Category: Enterprises News

We are facing unprecedented times ahead which will undoubtedly affect all of us in many ways.  As it will have a big impact on the local economy and the ability of many businesses to cope, it is more important than ever to support small businesses within our community.

5 fantastic reasons to support local businesses

1. Right now small local business are more likely to go the extra mile to ensure that their premises and services are as safe and clean as possible. The stakes are considerably higher for small business than workers or managers in large chains
2. By supporting local businesses, you are not only supporting the families of those who run and work in the business, but you are also supporting your local economy rather than nationally owned – businesses. Research shows that £10 spent with a local independent business means up to an additional £50 goes back into the local economy. This is due to owners and staff putting that money back into the local community by going into local pubs, shops and restaurants etc,
3. Personality, connection, community – most small business owners and their staff are passionate about their business and offer genuine heartfelt customer service.  So the experience of shopping what them is likely to be far more enjoyable – right now we all need to bring and receive joy and the community in our lives.
4. Help reduce climate change by using local products, services, shops, and restaurants there is less need for driving, reduced pollution less, fewer air miles etc
5. You will get amazing customer service as a small business owner has much more vested interest in you having a positive experience

Check out our directory of Surrey Hills Businesses which includes a very wide range of products and services.

You can also check out this map which shows you where these businesses are located.

Citywide Financial Partners and Surrey Hills Enterprises are delighted to officially launch their new partnership.

Surrey based wealth management and financial advice company Citywide Financial Partners have joined forces with Surrey Hills Enterprises, a Community Interest company supporting the special Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The partnership will support a drive to build sustainable growth in the Surrey Hills by developing a hub of innovative, high quality local products and services.  The programme will promote the new Trade Mark Surrey Hills, an accreditation and mark of local provenance, quality and sustainability.  The Award promotes the very best of what Surrey has to offer and celebrates those organisations who share the values of supporting the local environment.

The partnership reflects Citywide’s focus on sustainability and their strapline of ‘do something today that your future self will thank you for”.

Clinton Askew, Chief Executive Officer for Citywide Financial Partners said ‘this partnership reflects our key values of trust, care and aspiration. We will be working closely with Surrey Hills Enterprises on their exciting programme to support this special area.  The partnership is launching alongside our brand new set of portfolios that conform to stronger Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria. We know that for many of our clients, priorities are shifting and it’s no longer just economic factors that are important when investing.”

Simon Whalley, Chairman of Surrey Hills Enterprises, said: “We are delighted to be working with Clinton and his team at Citywide Financial Partners. With the growing focus on sustainability, we have the opportunity to make a real difference for current and future generations and protect our beautiful Surrey Hills countryside and heritage”.

 The partnership includes developing a range of exciting events, festival and outdoor activities for local communities and visitors. To find out more – www.surreyhills.org

About Citywide Financial Partners:

Citywide Financial Partners specialise in financial advice and wealth management for families, professional and entrepreneurs wanting to make the most of their future.  Unifying personal goals, lifestyle and wealth, offering expert support families can depend upon – today and for generations to come.

With a reputation for innovation, insight and excellence, they pride themselves on their relationships with clients and their families – providing one-on-one support and a uniquely structured approach to wealth management, the Financial Success Programme™. Through this, Citywide offer a range of services including investment consulting, retirement advice, capital protection, intergenerational wealth planning, life coaching, inheritance tax and estate planning. They build on robust academic research and decades of experience to provide objective financial advice to the highest standards of fiduciary duty, integrity and excellence.

Contact: Citywide Financial Partners, Riverbridge House, Guildford Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 9AD, 01372 365 950, citywidefinancial.co.uk, Natalie Smith natalie.smith@citywidefinancial.co.uk

Surrey Hills Enterprises are delighted to announce Hill House Farm as the winner of the 2020 Gold Trade Mark Surrey Hills Award.  The Gold award is made to Surrey Hills Trade Mark Members who have excelled in their dedication towards improving environmental sustainability; excellent collaboration with other Surrey Hills businesses; and supporting Surrey Hills by improving the rural economy.

The award was presented at the Surrey Hills Annual Members celebration generously hosted by The Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel in their stunning Tithe barn, which was attended by over 100 Members from a wide range of Surrey Hills business.

Bridget Biddell, High Sheriff of Surrey, presented Hill House Farm with the award and praised them on how they have engaged and collaborated with many other producers in the area, culminating in creating a Surrey Hills Luncheon for the Royal Visit from HRH Prince Edward the Duke of Wessex in November last year.

Wendy Varcoe MBE, CEO of Surrey Hill’s Enterprises Commented; “We congratulate and commend Hill House Farm on their Gold Trade Mark Surrey Hills Award. The Award has been made to recognise their exemplary work in environmental sustainability and support for the Surrey Hills and other local producers.

Ian Jones, Farmer and Food Producer at Hill House Farm said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have won this award and feel very proud that all our hard work, both our family and the wider team at Hill House Farm, has been recognised in such a prestigious way. One of the many reasons we know our customers love us, is because we are passionate about food and farming responsibly, and take our environmental commitments very seriously, it is the very backbone of our business.

We are always looking for new ways to minimise our impact on the environment, whether that be sowing the land differently to increase carbon absorption to developing innovative recyclable packaging solutions.  We also place a great deal of value on collaboration, the whole premise of Surrey Hills Enterprises is to work and collaborate with other members, and we have found membership invaluable, enabling us to grow our network, knowledge and ultimately our revenue.”

Whilst there was only one Gold award winner, Surrey Hills Enterprises would also like to thank all their Members for the extensive contributions to sustainability, collaboration and support of the Surrey Hills. In addition, we would like to thank our corporate partners for their invaluable support.

To find out more about Membership, Trade Mark businesses and the role that Surrey Hills Enterprises plays in developing the rural economy and tourism please contact maggie@surreyhillsenterprises.co.uk or call 01423 661150.

Surrey Hills Enterprises ran the first Sustainable Business Showcase at the University of Surrey on February 4th.

The event attracted over 150 delegates from a wide range of organsiations including small artisans, local business services, farms and energy providers as well as representation from local councils, trusts and charities.

Whilst everyone agreed there is so much to be done to tackle climate change and to increase levels of sustainability in Surrey, there was also a very positive and inspiring energy around the work that is already being done by businesses big and small. This was highlighted by the many exhibitors and Surrey Hills Members who shared their journey, challenges and inspirations as they strive to become more sustainable.

Special thanks to Prof Xavier Font for his inspiring presentation on how to best market sustainable credentials and for hosting the event at The University of Surrey Business School. Also special thanks to Bridgett Biddell the High Sheriff of Surrey, John Revess, Director of Plastics and Packaging, WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development and our Surrey Hills Members – Ian Jones, Hill house farm, Clare Brown from Plant Passion and Mark Lebus from LC energy for their inspiring and informative presentations

Find out more about the speakers by clicking here

“It was great to see new ideas and hear from specialists with new takes on ideas from their field of expertise”  Tom Langham

“A fantastic evening – very thought provoking. Time to take a good look at my business“, Nicola Anstey

“Such a great evening. Brilliant speakers and lots of inspiring businesses” Ella, Shere Kitchen

2019 saw a dramatic increase in awareness of environmental and sustainability issues affecting both individuals and organisations, with 75% of UK businesses feeling that they have a role to play in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development goals (UNSDG’s)*

Whilst the desire to become more sustainable is increasing, it can be a daunting task for many organisations, especially small businesses.  However, the overwhelming evidence suggest that organisations incorporating eco-friendly practices are also increasing their bottom line as more consumers are choosing eco values over cost.

Surrey Hills Sustainable Business Showcase

The Surrey Hills Sustainable Business Showcase will bring together a wide range of leading figures and organisations to help inform and inspire others to take practical, effective and realistic actions which will help them put sustainability at the forefront of their business strategy.

For any organization that wishes to minimize the impact they are having on the environment, this event will enable them to learn from fellow Surrey organizations who are already overcoming the hurdles and challenges to enable them to become more sustainable.

Practical tools and techniques

Attendees will walk away with tools and techniques to better enable their organization to meet the increasingly vital actions needed to protect the environment of the Surrey Hills and beyond and will learn how rising to the challenge will not only help the environment but can also help in the marketing and success of their organization

The event has been organised by Surrey Hills Enterprises – a community interest company whose core activities are focused on building a strong local economy and tourism industry through ‘clean growth’, support of rural businesses and environmental sustainability. They have awarded the Trade Mark Surrey Hills to over 100 organisations as an Accreditation and Mark of local provenance, quality and sustainability.

*HSBC’s navigator report

Key event details

DATE: Tuesday 4th February 2020

TIME: 6pm – 8.30pm

VENUE: Business School, University of Surrey, Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH

COST: £15 + VAT or Free for Members of Surrey Hills Enterprises

To find out more about the event or to book a place click here

It is an exciting week for Surrey Hills Businesses as many of them have been nominated or shortlisted for a series of top business awards including:-

Mandiras Kitchen – Finalist in the Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence, Surrey Business Awards 2019

Mandira’s Kitchen creates delicious meals using fresh, local produce, family recipes and lots of love. In the short space of time that Mandira’s Kitchen has been around, it has been established as a much loved local business, firmly entrenched in the hearts, taste buds and indeed wonderful farm shops of the local community.

As part of their CSR they have a no single use plastic policy, instead they support women in India by using leaf based plates, they buy local as far as possible, they employ young people as well as those who may find it impossible to work elsewhere, they support local charities and are Members of Surrey Hills Enterprises.

Denbies Wine Estate – Finalist – Tourist Attraction of the Year, Surrey Business Awards 2019

The Denbies Estate, based in Dorking, Surrey, has been family owned and run since 1984. Not only is it one of the UKs leading award winning vineyards, it has become a destination for walkers, artists, shoppers, fine diners and festival goers with restaurants, galleries and a new state of the art hotel.

Helen Noble, Regional Finalist, Wedding Celebrant of the Year 2020

Helen is a certified Independent Celebrant who believes that we should all be given the choice to incorporate the elements, cultures, traditions, beliefs and rituals that make us who we are when putting together an important milestone day in your life.

Her creative passion, imagination to formulate unique and bespoke ideas for tailor-made ceremonies, open mindedness and organisational skills have resulted in her nomination as a finalist in the Wedding Industry awards 2020.

Birtley House Group – Finalist in the Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence, Surrey Business Awards 2019

Birtley House is dedicated to providing the highest levels of personalised care, with an emphasis on care of the whole person, and a range of different accommodation options.

“CSR is incredibly important in providing continuity and sustainability within a business, it helps with staff morale and provides reassurance to clients and the wider community that they matter too. Engagement and collaboration with the community helps to create strong storylines for all parties, it is something we have embraced as a business since 1932, and we will always continue to at Birtley House.” Birtley House

Silent Pool Distillery – Finalist – Tourist Attraction of the Year, Surrey Business Awards 2019

The beautiful and mysterious Silent Pool is home to Silent Pool Distillers – makers of unique, locally distilled gin, brandy & grappa with the flavor palette of the Surrey Hills.  Combining the beauty of the Silent Pool with the excitement of one of UKs fastest growing Gins producers, the distillery has become a firm favorite on the tourist trail through the Surrey Hills running up to 13 distillery tours a week plus afternoon teas, walks and even Christmas wreath making workshops.

The best of luck to you all!

Helping tackle climate change

Surrey County Council has committed to facilitate the planting of 1.2 million trees – one for every Surrey resident – by 2030.

We are delighted that they have chosen to plant the very first tree this Saturday (5 October), at the 10th anniversary Surrey Hills Wood Fair in Cranleigh. The oak tree will be planted by Tony Samuels, Chairman of SCC, and Tim Oliver, Leader of SCC.

The tree has been donated by Mary Foryszewski, the Mayor of Waverley.

FREE TREES

Surrey county council, in partnership with Tilhill Forestry, will be giving families who attend the wood fair a free tree to plant when they get home (with advice on how and where to plant it).

Mike Goodman, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, explains how this will help to tackle climate change. By the time it reaches 40 years of age a tree will have absorbed one ton of CO2.

Join us for the 10th Surrey Hills Wood Fair that promises to be bigger and better than ever with a whole host of exciting new additions to the Wood Fair as well as the return of many favourites. If you have never been before, come and experience an exciting day out with all your friends and family, and, if you have, then we look forward to welcoming you again!

The Wood Fair is full of traditional rural charm celebrating all that is ‘Good about Wood’ in the outstanding beautiful Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A Brilliant day out for all the family with masses of free activities, fantastic food and drink from the Surrey Hills, woodland walks, cooking over camp stoves plus.

For a full list of activities and demonstrations click here

Tickets to the Surrey Hills Wood fair

Adult Advance Online ticket (up to 12 noon on Friday 4th October): £7.50 or £10 on the gate or on line after 12 noon on Friday 4th October.

If you are looking for a team building event, corporate away day or a group event with a real difference, there are some fantastic companies offering great experiences and events that will help your teams connect, communicate, collaborate and have fun – all in the stunning natural beauty of the surrey hills countryside.

The Salt Box – Corporate Experiences and Team Away Days

Giving businesses the space to explore new directions and enjoy their team’s success out in the open, beneath the trees.

The award-winning team, based on the Priory Farm estate in South Nutfield, are offering bespoke experiences in a relaxed, natural environment, which can include a combination of open-fire cookery, foraging, natural arts and woodland yoga. Their immersive activities will give you and your team new energy and the space to have conversations that matter.

Find out more

Hedges and Hurdles – traditional skills training

Give your team a digital detox and let them experience a full day in the great outdoors learning some really different skills!

Introduce your teams to the heritage of Surrey with traditional Hedgelaying, Coppicing and Wattle Hurdle Training Courses delivered by 4 times National Hedgelaying Champion Paul Matthews.

Utilising natural materials coppiced locally, create bespoke Wood Craft, Bushcraft and Willow Craft experiences for your team depending on the woodland location of your choice e.g. Birtley Woodland Art’s Space, Bramley; Priory Farm Estate, South Nutfield or Sussex Prairie Gardens, nr Henfield.

Find out more

Albury artisan tasting trail

Treat your team to a day of delicious cheese, wine and gin tasting which will certainly help with team building!.

Starting at the boutique family-owned Albury Organic Vineyard to learn about what goes into wine production and how their hard work has made them the ‘must-have’ wine in many of England’s most luxurious restaurants and hotels.

Next it’s a short walk to the Norbury Park Cheese Company to find out about the history of cheese making before sampling Norbury Park’s range of handmade artisan cheeses in a delicious tasting session.

Then on to the Silent Pool Distillery where you’ll relax as you pause for a sumptuous lunch and enjoy a G&T from a complimentary Copa glass. Learn all about the history behind the success of Silent Pool Gin followed by a talk on the development and creation of distinctive cocktail flavours and combinations

Find out more

Surrey Hills Yurts – Rural activities team building

If you’re looking for team building activities combined with a few nights away, escape to the Surrey Hills luxury yurts for a more relaxed vibe. Experience work in a new way, holding meetings in the middle of a field and relaxing around the fire pit when the stars come out.

Activities include archery, axe throwing, yoga, outdoor cooking lessons, foraging and wild cocktails, willow weaving, walking on fire/glass or team building games. We bring in professional instructors to help you have fun and learn new skills, building the bond between colleagues.

Find out more

We fly Fish – All inclusive fly fishing events

Your dedicated fly fishing professional will plan and deliver an exciting and informative fly fishing group event, taking into account your level of fly fishing experience and what you’d like to learn.

Their qualified professional fly fishing coach/guides will work with your group to give you the skills and confidence to enjoy this wonderful sport. Fly fishing immerses you in nature as you tune in to the environment and switch off from the digital deluge ideal for a day out from the office with your colleagues and clients. You become more aware of the natural world when you go fly fishing, learning to observe and understand the behaviour of your target species.

Find out more

Mandira’s Kitchen – a spicy away day!

Take your team on a culinary and spice masterclass. These half day sessions include a spice masterclass and hands on cooking of five authentic Indian dishes followed by a sit down lunch or dinner with a glass of something. Fun and interactive, these prove very popular as team building events or away days.

Mandira’s supper clubs are a delightful mix of theatre and and delicious food, where your team will be taken on a culinary journey into India through 4 wonderful courses inspired from our memories and travels. Each course is served beautifully on Thalis (platters) and comes with an optional wine or cocktail pairing and a story behind the dish. Storytelling sessions can also be included by story teller extraordinaire Seema Anand

Find out more