with perfect conditions of fluffy white clouds in a blue sky and a patchwork of fields below. I had some great encouragement from the ground and it was particularly wonderful that Sally and Peter Lawrence from The Simon Trust were able to join us. I have been overwhelmed at the huge amount of sponsorship I have managed to raise for The Simon Trust by the Wing Walk."

Well done Morag for raising an amazing grand total of £4,362 for The Simon Trust!

A Musical French Soiree
16th August 2017

What a great evening this was, of French songs and jazz starring Frédéric Blanchard and his multi-talented family from Toulouse! It was held at the Rowledge Village Hall, near Farnham.
Vibrant jazz piano, cello, viola and trombone, together with French songs and that 'touch of France' from the delightful accordion.
A delicious buffet of French food and wine was served. And £1,000 was made for The Simon Trust!

Gala Dinner Dance
8th July 2017

A glittering evening was held at Charterhouse School on Saturday 8th July with 140 guests enjoying drinks in Scholars' Court on arrival and then settling down to a delicious three-course meal in the Great Hall.
Guest of honour was Mike Robinson, CEO of Prior's Court School, who kindly stepped in at short notice due to Dame Stephanie Shirley being unwell. Alexandra Yates sang various West End Musical songs wonderfully for the cabaret and then Jenny Howe and the Tinsel Town Band had everyone up on their feet dancing til the end of a wonderful evening.
There was a raffle, a silent auction with 40 fantastic prizes and a wonderful total of over £20,000 was raised from the evening! The Simon Trust thanks everyone for coming and for all their huge generosity. It really was an evening to remember.

Wine Tasting
8th June 2017

Ten teams of wine tasters sampled eight delicious wines, kindly provided by Guildford Wine, before taking part in a light-hearted quiz to test their knowledge! They then enjoyed a delicious supper kindly cooked by Lucy Meade-King. Huge thanks to Charles and Lucy Meade-King for hosting this fun evening and for raising over £1,000 for The Simon Trust.

Greensand Scramble raises £2,000
27th - 30th April 2017

Four days of walking 57 miles of beautiful Kent and Surrey countryside took place in April 2017 in aid of The Simon Trust. Pretty villages, orchards, hop gardens, Chartwell, Leith Hill and ending up at the famous National Trust Punchbowl at Hindhead on the Sunday afternoon for a Survivor's Party.
We were blessed with fantastic weather and on the last day over 100 people joined in for the 11 mile walk from Hascombe to Hindhead, including several of the young autistic people who will be living at Linden Farm in 2019.

Charity Quiz Night
7th April 2017

Many thanks to the wonderful Francis Family who organised a wonderful Quiz Night on Friday 7th April at Woolmer Hill Haslemere. A fantastic £1,021 was raised from a marvellous evening and the proceeds are to be split evenly between The Simon Trust and Hogar El Alba - a home for children and teenagers with extremely limited social and financial means in Argentina.

We wish Sophia Francis and this orphanage every success.

Turf Cutting Ceremony at Linden Farm, Alfold
17th March 2017

On 17th March 2017, Surrey County Council Chairman Sally Marks, along with Anne Milton MP and Cabinet Member Denise Le Gal donned their hard hats to officially cut the ground to start the building of homes for ten young people with severe autism and complex needs, which will be ready for them to move into by Spring 2019. An exciting day!

Carol Singing at The Barley Mow
16th December 2016

Over 100 people gathered outside the Barley Mow pub in The Sands for an hour's singing of the traditional and more modern Christmas Carols, with mincepies and mulled wine to help lubricate the voice! £332 was raised for The Simon Trust on the night, so many thanks to all those who joined in, and particularly to David Holdford for his keyboard playing.

30/30 Cardio Challenge
November 2016

A group of enthusiastic ladies of all ages took up the challenge to complete a 30 day challenge throughout November. Each participant had to do a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio workout or 15 minute HIIT session per day. We were supported throughout by our wonderful team leader Karen and her very able admin assistant Lucy, who set up a 30/30 Whatsapp group where participants were able to report in daily on progress or ask for help when they were flagging. Our reward was a well deserved spa evening to sooth our aching muscles and joints, and the event raised over £775.60 in sponsorship.

Thank you to all who took part and particular thanks to the event organisers Lucy and Karen. We hope to repeat this event in April 2017 so anyone who would like to get together a group of friends, work colleagues, school friends etc. to get fit and help the charity at the same time please get in touch ([email protected]) and I will send joining instructions.

Scottish Reeling
26th October 2016

The inaugural Simon Trust Scottish Reeling party was a sell-out success on Saturday 26th October. It was attended by 142 energetic reelers, whose ticket sales and raffle contributions brought the event fundraising total to a fantastic £6,764!
A big thank you to all that attended, and a special thank you to the committee for all their hard work and to the Farnham Territorial Army Centre for kindly providing such a great venue for the event.
There are murmurs of interest for round two next year, so watch this space!

The Coolest Marathon on Earth
29th October 2016

Caroline and Nick Bark ran the Polar Circle Marathon - often referred to as "the coolest marathon on earth" - in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland on 29th October in aid of The Simon Trust. This is one of the most gruelling yet beautiful marathons out there, and they took on ice waves, knee-deep snow, minus 20 degree temperatures, hills and blisters to complete it. Then, as if that wasn't enough, they ran an equally (if not more) gruelling half marathon under the same conditions the following day!
Caroline finished 9th out of 50 women, and came in as the first British woman to complete the 'Polar Bear Challenge': the challenge taken on by anyone brave enough to attempt both the full marathon and the half marathon the following day!
They raised over £9,000 for The Simon Trust, for which we are extremely grateful.

The Simon Trust Charity Sale
20th October 2016

Nettie Lanaghan kindly hosted a sale in aid of The Simon Trust and raised almost £1,000!
A fantastic array of stallholders came to the well-attended event, offering a wonderful range of products including skincare, clothes, accessories, baby goods, fine oils, photo collages and leather goods.
Many thanks to stallholders and shoppers alike for your generous support.

Donation by Friends of Manor House School
October 2016

We are extremely grateful to The Friends of Manor House School for presenting a cheque for £1,500 to current parent, Gill Gillard, who accepted it on behalf of The Simon Trust.
Not only would we like to thank The Friends of Manor House School for their generous fundraising activity over the last year, but also the current Year 11 girls for their efforts to raise awareness of the needs of adults with autism.

Godalming Gospel Choir
22nd October 2016

An evening of uplifting music was performed by the Godalming Community Gospel Choir at Rodborough School on 22nd October 2016, in aid of The Simon Trust.

Entrance was free and donations were taken on the night for The Simon Trust.

Thank you Godalming Community Gospel Choir for a wonderful evening.

The Sands Tennis Tournament
3rd October 2016

The Sands Tennis Tournament 2016 took place on Sunday 2nd October, in aid of The Simon Trust. 40 players were spread across 5 different courts around the village, all vying to win the acclaimed 'White Sock' - the famed trophy for the winning mixed couple. All players (and another 20 spectators) then gathered to watch the final and to enjoy a well-deserved lunch in the glorious October sunshine, where voluntary donations raised £787.50 for The Simon Trust.

A huge thank you to everyone for their very kind generosity.

Barfield School Mufti Day
23rd September 2016

Barfield School kindly held a mufti day in aid of The Simon Trust on 23rd September.
Chairman Sally Lawrence spoke to the children about The Simon Trust in their morning assembly, and all children wore home clothes for the day.
Many thanks to Barfield for raising £262.96. Their generous support is much appreciated.

Pilgrim Half Marathon
11th September 2016

Our Chairman, Sally Lawrence, ran 13.1 very hilly miles on the Pilgrims' Way in Surrey on Sunday 11th September 2016 in aid of The Simon Trust.

Having only signed up to this event at the last minute, she was pleased to raise £227.50 - a big thank you to all those who sponsored her.

Prudential Ride London
31st July 2016

Jack Lawrence and Héloise Hunt kindly took on the Prudential Ride London this summer in aid of The Simon Trust. They completed the hilly 100 mile course in under the 8.5 hour time limit, and raised £400 in aid of The Simon Trust in the process!

Thank you to Jack, Héloise and all their supporters!

NADFAS Tea at the Hampton Estate
15th June 2016

Bridget and Bill Biddell very kindly opened their beautiful home to 30 Farnham NADFAS members for their end of year party.

They were shown inside the beautiful walled garden and all around the house, and then treated to a sumptuous tea with delicious cakes and scones made by Bridget. NADFAS members showed their appreciation by very generously donating £268 to The Simon Trust, Hampton's chosen Charity of the Year.

Haslemere Hockey Club Quiz Night
10th June 2016

Thanks so much to Heidi Wells for organising a fab Quiz Night in aid of The Simon Trust at Haslemere Hockey Club on Friday. We had a great turn-out of 109 people, and with ticket sales and the raffle, the evening raised an amazing total of £1,705.
This is part of Heidi Wells' fund-raising for The Simon Trust as she trains to cycle 100 miles in the Prudential Ride London on 31st July, so if you would like to sponsor her, do please go to her Virgin Money Giving page. http://bit.ly/1rkiooI

Reflexology Day
1st June 2016

A very big thank you to the wonderful Reflexologist Jo Ventham who so generously donated her time to give some lucky ladies a feet treat, and by so doing raised £240 for The Simon Trust.

Open Gardens for Tilford Gardening Society
24th May 2016

A very big thank you to Nigel and Karen Carande for opening their beautiful garden full of magnificent rhododendrons, azaleas and more.

And for the delicious tea and cakes! And thank you to everyone who so generously donated to The Simon Trust - a total of £229.60 was raised.

Hadrian's Wall Hike
12-14th May 2016

The four athletes photographed here set off on their five day hike along Hadrian's Wall (85 miles). A few sore and bleeding feet after Day One did not bode well, but having now switched to their faithful trainers instead of the new, unloved walking boots, things are looking up again.

Alfold Community Event
19th May 2016

On 19th May 2016, Surrey County Council shared their plans for Linden Farm with the village of Alfold. Local residents came to view the plans and discuss the project with the architect, members of the Stakeholder Board and Surrey County Council.

The home for ten young adults with severe autism and complex needs at Linden Farm will open in 2019.

The Seale and Sands Open Gardens
7th May 2016

What a fabulous Open Gardens we had in Seale and The Sands in aid of The Simon Trust. Eight gardens very kindly opened their gardens to the public, two of which also served teas and home-made cakes. Although we had worked hard to publicise the event locally through Parish magazines, visits to Gardening Clubs, posters, emails, Facebook, word of mouth etc, we really had no idea how many people would turn up on the day so cake-baking was a little difficult!
However, over 300 people came on the day! A couple of the gardens kindly served Pimms (for a donation), another sold home-made biscuits, and one garden sold plants which they had grown from seed especially. There was a buzzing atmosphere in the whole village, with people walking, cycling and driving from one garden to another, trying to fit in as many gardens as they could in the four hours. We had people sitting in all the gardens enjoying the glorious sunshine (weren't we lucky?!), and enjoying tea and cakes too.
Many thanks go to the garden owners and all the volunteers - we had a wonderful team of Brownies helping at one garden, and four 11 year old boys from Waverley Abbey School kindly provided help at two other gardens.
The Grand Total raised for The Simon Trust was just under £2,800!!! Thank you to every garden owner and to all who contributed to making the day such a success.

Longleat 100k Cycle Challenge
17th April 2016

Catherine Bartrum is here shown doing a fantastic challenge for TST - the Longleat 100k cycle ride - raising over £3,000 for TST! She was accompanied by her husband Oliver and Peter (Lawrence), also pictured here.
The weather was wonderful with blue skies and 1500 cyclists started early in the morning in front of the lovely and imposing. Longleat House. The route went past the safari park (all lions etc still fast asleep and not to be seen) and along country lanes in the pretty Wiltshire countryside. There were many spectacular views, loads of bananas, jelly babies and ginger cake to eat and several terrible hills to climb.
One of the steepest hills was timed and Catherine did this in a very creditable 15.47 minutes (much faster than Peter and a little slower than Oliver who managed to cycle up the whole hill). So after 6 hours 42 minutes in the saddle, with a somewhat sore bottom, Catherine has definitely earned a free sports massage - which she is having on Wednesday!

'Mum's Marathon Effort in aid of The Simon Trust', Surrey & Hants News
5th April 2016

Congratulations to Jennifer Harrison, mother of four boys aged between two and seven, who ran her first Marathon on 17 April in Brighton, in aid of The Simon Trust. Jen could not have looked happier than when she finished, in 5 hours 29 minutes and 11 seconds, and her success story was reported in the Surrey & Hants News

Spaghetti Suppers
2nd April 2016

To mark World Autism Awareness Day and to raise more funds for The Simon Trust, four Spaghetti Suppers were held in and around Farnham. Guests were invited to enjoy a spaghetti meal and make a donation to The Simon Trust.

Huge thanks go to our four hosts the Haines (whose party had 66 guests!), the Turners, the Marvells and the Hopkins, who together helped raise over £3,000 for The Simon Trust!

Thank you everyone for your generous support and donations!

The Sands Carol Singing
18th December 2015

Great success at The Sands village Carol Singing on 18th December 2015!
A grand total of £244.59 was raised which has been be put into The Simon Trust bank account. The Barley Mow very kindly donated the mulled wine.
This will have to be an annual event!

Christmas Fayre at Manor House School
21st November 2015

We are very grateful to the Year 10 students of Manor House School, who raised £291.13 for The Simon Trust at their Christmas Fayre stall.

'Dear Sally,
I'm glad that you enjoyed the Fayre. We have been delighted to support the Simon Trust and wish you all the very best with your fund raising efforts.

Very best wishes,
Teresa Williams
Year 10 Form Teacher'

Tribe Run Free
7th November 2015

Tribe Run Free agreed to support The Simon Trust on their big off road 10k run around the Hampton Estate. It was a 10K run on a course that has been voted one of the top six most beautiful trail routes in the whole UK.
In spite of (or maybe thanks to) the mud and the rain, everyone was smiling the whole way through! Great success all round. TRIBE raised a wonderful £700 for The Simon Trust - absolutely fantastic! And Tanya Lawrence and her gang raised over £1,600 in sponsorship!! That's such a great start.