Yesterday, more than 250 guests gathered at the University of Surrey for the annual Surrey Hills Symposium, an event designed to connect, inspire, and debate themes around shaping the future of our National Landscape.
This yearโs event was made possible by the National Lottery Heritage fund as a culmination of Surrey Hills Societyโs Growing Together project, also supported by the Fund with thanks to National Lottery players. The Symposium celebrated the programmes focus of creating diverse opportunities for people to find adventure and purpose within the Surrey Hills and explored how to build on the programmeโs success for nature and communities across the Surrey Hills into the future.
Guests from a wide range of communities, including the three key partner groups from the Growing Together project (Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum, Surrey Choices and the Surrey Coalition for Disabled People), were invited to share their ideas for how to build on the impact of this project and achieve the Surrey Hillsโ 75-year vision. Over 100 ideas were submitted which will help shape an ambitious new multi-million funding bid, which the Surrey Hills National Landscape will be submitting to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for consideration. This follows a call from the Fund for protected landscape organisations to bid for transformative programmes aimed at recovering nature, increasing resilience, developing heritage skills, and enhancing access for all.
Gordon Jackson, Chair of Surrey Hills Society said.
โThe success of the Growing Together project for over 500 participants from under-represented groups, speaks volumes about the power of connecting people with nature. Thanks to the University of Surreyโs evaluation, we know just how transformative these experiences have been: an incredible 91% of participants felt more connected to the natural world, and 86% gained new skills. These results underline why initiatives like this are essential – not just for individual wellbeing, but for building resilient communities. Weโre deeply grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for making this possible, and weโre excited to grow this impact even further through our next ambitious bid.โ
The Symposium opened with a celebration of the Surrey Hills 75-Year Vision, which sets the foundation for the forthcoming Management Plan. Guests were treated to the unveiling of the Year 2100 poem and artwork created from ideas shared by our audience at last yearโs Symposium.
Before the main discussions began, attendees explored a vibrant marketplace of stallholders, offering opportunities for adventure and purpose in the Surrey Hills, including volunteering and career pathways. This included food and drink kindly sponsored by Denbies Wine Estate and Mandiraโs Kitchen.
As guests entered the lecture theatre, they were immersed in the atmospheric sounds of Jack Kingslake and Freewheelers, whose soundscapeโcreated for Surrey Hills Artsโ Nature Calling projectโinvited audience participation and set the tone for an inspiring evening. This was centred around an installation representing a firepit created by Lockwood Arts and the Surrey Youth Opportunities team, embodying the engagement, warmth and storytelling capacity that fireside discussions provide us with.
The Symposium featured opening remarks from our Surrey Hills Chair, Kathy Atkinson, the University of Surrey Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Jarvis, and was followed by three engaging โfiresideโ panel discussions:
- Growing Together, led by Professor Birgitta Gatersleben speaking to Gordon Jackason, Chair of Surrey Hills Society and India Davies, the previous Growing Together project officer on the impact of the programme.
- The Spirit of Adventure, with Dr. Tom Roberts speaking to Matt Phelps (Lead Ecologist, Knepp) and Tek Gurung (Camberley Nepalese Gurkha Association and Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum trustee) on how we define adventure. Both Matt and Tek were extensively involved in the Growing Together project, creating opportunities for adventure on your doorstep.
- The Power of Purpose, presented by Dr Jill Timms speaking to Jo Woodhams (Director of AirTime and facilitator of My Green Future and Growing Togetherโs โNature Worksโ) alongside My Green Future participant Harry, and Nellie Budd (Farmer near Brockham) on how having the opportunity to build skills and feel confident in the countryside can enable expanded career journeys. Nellie has been central to the Surrey Hills Societyโs Farms for Health project, bringing young people with mental health challenges to her working farm to support their wellbeing.
Dr Tom Roberts, Senior Lecturer Environmental Sociology; Co-Director Institute for Sustainabilityโ said.
โThe Surrey Hills National Landscape is a remarkable asset to Surrey and the Southeast, enriching lives and inspiring people to connect with nature, seek adventure, and pursue sustainable green careers. The University of Surrey and the Institute for Sustainability are exceptionally proud of our partnership with the Surrey Hills National Landscape and look forward to strengthening it further. This event highlighted the powerful impact of the Growing Together project through personal stories from those who benefited and those who helped make it possible. Their experiences were truly inspiring and a reminder of the profound difference that community, nature, and shared purpose can create.โ
Photos by Martin Bamford.
