This year’s Surrey Hills Symposium brought together nearly 300 people to the University of Surrey for a powerful evening of networking, inspiration and collaboration in creating a 75 year vision for the Surrey Hills as a thriving place for people and nature.  

This year’s event featured a vibrant marketplace which was bustling with dynamic exhibits from conservation organisations, local businesses and artists. It featured the unveiling of the Surrey Hills boundary signs by Saj Hussain, Chairman of Surrey County Council and Cllr Sallie Barker, Mayor of Guildford. Defra is funding the project to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the 1949 National Parks Act and the change in status of the Surrey Hills to a National Landscape.  They feature the seedpod logo and will replace the old Surrey Hills signs with Corten steel so they will be a legacy for the next 75 years.  They are modelled on the South Downs National Park signs and fabricated by Surrey based company Stark and Greensmith.   

The Symposium was opened by Kathy Atkinson, Chair of the Surrey Hills National Landscape. Kathy invoked the spirit of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and inspired the audience to envision what the next 75 years of stewardship could bring.   

A lineup of visionary speakers took the stage, each sharing bold ideas for the future of our landscapes: 

  • Professor Lorenzo Fioramonti, a leading voice in sustainability at the University of Surrey, opened with thought-provoking insights from his work on wellbeing economies, challenging us to redefine progress beyond traditional growth models. 
  • John Watkins, Chief Executive of the National Landscapes Association, emphasised the strength of national collaboration through projects such as Generation Green and Nature Calling, showing how joint efforts can drive transformative change for the environment. 
  • MOBO Award-winning artist Still Shadey performed an excerpt from his rap for Surrey Hills Arts’ Nature Calling, capturing his engagement with the landscape as a place to escape busy life, how in a world of materialistic culture we can embrace green energy. Still Shadey is also a Founder of Croydon-based youth mentoring organisation Ment4, who recently took part in a residential experience in the Surrey Hills as part of Generation Green. The young people overcame what felt like the eerie quiet of the countryside and lack of phone signal to truly connect with nature. Hear their journey in the film here. 
  • Tim Crawshaw, Director of Planning and Placemaking for Surrey County Council, highlighted the healing power of nature-based solutions for climate resilience and biodiversity, demonstrating how green spaces can positively impact both people and planet. 
  • Molly Biddell, a champion of regenerative farming and sustainable agriculture, shared insights from her work at the Hampton and Knepp Estates, urging attendees to rethink what we eat and buy to support thriving British landscapes and the wellbeing of future generations. 

The symposium followed with a lively interactive debate, inviting the audience to share their own ideas on how we can collectively nurture a sustainable countryside. This exchange reinforced the event’s mission to inspire and empower each participant to play an active role in creating a thriving environmental future. 

Kathy Atkinson, Chair of the Surrey Hills National Landscape remarked: 

“I was truly inspired by the brilliant speakers and the incredible collaboration that took place tonight.  I am so thankful to everyone who joined us—together we can make real, positive change for nature. This evening has shown what’s possible when we come together with a shared vision for the future of our landscapes.” 

As a memorable finale, following closing remarks from Gordon Jackson, Chair of the Surrey Hills Society, multidisciplinary artist in residence at Leith Hill Place, Rosie May Jones, delivered a live poetry performance. Crafted from over 100 “Postcards from the Future” submitted by the public, the poem Year Twenty One Hundred beautifully captured shared hopes and dreams for a harmonious future where people and nature coexist and flourish. The full poem will be available in our next Surrey Hills Management Plan. 

An excerpt from Rosie May Jones’ poem, Year Twenty One Hundred 

Have you ever wondered 

About the year twenty one hundred? 

Are you filled with hopes or with fears 

For what the world will be in seventy-five years? 

Do you think about what will be gained or what might be lost, 

Of our hills and hedges, fields and forests, 

Chalk streams and rivers, woodlands and downs, 

To the urban sprawl of cities and towns? 

Do you think our children’s children will look back and say 

Thank you for the choices we are making today?