Richard Lambert pays homage to the late great footballer who played for Epsom and Ewell FC.

[Photo: Phil Walker pictured running the line at West Street on 24th October 1976 in a Charity Match as a Dennis Waterman XI defeated an Epsom XI 11-10 with the recently deceased Waterman scoring a hat-trick. Over 2,000 were present along with many other famous names like Alan Mullery, Dave Sexton, Tony Gubba and Trevor Lee.]

Photo: Gemini Reynolds

On Friday 8^th July 2022 our club lost one of its most famous names when the death was announced of Philip Leonardus Walker at the tragically young age of 67.

Phil was born in Parsons Green on 29^th August 1954 and went to Battersea County School in Culvert Road, Battersea where he met another youngster, Trevor Lee. Their stories would of course become inextricably linked, although had Phil been born three days later, he would have been in a different school year and their paths may not have even crossed!

Both of course connected well at a time when it must have been extremely difficult growing up as a young black man in South London, but the pair would become footballing pioneers in arguably the most hostile of environments, the Den; home of Millwall FC.

Although both were very good at football, they went in opposite directions at first. Phil was working in a factory in Acton and got talking to a workmate who was at Wingate F.C. so he went and played with them, scored in his first match and stayed a while.

However, in 1973 he teamed up with Trevor again at Cobham alongside another player in Steve Jones. All three would then sign for Epsom and Ewell in the summer of 1974.

Saturday 08/02/75 v Hornchurch F.A.Vase – Won 1-0.

Back Row: Steve Jones, Ted Yorke, Chris Page, Johnny Eales, Dave Worby, Trevor Lee, Willie Bennett, Dave Ritman

Front Row: Tommy Tuite, Trevor Wales, Phil Walker, Pat O’Connell, Alan Webb

Our club were of course just picking themselves up after years in the doldrums and had just finished as runners-up in the Surrey Senior League, but Manager Pat O’Connell; a former professional himself at Fulham, wanted our club to achieve much more.

Phil joined our club a month after Trevor, due to a holiday in America, and made his debut on Saturday 7th September 1974 when we defeated Chobham 3-0 in a Surrey Senior League Cup tie at West Street, but it was a slow start for the new lad who only made four first team appearances by the December. However, he forced his way into the team as the season progressed and by the end of May we had won the League and Charity Cup double with Phil firmly entrenched in the number 10 shirt.

Phil scores our only goal in the F.A. Vase win over Hornchurch on 8th February 1975

Johnny Eales is the other Epsom player in the photograph and to my knowledge is the only other member of the 12 man squad to have passed away as I write this.

Of course most supporters will remember that 1974/75 season for our run to Wembley Stadium in the very first FA Vase competition, where Phil was a focal part of the run. He scored the only goal in our Quarter-Final victory over Hornchurch and the winner against Stamford in the first leg of the Semi-Final, which was won 2-1 and essentially earned the trip to Wembley, following our goalless draw in the second leg.

Trevor Lee and Phil Walker share a moment at the F.A. Vase Final post-match get together at the Cavalier in Wallington on 19th April 1975 with Manager Pat O’Connell and his Assistant Arthur Evans

 Our boys celebrate with the Surrey Senior League Trophy at West Street on 22nd May 1975

Although the day at Wembley ended with a 2-1 defeat, our club was on the football map again and in the early part of 1975/76 Millwall Manager Gordon Jago came calling. The new man in charge already knew of our club and ground, having played against us in the early fifties as Captain of Maidstone United in the Corinthian League. Jago actually took four of our players for trials at Cold Blow Lane. Willie Bennett, one of our finest defenders in club history, and Tommy Tuite, who would become our greatest ever goal scorer were also asked to attend along with Trevor and Phil, but ultimately injury hurt Bennett’s chances, while Tuite was considered too small at five feet eight, ironically the same height as Kevin Keegan! Both played matches for Millwall in the Football Combination, before returning to leafy Ewell Village.

However, Trevor and Phil were successful and Phil made the last of his 41 appearances for us against Southall and Ealing Borough (who had another non-league success playing in their team by the name of Alan Devonshire) in an F.A. Cup replay. Phil scored 19 goals in that time. Trevor would return for five appearances in 1985/86, but Phil would never wear our colours again.

Both players were due to sign for Millwall on 13th November 1975 live on the main regional news show of day, The Today show; a programme that would become infamous just over a year later for an interview featuring the Sex Pistols, but back then it was very popular. However, only Trevor made the show as Phil had to have x-rays but he would soon sign a two year contract in December 1975. Both made an instant impact on their debut, with Trevor setting up Phil to score the only goal against Mansfield Town at the Cold Blow Lane end at the old Den, and Phil made 35 appearances that season as promotion to Division Three was achieved.  

Despite the obvious fact that they were the only black players in the Lions team at a sad time in our distant past when the National Front were regularly acknowledged on television as the fourth main political party, and even before the implementation of the Race Relations Act in 1976 (which expanded on the previous Acts from 1965 and 1968 and properly started to give some real teeth to the subject of discrimination) they became extremely popular at a ground where the word “hostile” was a tag that many of their supporters embellished as a badge of honour. They remain so to this day.

Promotional photo from Millwall showing Gordon Jago after capturing both Phil and Trevor from Epsom and Ewell FC

Both players became pioneers for their club, although Phil didn’t stay that long. He made 167 appearances for them, with 22 goals before moving on. Whilst there he was honoured for his contributions to sport by the Muhammad Ali Scheme in Brixton, along with Olympic Champion Daley Thompson and World Champion Boxer John Conteh.

To give full details of Phil’s professional career and achievements, it is much better to refer you to the clubs for whom he played from this point, as they will all have written their own tributes. Suffice to say though, he signed for Charlton Athletic for £120,000 in the summer of 1979 before having a loan spell at Gillingham.

He then made an unusual career move in those days by going abroad in 1983 when he moved to Hong Kong to play for Eastern AA before moving again, this time to Portugal where he joined Leixoes, Boavista and FC Maia before retiring at the age of 41. He also told me that the best ground he ever played at (excluding Epsom’s appearance at Wembley Stadium) was Benfica’s old Stadium of Light.

He also did some coaching at Maia in the early 2000s and this was put to good use in recent years when he started to run his own soccer school at Wandle Recreation Centre in Mapleton Road, Wandsworth which continues to this day.

Most people will not know that Phil was actually a member of a very talented family and had a couple of brothers; Dennis who also played regularly for Epsom and Ewell, making 102 appearances and scoring 12 goals, and Larrington (Larry) who was a very well-known actor with roles in Minder, The Bill, Inspector Morse and The Chinese Detective amongst others, yet was versatile enough to also be a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and was a good friend of comedian Lenny Henry. Also, his nephew Kyle Walker-Peters is of course currently a professional footballer with Southampton.

I was extremely fortunate to meet both Phil and Trevor in 2015 when I noticed that Phil had started following our club on Twitter and dropped him a line to see if he would like to have a chat and he was more than happy to meet up and would bring Trevor along too.

When we met that evening I found two extremely modest people who knew they were breaking down barriers and raising the public’s perception at a time when it desperately needed to be, but you got the impression that they saw themselves as simply footballers. I didn’t feel the need to ask them the same questions they must have heard hundreds of times about their race, and in all honesty, I’d have probably been able to find out those answers from many other previous interviews. I wanted to concentrate on their time at Epsom and Ewell and I think it must have been quite refreshing for them to answer some different questions. In more recent years the Achtung Millwall podcast interviewed Phil and whilst it obviously concentrates more on his time there, it is well worth a listen too.

I said my goodbyes that evening and they said they would try to get along to an Epsom game one day. Regrettably now Phil will never make that journey, but he will never be forgotten at this club while I am here to pass the baton and remind people of our former greats, of which Phil was certainly one!

Trevor Lee and Phil Walker in the summer of 2015

More coverage of our great Epsom and Ewell Football Club on their website http://www.eefconline.co.uk/

Sandwiched between weekend Festival performances to sizeable crowds in Harrogate and Swanage, Jo Harrop delighted Epsom Jazz Club’s modest audience on 7th July by taking to the stage for a sublime midweek concert.

Wonderfully accompanied by local jazz guitarist Nigel Price, Dave Chamberlain on double bass, and Matt Home on drums, Jo effortlessly commanded the room with songs from Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and more.

After moving to London from her home city of Durham, Jo quickly established herself as one of the most unmistakable voices in British jazz, performing everywhere from Ronnie Scott’s to the Royal Albert Hall. Epsom Jazz Club is still in its infancy having only been launched in 2022, and was elated to welcome Jo in the midst of her busy touring schedule.

Epsom Jazz Club rests in August and will announce its Autumn programme soon.

More at EpsomJazzClub.com

@EpsomJazzClub on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council announced the results of the by-election held yesterday, Thursday 7 July 2022, for the West Ewell Ward.

New Councillor Alan Williamson photograph above.

Mr Williamson gained the most votes with 549 electors supporting him. The remaining results were:

MARK TODD  (Labour)                       395 votes

KIERAN PERSAND  (Conservative)         205 votes

MARION MORRISON (LibDem)                117 votes

Turnout for the election was 26.79%

West Ewell Ward, has three seats on the Council, at present all three are held by the Residents Association.

The by-election was called following the death of popular and long-serving Residents Association Councillor Clive Smitheram in May this year.

The Developers promoting the development of the site of Kingswood House School bizarrely failed to
show up at their own public consultation on Thursday night (7th July). The event which had been organized by
Steve Curwen of Stonegate Homes Ltd on behalf of the freeholders of the site (the Aczel brothers)
was scheduled to take place at The Cricketers Inn on Stamford Green between 5pm and 7pm on
Thursday 7th July.

Had Mr Curwen or the Aczels attended, they would have been greeted by between 70 and 80 local
residents who despite having been given barely 72 hours notice of the event by the developers,
turned up in force to show their support for the School and their objection to the development
proposals.

It was standing room only in the small room which the developers had organized for the meeting
and in their absence and that of the freeholders, it was left to the School to thank residents for
showing up and for indicating their strong opposition to the plans. Headmaster Duncan Murphy noted
the valuable role the School plays, providing education for 250 boys and girls, very many of whom are
SEND pupils (Special Education Needs and Disabilities).

Chris Grayling MP also attended and voiced his strong support for the School and objection to the
plans and was supported by councilors Bernie Muir and Steve Bridger. Bernie Muir encouraged all
attendees to sign a register noting their attendance.

Steve Bridger (Councillor for Stamford Ward) told Epsom and Ewell Times “I support and will continue to support Kingswood House in every aspect against this planning application, being a local school providing first class education. It is a great asset to the Borough and the students that attend.”

Sited in West Hill Epsom for over 100 years Kingswood House is a renowned special educational
needs and disability (SEND) school and is facing the termination of its lease as developers seek to
build a housing estate on the land. The valuable role the School plays has been recognized by
Council’s recently awarding the School the status of an: “Asset of Community Value”. This is a rare
accolade, unusual for a school and reflects the high value of the school to the local community. Also,
the school has been shortlisted by Independent School Parent magazine for an award in this year’s
annual Contribution to Social Mobility category. See Epsom and Ewell Times exclusive breaking the story.

Epsom’s Kingswood House School faces closure as developers move in.

Sited in West Hill Epsom for over 100 years this renowned special educational needs and disability (SEND) school is facing the termination of its lease as developers seek to build a housing estate on the land. 250 pupils enjoy first class facilities and green space at the Council’s recently recognised “Asset of Community Value”. This is a rare accolade, unusual for a school and reflects the high value of the school to the local community. Also, the school has been shortlisted by Independent School Parent magazine for an award in this year’s annual Contribution to Social Mobility category.

Tomorrow (Thursday 5pm 7^th July) at The Cricketers Pub, Stamford Green Road, Epsom the freehold owners of the land, (James, Richard and David Aczel) are staging a “public consultation”.

Richard Evans, the Chair of the School’s governors said “Our school is already a thriving SEND-focused school for 250 boys and girls and the proposed school is on a small part of the site and will only accommodate a fraction of this number.”

Headmaster Duncan Murphy said “100% of the site should be kept for a school, and no housing should be allowed. Although the landlords will say otherwise, there are other sites for housing which are far more appropriate.” The school are urging local residents to attend the meeting at the Cricketers and make their views known.

The freeholders claim “Epsom is far behind its local housing delivery targets and needs a great deal of housing for local people, with a high demand for family housing. The scheme delivers a specialist school for local children that will be funded by the local education authority. The scheme delivers new local housing with 1, 2, 3 & 4 bed homes. All high quality and with parking (incl electric charging) and grounds to provide a high standard of design. This is a local scheme for local people. The scheme is highly sustainable, re-using buildings where possible and creating highly energy efficient new buildings where required.”

Below is the registered land (edged red) leased till March 2023 by the Axzels to Kingswood House School Trust and an aerial view of the site. Lastly, the proposed development demonstrating how most if not all the green space available to 250 pupils will be swallowed up by new housing.

The Conservative-run Surrey County Council plans to axe “area committees”. Will this reduce local people’s voice in Council decisions? “Surrey to reign over us? Happy and glorious?”

“Local and Joint Committees” have been the mainstay of local democracy in Surrey over the last 20 years, providing a forum for county councillors to join with their counterparts In Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and other local councils in the County, to discuss issues and make decisions on local county council spending. Members of the public participated in the meetings by bringing petitions and asking questions about council services.

These committees have gradually reduced in the frequency of meetings and their remit. Decision-making on highway functions was removed at the Surrey County Council Cabinet meeting in February this year. Various ideas have been floated about replacing them with a new model of partnership working but as yet, no firm proposals or timeline have been set.

The abolition of Local and Joint Committees is now set for the 31 October 2022 latest.

Epsom and Ewell and Surrey County Councillor Eber Kington (Residents Association) said to the Epsom and Ewell Times: “It was a decision taken without consultation with most County Councillors and made without any detailed plans in place to replicate many of the functions of Local Committees.  Getting “how will this work” responses has been difficult and met with evasion and delay.  However, we now know that petitioners will have their requests for action determined by a Cabinet Member (not from Epsom and Ewell), and residents can only ask in-person questions related to their local community if they travel to Surrey County Council’s Woodhatch HQ in Reigate, accessible only by car.  My ability to promote a highway safety scheme amongst my Epsom and Ewell County Councillor colleagues is gone, and such schemes now have to take their chance in competition with 80 other county councillors across Surrey.”

“The outcome of this centralisation of highway spending decisions is self-evident when you see that for highway improvements to reduce road casualties, tackle speeding and make walking and cycling to school easier and safer in 2022/2023, there are 42 schemes listed with a total spend of £2,200,000. Unfortunately, the Epsom and Ewell area has just one scheme listed at a cost of £5000.  That is just 0.2% of the budget for 2022/2023 being allocated to Epsom and Ewell.”

Epsom and Ewell College Ward Councillor David Gulland (LibDem) told Epsom and Ewell Times “This move threatens to undermine local democracy and reduce Epsom and Ewell’s voice in County Council decisions. The Conservatives have been looking to abolish Local and Joint Committees for a number of years but have yet to come up with any firm proposals for anything that will work better. My concern is that if they are completely abolished without their replacements up and running, there could be a temporary or even a permanent deficit in local democracy. We want to press the County Council into committing to a future that provides for local participation in local decision-making. My LibDem colleagues on the County Council will move a resolution to preserve Local and Joint Committees.”

The Conservative County Councillor was also asked to comment.

The Epsom and Ewell Times has previously reported the surprise resignation / departure (?) of Kathryn Beldon, the Council’s Chief Executive Officer.  The Strategy and Resources committee decided on Monday night (July 4^th) to exclude press and public from its meeting to discuss the recruitment of a new CEO.

The motion to hold the meeting in private was opposed by Cllr. David Gulland (Lib Dem, College Ward) and Cllr. Kate Chinn (Labour, Court Ward), arguing that there was no reason for any of the information that would be discussed to be exempt from public scrutiny.

But the council officer presenting the report responded that, while it was a decision ultimately for councillors to make, it would be difficult to discuss the matter without referring to the financial remuneration of other individuals employed by the council.  The committee chairman, Cllr Neil Dallen (Res Ass, Town Ward) suggested to the meeting that this would restrict the discussion needed.

A vote on Cllr. Gulland’s motion to keep the meeting open to the public was defeated by 5 votes to 2.  The public gallery was therefore cleared and the ensuing discussion in private lasted for about an hour.

The S&R meeting was immediately followed by a meeting of the Full Council, where Cllrs. Gulland and Chinn again argued that the discussion should be held in the open, but were again defeated by the Residents’ Association majority.

The public is still none the wiser in terms of what was discussed or what conclusions were reached.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been contacted and advises:

“In recent years public authorities have published an increasing
amount of information on salaries of public sector officials.
Government departments and other public bodies now routinely
publish the names, job titles and salaries of senior civil servants on
www.data.gov.uk, as part of the government’s policy on open data
and transparency. Salaries are given in bands of £5,000 (eg
£120,000 to £124,999). For more junior posts the job title and pay
scales are shown.
It is well-established practice that local authorities, fire and police
authorities and certain other public bodies in England publish
salary-related information in their annual accounts. For example, for
each employee who earned over £50,000 in the previous year, they
publish actual salaries, allowances, bonuses, compensation and
employer’s pension contributions. This also includes the names of
those staff who earned over £150,000.”

The Epsom and Ewell Times will apply to Epsom and Ewell Borough Council for full disclosure of all the secret papers of the meetings of 4th July and the minutes. Failing which an appeal will be made to the ICO as Epsom and Ewell Council’s secrecy appears to be contrary to the spirit of the age of transparency and accountability.

5th July the Council made a statement through its press office: “These meetings were part of the required democratic process to ensure a robust recruitment of the most senior Chief Officer position of the Council. “

Marion Morrison (LibDem), Mark Todd (Labour, leaning on the RA candidate’s empty chair), Keiran Persand (Conservative). Monday 4th July 2022, All Saints Church West Ewell hosted the West Ewell Borough Council Ward by-election hustings. Local residents go to the polling stations on Thursday 7th July to elect a new Councillor. Each candidate paid tribute to the late Residents Association Councillor Clive Smitheram for his long and valuable public service. See Epsom and Ewell Times obituary HERE.

Alan Williamson, the Residents Association candidate, did not attend due to a work commitment. He works in the financial services sector. However, you can see all candidates’ responses to Epsom and Ewell Times questions HERE.

The hustings candidates were quizzed by voters on tackling anti-social behaviour and improving policing, the urgency of getting approved a Local Plan, improvements to transport and local road congestion. The audience was very pleased to have the opportunity to hear and question candidates but were disappointed that Mr Williamson could not attend. There was unanimous support for the Epsom and Ewell Times plan to hold hustings in every ward in the 2023 Epsom and Ewell Borough Council elections.

A 102-year-old Surrey war hero who was unable to wear his medals due to the condition of the ribbons can finally pin on his honours again, thanks to a local veterans’ project which arranged a repair mission.

George, who served in the British Army during the Second World War and now lives in Epsom, showed the old, frayed ribbons to a trained volunteer who was documenting his life story as part of the Force for Change veterans’ project.  

On hearing George’s predicament, Tracey Morris, the project lead for Epsom and Ewell, contacted THE SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN AND FAMILIES ASSOCIATION [SSAFA], the Armed Forces charity. Tracey, a communities and prevention coordinator in the county council’s adult social care team, worked with Adrian Mundin, SSAFA’s divisional secretary, to arrange for the honours to be sent to medal specialists in London.

SSAFA has strong links with the London Medal Company, which was pleased to support George’s request. The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans then stepped in to transport the medals to the company’s premises in Leicester Square, because of the age of the medals and to ensure their safe delivery and return.

The taxi collected the honours from an event marking the third anniversary of the Epsom and Ewell Veterans Community Hub, where George was showing his medals, still in the cardboard box in which they were delivered to him more than half a century ago. The honours were then conveyed from the hub to the medals company for repair.

Complete with new ribbons and displayed on a rack, the medals were reunited with their owner at the Comrades Club in Epsom, where George was also able to meet and thank Kim Morton, representing SSAFA, Ian Lingham, of the taxi charity, and Tracey.

The local veterans’ project brings together former service personnel through friendship groups, events and days out and may involve an opportunity to record their life stories for the archives.

It’s a pilot scheme which is initially focused on three areas of Surrey – Epsom and Ewell, Guildford and Surrey Heath. Places are available in all three locations. Former service personnel, whether younger or older, are encouraged to get involved.

The county council is working with armed forces charities and local museums and organisations to deliver the project, which is funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, under its Force for Change programme.

Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: “Thanks to everyone involved in this heartwarming project and particularly to George for telling his story and highlighting the benefits of the groups and networks for veterans in Surrey. I’d encourage anyone who has served, whether younger or older, to find out more about the opportunities in the county.”

Helyn Clack, chairman of Surrey County Council and the Surrey Civilian Military Partnership Board, said: “It’s particularly fitting during Armed Forces Week to be celebrating the repair and return of the medals that George so richly earned. I’d like to pay tribute to him and indeed all those across Surrey who have served, and are currently serving, for their courage and contribution.”

For more information about support for veterans across Surrey, visit Surrey Information Point. You can also download the free Forces Connect mobile app which signposts veterans, armed forces personnel and their loved ones to local support and advice. Search “Forces Connect” in Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store.

The Epsom and Ewell Veterans Community Hub is holding an indoor street party on Sunday 26^th June to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Any veteran wishing to attend must register in advance (contact tracey.morris@surreycc.gov.uk or call 07790 585352).

New analysis of Digging up Britain 2022 search data reveals that Surrey residents are the fourth safest diggers in the UK, being beaten to top spot by Nottinghamshire, London and Gloucestershire.  Devon rounded off the top five.

The study by the UK’s leading online safe digging resource, Line Search Before You Dig,  LSBUD, highlights the country’s safest and most dangerous digging hotspots as domestic digging continues to rise, by analysing how many residents are searching before they dig.

The UK’s Top Ten Digging Regions

• Nottinghamshire
• London
• Gloucestershire
• Surrey
• Devon
• Kent
• Hampshire
• Cornwall
• Wiltshire
• Oxfordshire

With Brits searching before undertaking 185,000 digging projects over the past 12 months, the scale and volume of at-home activity is clear to see. This is an all-time high and a 25 percent increase on the previous year.

It comes amidst a greater willingness to undertake home improvements post-COVID. According to Rated People, there was a 32 percent increase in demand for home improvements in 2021, with homeowners requiring more space to effectively live and work from the same property. Digging up Britain data mirrors this, with domestic works projects increasing by 83 percent.

The nature of these digging projects range from digging in trampolines, putting in new sheds and fixing fencing, through to drainage work, building conservatories, installing heat pumps and planting trees.

What the Experts Say

Richard Broome, MD at LSBUD, comments: “It is great to see the British public wanting to do more to their homes, and to see so many using the proper precautions to stay safe is heartening. With 84 percent of all digging projects now preceded by an underground search, it is clear that the safe digging message is getting through.

“However, there is still room for improvement. When the British public dig ‘blind’, with no prior knowledge of what is beneath them, there results can be significant. You are looking at serious injuries, expensive repairs, major disruptions and in the worst cases, fatalities.

“With this in mind, we urge people to always ‘search before you dig’. This is the message we want to get across as part of National Safe Digging Week, which starts on Monday 4^th July.”

To learn more, please visit lsbud.co.uk/national-safe-digging-week, and to see LSBUD’s consumer-focused safe digging video, click here.

The UK’s Most Dangerous Digging Regions

• Lincolnshire
• Somerset
• Herefordshire
• Berkshire
• Durham

Methodology

Data from LSBUD’s search portal, which recorded 3.4 million enquiries in 2021 was analysed. The data not only identifies the people responsible for each search, with ‘private individuals’ one of the selected groups, but also their location.

Surrey Independent Living Council is evolving! Following on from an independent external review the
trustees agreed to change the name of the organisation to Surrey Independent Living Charity. (SILC)
They believe that the change in name from Surrey Independent Living Council to Surrey Independent
Living Charity better reflects the charitable objectives of the organization and avoids confusion with
Surrey County Council.
SILC is a User Led Organisation that has been active in Surrey for almost 25 years and was formed as
Surrey Independent Living Council in 1998 by a group of disabled people. SILC’s primary purpose was
to provide support to disabled people who wanted to use local authority funded Direct Payments to
employ Personal Assistants to provide the care and support they needed.
Between 1999 and 2017 SILC continued to provide support services in Surrey and their growth
reflected the increasing number of people using Direct Payment in Surrey. During that time, the
charity expanded to provide one off Direct Payments to Carers and Personal Health Budget support
to individuals funded by the NHS.

Chief Executive, Richard Davy, said to Epsom and Ewell Times: “The change in our name to Surrey Independent Living Charity honours the history of the charity and the work that has been undertaken over the last 25 years,
whilst looking ahead to the future and focusing on our charitable objectives and our vision, mission
and values.”

SILC believes that everyone can live independently with the right support. At the heart of everything
they do is the social model of disability and the concept of full human rights. They believe that these
give a basis for treating everyone with respect, understanding and fairness. They also believe that disabled adults, children, older people and carers can learn from and support each other.
Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) will continue to provide its existing range of services, details
of which can be found on www.surreyilc.org.uk.
In addition to this, the charity intends to put a greater focus on its role as a champion and facilitator
of independent living for people in Surrey who require support to live in the community. SILC will
also be further developing peer and volunteer led information, advice and support for residents who
need it.
Chief Executive, Richard Davy, “We at SILC are very proud to have been supporting people in
Surrey to live independently for almost 25 years. We’re on a mission to extend the awareness of the
support we can provide to families and individuals living with disabilities as well as older people with
care needs, and to raise additional funding to widen the range of services we can offer to the people
of Surrey”. 
To find out more about SILC and how you can support them or access their services, please visit the SILC
website www.surreyilc.org.uk.

As Epsom and Ewell Times reported  27th May 2022, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council announced the departure of its Chief Executive Officer, Kathryn Beldon, “following her decision that this is the time for a new chapter in [my] life.”  Yet, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Epsom and Ewell Times for disclosure of the former CEO’s resignation letter the Council has responded: “We are unable to comply with your request as the Council did not receive a letter of resignation from Kathryn Beldon. The reason for her leaving was stated in the previous press release, which can be accessed on the EEBC website using the following link:
Epsom and Ewell Chief Executive | Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (epsom-ewell.gov.uk)“

Tonight 7.30pm onward (Monday 4th July2022) in the Council Chamber, Town Hall The Parade Epsom, the Council is due to debate the recruitment of a new Chief Executive and no doubt the circumstances of the departure of the previous one will be discussed. However, as we reported 28th June 2022 the meetings may be held in private as first the Strategy and Resources Committee (7.30pm) and then the Full Council (@8.30pm) will determine if the press and public should be excluded on either the ground of the privacy of an individual outweighing the public interest in the matter or to keep Council finances secret.

Surrey County Council’s lowest paid staff are set to receive a pay boost after unions and council officers agreed a proportionate pay offer that sees pay increases on a sliding scale.

The offer will give people at the lowest pay grade a 7.85% increase and will exceed the UK Living Wage Foundations National Living Wage with a minimum hourly pay rate of £10.24ph.

The percentage increase drops further up the scales, with those earning the most receiving no increase.

Surrey Pay is subject to local agreement and negotiations between the Council and recognised trade unions (Unison & GMB). Negotiations this year focused on the sharp increases in costs of living, with the final offer reflecting the council’s stated ambition of No One Left Behind – helping those who need us most.

The offer is targeted at lower earners who are inevitably struggling most with the costs of living increases, hence the graduated nature of the pay uplift.

Leader of Surrey County Council Cllr Tim Oliver (Conservative) said: “I’m pleased that a strong pay offer has been agreed, one that particularly protects our lowest paid staff.

“We know that the cost of living is proving a challenge for many, but as a council it is our absolute priority to ensure no one is left behind, and that includes our staff. This offer reflects that.

“It is also in recognition of the excellent services staff continued to provide under difficult conditions during the pandemic, which we are all grateful for.”

Pre-season Friendly Saturday 2nd July 2022. Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk. Reporter: Richard Lambert

New era kicks off with narrow defeat. The artificial surface at Kings College in Guildford was the place to be to witness the opening match of the Anthony Jupp and Liam Giles era, although rather disappointingly out of our regular supporters, only two Committee members, plus myself and my boy Nathan were there to witness it in an attendance of 15.

Pre-season friendlies are not for everyone though and of course many players take the field who will never make the first team squad, so maybe some supporters aren’t that concerned! Obviously, due to the time of the season with many players not signed up and the recent departures of Luke Miller and Tommy Smith, I won’t be releasing any names here, except to say that many players were away this week and that out of the twenty-two players present, of whom twenty had a run out, there were only three players on the field who finished the season with us. There were also two former Epsom players on show.

Pre-season friendlies are not for everyone though and of course many players take the field who will never make the first team squad, so maybe some supporters aren’t that concerned! Obviously, due to the time of the season with many players not signed up and the recent departures of Luke Miller and Tommy Smith, I won’t be releasing any names here, except to say that many players were away this week and that out of the twenty-two players present, of whom twenty had a run out, there were only three players on the field who finished the season with us. There were also two former Epsom players on show.

The half time whistle blew immediately after the restart, and both teams changed a number of personnel and in our case, the formation too. This bore fruit within 35 seconds as a smart strike from the left about fifteen yards out put us back on level terms. We then hit the face of the bar with a shot from the left before another shot took a slight deflection and came back off the Farnham post.

Unfortunately a foul just inside the penalty area gave our opponents a spot kick which was converted in the 73rd minute and then two minutes after we had hit the post once again in the 87th minute, Farnham scored a third goal with a fine finish into the top corner from just inside the box.

This third goal was a little harsh on our team, but in the 91st minute we did get a second of our own when our earlier scorer latched on to a fine pass, held off his man and steered the ball under the keeper from an angle about ten yards out for his second of the match. It was the least we deserved, having also hit their woodwork on three occasions during that period!

As always at this stage of the season the performance is more important than the result, but with so many players absent it is hard to say much more than the scoreline was about fair, largely due to Farnham holding a greater balance of play in the first half. Suffice to say our new Management seemed happy enough with the way things went and that’s all that really matters at this point. We move on to meet another Step Five team when we visit Hassocks next Saturday.

Freya Lawrence writes: The amount of sufferers with mental illness has increased immensely in recent years. With a global pandemic, increased living expenses and varying demographic changes, it is certainly easy
to understand how and why. The resources available for those suffering are also on the rise.
Disorders such as anxiety and depression can interfere with everyday life, with physical health and
overall emotional wellbeing evidently being affected directly by mental illness. With 1 in 4
individuals in the UK suffering from a mental health problem each year, it is vital to us that the
resources available in the local area are more accessible.

Starting the conversation about mental health within the borough is also important to us because
of the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. Stigma has the potential to make mental health
issues worse – causing delay or prevention of treatment for some sufferers.
Social attitudes have always played an important role in the diagnoses and treatment of mental
illnesses. The list of reasons for the stigmatisation is long and somewhat endless.

The mental health history of Epsom is worth noting due to the psychiatric institutions that once
lived in the Horton area of the town, which in itself has created stigma.
With the globalisation of media, ideas about certain groups of individuals can be easily accessed.
It is evident that the media portray links between mental illness with dangerous and/or criminal
behaviour- a huge misconception. There is a genuine lack of awareness and education when it
comes to these illnesses, and I would advise many to check out the list of disorders and their symptoms via the following link https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-
health-problems/

Trying to find resources for mental health recovery or crises can not only be daunting, but time
consuming and arduous- in the matter of finding the correct resources. Accordingly, The Epsom
and Ewell Times felt it necessary to provide some information regarding the mental health
resources that exist within the area that can hopefully benefit those suffering, and/or those
seeking help for those around them. Our objective is to lay out an inclusive, easily accessible list.
Below is a compiled list of several of the available services within the borough. It is worth noting
the following list is not comprehensive. The aim is to provide an avenue for those suffering and
looking for help.

Love Me Love My Mind –
Love Me Love My Mind is a small registered grassroots charity based in Epsom. The charities aim
is to promote better understanding of mental health, and to provide support to individuals
suffering.
Love Me Love My Mind have drop in services every Monday from 16:00pm-19:00pm at St
Barnabas church, situated on Temple road. The drop in service is a brilliant idea for those isolated
by their mental health issues – with refreshments, activities and a home cooked meal provided.
For more information visit https://www.lovemelovemymind.org.uk

Horizon
Horizon is a mental health, specialist and learning disabilities community service hub, which
opened in July 2021. Horizon is currently working from the following address : 28 Upper High
Street, Epsom, Surrey, KT17 4QJ
Teams specialising in the following have moved into the hub:
• Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIIP)
• Mind Matters
• Community Mental Health Recovery Service (CMHRS) – Epsom
• Community Mental Health team for Older People (CMHTOP) – Mid Surrey
• i-access: East

• Perinatal Mental Health Service: South West
• ASD and ADHD Service: Surrey

Mary Frances Trust –
Since 1994, the Mary Frances Trust have specialised in mental health support for Surrey
residents. The non profit organisation is located at 23 The Crescent, Leatherhead. The services
provided by Mary Frances trust are extensive, from one-to-one support and crisis support to
wellbeing courses and physical activities.
“Anyone over the age of 16 living in the Mole Valley, Epsom & Ewell, Banstead, Elmbridge areas of
Surrey and experiencing any form of mental or emotional health issues can access our services.”
The website has more information in regard to their services –
https://www.maryfrancestrust.org.uk

Safe Haven: Epsom
The safe haven, located at 44 Waterloo road, KT19 8EX, is a drop in service for those
experiencing a mental health crisis and those who are looking for general mental health support.
For the former, the centre is open from 18:00pm-23:00pm 365 days a year. Those looking for the
latter can drop in between 18:00pm-19:00pm daily. There is also a virtual safe haven offering
crisis support that can be accessed between 18:00pm-23:00pm via this link – https://nhs.vc/sabp/safe-haven-Epsom
‘‘We offer a supportive environment for any adult in crisis during a time of need and when there
may be no-one else around to provide it.’’
The services provided by the Epsom Safe Haven are self referral. The safe haven will be moving to
the brickfield centre in May 2022 – at Brickfield Centre, Portland Place, Epsom, KT17 1DL.

For more information in regard to the Epsom safe haven visit: https://www.sabp.nhs.uk/our-services/mental-health/safe-havens

Alcoholics anonymous (AA) intergroup:
For those struggling with alcohol addiction, there are several AA sessions throughout the week in
and around Epsom and Ewell. Below are many of the sessions offered – it is worth noting that
many of the below sessions work at a first come, first served basis, and the duration of the
sessions vary from 1 hour – 1 and 1/2 hours.
Monday at 20:00pm – St Joseph’s Catholic Church, St Margaret’s Drive, KT18 7JQ
Friday at 13:00pm – St Martin’s Church Hall, Church St, KT17 4PX
Friday at 18:30pm – All Saints Church meeting room, KT19 9QZ
Saturday at 20:00pm – St Martin’s Church, Church St, KT17 4PX
Saturday at 10:00am – Epsom Methodist Church,11-13 Ashley Rd, KT18 5AQ

Mindworks Surrey –
Mindworks is a Surrey based service specialising in children and young peoples emotional
wellbeing and mental health. The services offered by Mindworks are extensive, delivered by many

alliance partners. Alongside this, Mindworks support and work alongside various organisations
and groups who work with children and young people. The Mindworks website is not only
accessible for a parent or carer, but also children and young adults.
https://www.mindworks-surrey.org

In a different way The Friends of Horton Cemetery are de-stigmatizing mental illness through their project revealing the lives of 9000 patients buried between 1899 and 1955 in the abandoned Cemetery in Epsom. See www.hortoncemetery.org

Author: Freya Lawrence

The River Hogsmill and the Green Lanes Stream are becoming no go areas for dogs and humans. Residents are calling for private utility company Thames Water to act on sewage polluted water courses in the heart of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell. Local activist Mark Todd states: “Thames Water should not be using the Green Lanes Stream and the Hogsmill River in Epsom & Ewell and Kingston Boroughs, as open sewers. The Hogsmill is one of only 200 chalk streams in the world and used to be teeming with wildlife, yet it is now so polluted barely any fish live in it.”

“The rivers are delicate streams and cannot accommodate sewage overflows. The pollution affects Epsom, Ewell, Tolworth, Surbiton and Kingston. It then enters the Thames affecting London and the Thames Estuary. The sewage is killing the rivers: destroying wildlife, poisoning animals, and makes it unsafe for kids or animals to play in them. Some local residents who live by the river say it now stinks. In 2021, the South East Rivers Trust calculated that a total of 159 hours of sewage went into the rivers across 47 incidents. That is one incident per week. The causes of the discharges are faulty sensors by Green Lanes Stream; insufficiently large sewage tanks at Manor Rd, Ewell; and comms failures at the outdated Hogsmill A Waste-water Works in Kingston.”

Mark has established a petition to put more pressure on Thames Water to stop the issues at source by investing some of its profits in upgrading the sewage infrastructure in the area. See Petition HERE

In response to Epsom and Ewell Times, a Thames Water spokesperson said: “Our aim will always be to try and do the right thing for our rivers and for the communities who love and value them. We regard all discharges of untreated sewage as unacceptable and will work with the government, Ofwat and the Environment Agency to accelerate work to stop them being necessary and are determined to be transparent. We recently launched our river health commitments which includes a 50% reduction in the total annual duration of spills across London and the Thames Valley by 2030, and within that an 80% reduction in sensitive catchments.

“In addition, the Thames Tideway Tunnel, which is the third phase of a comprehensive environmental improvement programme of the tidal Thames for our customers and river users, is due for completion in 2024. The tunnel is a total investment of more than £4 billion that will deliver a huge reduction in the discharges to the tidal River Thames in London, and further improve overall health of the river.

“We have a long way to go – and we certainly can’t do it on our own – but the ambition is clear.”