Woking Golf Club raises record amount for Eikon, Surrey Children’s Charity

Monday 22nd April 2024

Woking Golf Club has raised its highest amount ever – an outstanding £35,000 – to support The Eikon Charity, a Surrey children’s charity helping children and young people feel safe, heard and supported.

Outgoing club captain’s Drew Nicholson and Jane Moore attended an event on Wednesday April 10th to present the cheque to Eikon’s CEO, Chris Hickford, and Becky Hughes, Grants & Corporate Partnerships Manager.

Group of people with presentation cheque at Woking golf club charity day

The Captains thanked the members of the club for their support noting that the amount raised was more than three times what they had been anticipating.

Drew said:

“The members of Woking Golf Club have been incredible in their support of our chosen charity over the past year. All seemed to feel a strong connection to the cause, and we’re so grateful for their support over the past year.”

Jane added:

“Our members wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity to make a difference, and we are thrilled to see the positive impact of our partnership.”

The club raised the amount through a range of fundraising activities, including a charity golf day in June 2023 that raised a record amount for any charity golf day in the club’s history. There were further events across the year including a quiz night, a Christmas silent auction, and a charity bridge event.

The year of support from the club was topped off by Ladies’ Captain Jane Moore running the London Landmarks Half Marathon for Eikon earlier in April with her son Daniel, together raising £3,000 towards the final total.

Founder and CEO of The Eikon Charity, Chris Hickford MBE, says:

“We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support and generosity we have had from everyone at Woking Golf Club during their partnership over the past year. They have raised an incredible amount of money to help fund our services. In nearly 30 years of The Eikon Charity’s existence we have not seen the wellbeing of children and young people be so low. More children than ever are really struggling. By raising money for Eikon, the members of Woking Golf Club have ensured we will continue to provide caring and committed professionals in schools and communities across Surrey who support these children through their challenges and to improved health. We hope we get to work together more in the future.”

Chris Hickford, CEO of The Eikon Charity

Get involved

You can make a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Surrey.

Whether you want to run a marathon or host a coffee morning, there are lots of different ways you can get involved.

Click on the links below, or contact our friendly team about your next great fundraising idea…

Take on a challenge Get your company involved More ways to support us

New statistics show the real difference your support makes

Wednesday 18th October 2023

In the first six months from 1st April to end of September 2023, Eikon has been there for 1,527 children and young people 8,982 times.

Click on our new infographic to find out how with your support, these young people and their families have a safe place to turn.

These incredible numbers only tell part of the story. The real impact is in the difference made for children and young people and their families. A young person recently told us, “When I first met Sarah, I was depressed, unmotivated, having anxiety attacks, and had a real lack of self-belief…I’m now happier and believe I can achieve my dreams.”

In a recent survey of 100+ children and young people we’ve helped in the first quarter of 2023-24…

100% said they were given the support they needed at the right time,
100% said that the support improved their situation, and
100% said they would recommend Eikon to other children in similar situations.

It’s hugely motivating for us to see the positive transformations in the children and young people we help. You can click on the stories below, to hear more from the children and young people you support.

Latest stories

See all stories

Sophie’s story

Frankie’s story

Alfie’s story

Growing community support for Eikon’s Tea Garden

Thursday 12th October 2023

The Eikon Gardens are a place for young people to learn new skills, make friends, relax in nature, and talk to a trusted adult in a safe space.

The Hopes and Dreams Garden and the recently renovated Tea Garden are only possible with the help of so many different kinds of community support. From donating plants to refreshing furniture with a lick of paint, or weeding and maintaining the gardens. Every job, however big or small, helps bring together this wonderful space for everyone to enjoy. Whether that’s at our Gardening Clubs, a session with an Eikon practitioner in the gardens, or a moment of rest and reflection with a cup of tea outside. And just as no job by itself maintains the gardens, no one person is ever alone.

Through weekly Gardening Clubs, students help maintain the gardens and last year they fundraised to give the green spaces a makeover. Recently we also received a wide range of generous support from our community to help improve the new Tea Garden. As a result of this community support, the Gardening Clubs have been able to lay fresh gravel, plant new flowers, and create a Tea Garden space for young people, Eikon staff and volunteers, and visiting parents and carers to enjoy.

Donated plants from J.Parker’s

J.Parker’s, a well-known plant nursery in Manchester contacted us to kindly donate plants for our Gardening Clubs. Their generous contribution of over 80 bulbs and plants and a great quantity of seeds will help to brighten up our gardens – a thriving space for wildlife and beautiful place for reflection.

It means so much for children and young people to be able to plant these bulbs, watch them grow and thrive.

“The garden is like my time at Eikon. We don’t see the changes straight away, but one day we will notice three flowers.” – young person

Pictured is an Osteospermum flowering plant from J.Parkers, adding a splash of colour to the Tea Garden.

Volunteers got their hands in the soil

In June, Lucy from Bupa UK and Rose from a local marketing agency Space & Time Media, spent a day volunteering in the Tea Garden. Lucy and Rose helped with weeding, clearing and scrubbing, leaving our Tea Garden area looking spotless and ready for the gardening club to lay gravel and grow more plants.

Lucy and Rose said “Thank you so so much for organising the day. We had a great time… It was lovely to meet so many of the Eikon team and see so many young people using the services. It was fab!”

Joanne, Eikon Schools Team said “Lucy and Rose were lovely. They were happy to engage in any activity that was needed and were a ray of sunshine themselves.”

Thank you Lucy and Rose!

There are lots of different ways corporate teams can get involved and help young people in Surrey. You can find out more about corporate support here.

Two corporate volunteers in garden with Chris, CEO of Eikon

Corporate volunteers in the Tea Garden posing with cake

Fantastic furniture restored by Woking & District Men’s Shed

To complete the Tea Garden area, Woking & District Men’s Shed restored a set of old rusty, un-loved metal table and chairs. The furniture now has pride of place in the Tea Garden. Young people, staff and volunteers, and parents and carers can sit on the garden furniture and appreciate the new outdoor space for rest and reflection.

Thank you to Woking & District Men’s Shed for also donating two Swift Boxes – the young people at Gardening Clubs plan to use these in the main Hopes and Dreams Garden to support the local wildlife.

Eikon and Woking & District Men's Shed with garden furniture

Restored garden furniture in Eikon Tea Garden

Generous support from Byfleet United Charity

We want to say a huge thank you the Byfleet United Charity who generously funded this Tea Garden restoration project as part of their donation after visiting our Garden Open Day in 2022.

“Gardening club is for all school years and is relaxing and somewhere to have a rest with nature.” – young person

We know that being outside with nature can have a significant positive impact on our wellbeing. Thanks to community support like this, our garden spaces at Eikon can continue to provide a safe space for young people to connect with nature, relax and have fun.

“The garden project is wonderful. It brings such joy. Thank you” – Guest at Garden Open Day 2023

How you can get involved…

All of us at Eikon and the young gardeners are so grateful for this community support! It has helped transform a space for everyone to enjoy and we couldn’t be happier with how it looks.

Do you want to help your community and spend time in nature?

We’re looking for adult volunteers to help us at weekly Gardening Clubs, or to provide ad-hoc help to maintain the garden. If you’re interested, please contact schools@eikon.org.uk for more information.

More volunteering opportunities

Woking Golf Club charity day raises record amount for the children and young people of Surrey

Friday 28th July 2023

The Captains of Woking Golf Club pulled out all the stops for Eikon this year, raising a record amount for any charity golf day in the club’s history.

Woking Golf Club worked so hard to create an amazing day with a fantastic array of prizes for their raffle and auction. Prizes ranged from 4-ball vouchers at some of the UKs most prestigious clubs, to chauffeur driven vintage cars and beautiful paintings by local artists.

The golf events throughout the day were so popular, that members were having to join a waiting list to enter teams on the day.

Eikon Team and Woking Golf Club members posing under gazebo

Woking Golf Club members and Eikon team at Charity Day

Our staff, volunteers, and the young people we work with are so grateful to the Captains of Woking Golf Club for choosing us as their charity of the year and putting on this incredible event. We want to say a huge thank you to all the staff and members as well who together raised a staggering £25,000 for Eikon!

Thanks to Woking Golf Club’s support, more local children and young people will have somewhere to turn when help is needed.

You can read more about the ways this support helps the children and young people of Surrey here.

The Captains of Woking Golf Club shared…

“Child and adolescent mental health really is a challenge for our times. Throughout all communities across Surrey, there are too many young people in crisis, too many who, without the help of Eikon would go under the radar. Eikon helps before the problem becomes a crisis and that is why we at Woking Golf Club wanted to help.”

Woking Golf Club members smiling by Eikon banner

Painting of Woking Golf Club House by Grace Cerveny

Auction prizes including a signed Harlequins rugby top

Woking Golf Club Charity Day raffle prizes

Fantastic selection of raffle prizes on the day

Get involved

You can make a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Surrey.

Whether you want to run a marathon or host a coffee morning, there are lots of different ways you can get involved.

Click on the links below, or contact our friendly team about your next great fundraising idea…

Take on a challenge Get your company involved More ways to support us

Run, walk or jog a marathon – together we can keep children in Surrey safe

Monday 11th April 2022

London Marathon and Virtual London Marathon will take place on Sunday 23rd April 2023.

This year, there are two ways that you can enjoy the iconic London Marathon race and give children in Surrey a safe place to turn to. You can either:

join over 50,000 runners in the streets of central London or
take on the Virtual London Marathon and tackle 26.2 miles at your own pace, on a course that suits you.

Take part in either marathon and you will be helping us give a vulnerable child in Surrey a safe space, where they can be themselves and get support from our dedicated practitioners to overcome the challenges they are facing. Running with #TeamEikon and raising vital funds means that we can be there for more children who need someone to turn to.

There is still time to sign up to either race, so why not challenge yourself, however you choose to tackle a marathon!

Image credits: AAT-events, Epic Action Imagery and Surrey Half

Find out more

What are the minimum fundraising targets for each marathon event?

London Marathon is £2,000
Virtual London Marathon is £300

Taking part in either marathon will help ensure a child facing complex issues receives the support they deserve. Join #TeamEikon and you we will support you from start to finish, as well as…

an Eikon Charity branded running vest to wear as you train
a finishers medal
a fundraising pack and help with setting up your fundraising

Fatima took on the London Marathon and Virtual Marathon challenges to help at-risk children.

“Taking part in both the London Marathon last year and the Virtual Marathon in 2020 not only changed my life in terms of overcoming the mental and physical challenge when you’re training to run 26.2 miles, but it also helped changed the lives of so many children and young people through raising vital funds for The Eikon Charity. The entire experience has been life changing; I couldn’t recommend it enough! Do it! You will not regret it.”

Challenge yourself and do something incredible for young people in Surrey. Every mile will bring us closer to changing a vulnerable child’s life.

Woman who has just finished running the marathon

Chris Hickford MBE, Chief Executive of Eikon, says:

“In nearly 30 years of The Eikon Charity’s existence we have not seen the wellbeing of children and young people be so low. More children than ever are really struggling. By taking on either marathon challenge and raising money for Eikon, you can help us provide more caring and committed professionals in schools and communities across Surrey who support these children through their challenges and to improved health. Please get involved and fundraise so that we can be there for more children who need us. Thank you.”

Get involved

Help us spread the word – encourage your friends, family and colleagues to ride for Eikon by sharing this blog post and our social media posts.

Cycle 30, 60 or 100 miles to help local children thrive

Tuesday 15th March 2022

RideLondon will take place on Sunday 29th May 2022

The iconic RideLondon-100 is returning for the first time since 2019. Alongside the 100 mile race there are two shorter distances for those who want to take part but enjoy a shorter ride. You are now able to experience the atmosphere of RideLondon by cycling 30 or 60 miles, all whilst helping vulnerable children in Surrey thrive. Take part in any of the three distances and you will be able to experience the epic start and finish in Central London. Riding with Eikon and raising vital funds means that we can be there for more children who need someone to turn to.

There is still time to sign up to any of the three races, so why not challenge yourself, whatever distance you choose!

If you decide to ride 100 miles for The Eikon Charity, you can sign up with us.

You can sign up for RideLondon-60 or RideLondon-30 directly with RideLondon. If you sign up for the 60 or 30 mile races, or if you have secured a ballot place in the RideLondon-100 and would like to fundraise for us, then please email us so we can begin supporting you as soon as possible.

Find out more

What are the minimum fundraising targets for each race?

RideLondon-100 is £500,
RideLondon-60 is £200,
and RideLondon-30 is £100.

Taking part in any of these challenges will help ensure a child facing complex issues receives the support they deserve. Cycle any length with Eikon and you will receive dedicated, expert support with your training and fundraising, as well as…

an Eikon Charity branded cycling jersey to wear as you train
a finishers medal
a fundraising pack and help with setting up your fundraising

Chris Hickford MBE, Chief Executive of Eikon, says:

“In nearly 30 years of The Eikon Charity’s existence we have not seen the wellbeing of children and young people be so low. More children than ever are really struggling. By taking on a RideLondon challenge and raising money for Eikon, you can help us provide more caring and committed professionals in schools and communities across Surrey who support these children through their challenges and to improved health. Please get involved and fundraise so that we can be there for more children who need us. Thank you.”

Get involved

The money our cyclists fundraise will make a huge difference to children struggling throughout Surrey. It will help us provide more one-to-one support sessions, lunch clubs, youth specialists in schools and lots of other key services which give children a safe place to turn to.

Challenge yourself and do something incredible for young people in Surrey. Every mile will bring us closer to changing a vulnerable child’s life.

Help us spread the word

Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to ride for Eikon by sharing this blog post and our social media posts.

RideLondon route maps

Take on the challenge: run the Surrey 5k or Half Marathon for local children

Wednesday 19th January 2022

The Surrey 5k and Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 6th March 2022.

Last year we had 14 fantastic runners take part in the Surrey Half Marathon, who raised £6,300 for The Eikon Charity. The UK’s best road race is returning to its regular March date for 2022 and there’s still time to sign up. If 20 people sign up to run either the Surrey 5k or Half Marathon, our founder, Chris Hickford MBE, will take part too!

If you want the half marathon experience but with less running, then sign up for the 5k with us.

Start your New Year off on the right foot by joining us to take part in the challenge. You will receive dedicated, expert support with training and fundraising every step of the way, as well as…

an Eikon Charity branded running vest to wear as you train
a finishers medal
a fundraising pack and help with setting up your fundraising

Chris Hickford MBE, Chief Executive of Eikon, says:

“Our work has never been more important than it is right now. More children and young people than ever are really struggling – tragically, even to the point where they are taking their own lives. By taking part and raising money for The Eikon Charity, you can increase the number of wonderful and deeply caring professionals that nurture these children to better and sustained health. Please run the Surrey Half marathon and raise funds so that we can help more children. Thank you.”

How will it help?

The money our runners fundraise will make a huge difference to children struggling throughout Surrey. It will help us provide more one-to-one support sessions, lunch clubs, youth specialists in schools and lots of other key services which give children a safe place to turn to.

Challenge yourself and do something incredible for young people in Surrey. Every step you take will bring us closer to changing a vulnerable child’s life. Sign up here today.

Help us spread the word

Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to run for Eikon by sharing our social media posts.

Big Give Christmas Challenge target exceeded

Thank you to everyone who donated to our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign, your generous support means that we have raised an incredible £59,436 including Gift Aid! Whether you donated £10 or £10,000 we are very grateful. The money raised will mean that more vulnerable children can get sustained, personalised support within school from an Eikon Charity practitioner – before their challenges become potentially life-changing problems.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge is an annual week-long match funding campaign, where donations made to a charity’s fundraising campaign can be doubled. For The Big Give 2021, The Eikon Charity set an overall fundraising target of £50,000, and thanks to you we have exceeded that.

Our Big Give campaign focused on supporting vulnerable school children as Covid has hit children’s mental health hard. In every classroom there are young people who are struggling – with depression, anxiety, or abuse. Without support their emotional wellbeing often deteriorates. Some are self-harming or having suicidal thoughts. Donations made to our campaign will enable us to place specialist youth workers in schools to give children the help they need.

We can’t wait for the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022!

Scared woman looking at her mobile phone

How you can support vulnerable children this Christmas

Thursday 2nd December 2021

‘Tis the season of giving! With Christmas just around the corner we have put together our wishlist showing all the different ways you can get involved and support vulnerable children over the festive period.

Donate and give a child someone to turn to this Christmas

If you’re being bullied, are at risk of exclusion from school, suffering online abuse or neglect at home – whatever you’re struggling with, The Eikon Charity is somewhere to talk, to feel safe and get help when you feel really low, from someone reliable and consistent who cares about you.

You can make sure a child has someone to turn to when life threatens to overwhelm them by simply donating here.

Lorraine, Mazz and Katy – a few of our incredible youth workers who have been there for local children throughout the pandemic.

Set up a fundraiser to help a child thrive

All fundraisers can make a big difference. Raising just £150 would pay for a young person to attend a weekly youth club for a year, where they can do something positive and be supported through life’s ups and downs.

Keep an eye on our social media where we will be sharing some fantastic ways you can organise your own festive fundraising events, from bake sales to Secret Santa donations.

You can also easily set up a Facebook or Instagram Fundraiser for The Eikon Charity!

Fancy a bigger challenge?

It is never too early to start your New Year’s resolution – you can now register for our challenge events in 2022!

If you are a keen runner why not sign up for the Surrey Half Marathon or London Marathon and raise money to help Surrey’s most vulnerable young people thrive. Or if cycling is more your thing, register for RideLondon 100 and take part in the iconic road race for The Eikon Charity.

We have a limited number of places available for these challenge events, so register now to secure your place and make a difference to lonely children in Surrey.

Embrace your fears, take the plunge for The Eikon Charity and tick sky diving off your bucket list! You could sky dive for Eikon for free if you can raise enough money in sponsorship. If you are interested, please get in touch with us at fundraising@eikon.org.uk.

Donate your last hour of pay in 2021

No child should have to struggle alone, by donating your last hour of pay in 2021 you can help us be there for them. Whatever you can donate will make a huge difference to young people in Surrey who have no one else to turn to.

Give a gift while doing your Christmas shopping

Shopping on AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Eikon at no cost to you! You can find all the same products at the same great prices, all you need to do is select The Eikon Charity as your charitable organisation and AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the purchase price to Eikon. By doing this you can get gifts for your loved ones, while supporting vulnerable children in need of our support. Find more information about AmazonSmile here.

Could you be our Small Business Star this Christmas?

Thanks to Work for Good, your small business can fundraise for The Eikon Charity through the sales of your products or services via their Small Business Star campaign and they will double donations up to £250 per business, until their match funding pot runs out!

By raising much-needed funds through something your small business already does, you will be helping us to support children and young people to become resilient and thrive.

The campaign starts at 9am on Monday 6th December, so get prepared now! You can learn more here and read their T&Cs.

We hope these fundraising ideas give you some inspiration! If you have any questions or want to discuss an idea, please get in touch with us at fundraising@eikon.org.uk.

A note of thanks to our trust and foundation supporters

We are extremely grateful to our trust and foundation supporters who continue to stand by and support us through these uncertain times.

In particular we are grateful to The Garfield Weston Foundation, a national grant maker, who has recognised our need for unrestricted funds to allow us the agility and flexibility to deliver our new strategic priorities and awarded us a significant grant of £25,000.

We continue to look for other opportunities from other grant makers to meet our voluntary income needs so that we can deliver on the demand for our vital services for local children.

The 2.6 Challenge – What will your challenge be?

Friday 17th April 2020

Get active, improve your wellbeing and raise funds for Eikon.

The Covid-19 crisis has meant a huge drop in voluntary income for Eikon much of which was expected to be raised through mass participation challenge events. We are hopeful that these events can take place at a later date, however we still need to maintain our services for vulnerable young people who need us now more than ever.

We are so grateful to all those who are combining forces to raise urgent funds for charities and we are thrilled that a collaboration of mass participation sports events across the country have come together to create an exciting new campaign – The 2.6 Challenge!

Run, ride, cycle, hop, lift, step…

The 2.6 Challenge launched on Sunday 26 April – the date the London Marathon would have taken place.

Take part in a challenge, ANY challenge, based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 and fundraise or donate to support Eikon via JustGiving.

The 2.6 Challenge is open to anyone of any age and is a simple and fun way for everyone to do their bit whilst also keeping active at home and improving their wellbeing and mental health.

There are just three simple steps to take:

Choose your challenge
Fundraise or make a donation of £26
Complete your challenge

Fundraise or Donate now

Don’t forget to share a photo or video of your challenge on social media using the hashtag #TwoPointSixChallenge and tag Eikon too (@eikoncharity on Facebook and Twitter OR @theeikoncharity on Instagram).

Your challenge could be something as simple as pledging to run 2.6 miles as your daily exercise to doing 26 minutes of yoga, or juggling for 26 minutes (or 2.6 minutes) non-stop. See below for more ideas! And don’t worry if you’re not able to get out of your house or flat for now – you can do your 2.6 challenge anywhere inside too! There are no rules, apart from the Government guidelines on how to exercise safely during this time. Whatever you can do, you can be a part of it. Above all, get active, have fun and pledge whatever you can to help raise funds for Eikon.

For more information and ideas visit the 2.6 Challenge Website or follow the hashtag on social media #TwoPointSixChallenge

Woman dressed in exercise clothes with a drink bottle

Looking for 2.6 Challenge ideas?

The options are endless:

Run or cycle 2.6miles
Do a 2.6 minute plank
Shoot 26 basketball goals or football goals in a row
Do 26 Keepie Up

How we can help you

How we can help you

How we can help you

Who we are

How you can help us

Woking Golf Club has raised its highest amount ever – an outstanding £35,000 – to support The Eikon Charity, a Surrey children’s charity helping children and young people feel safe, heard and supported.

Founder and CEO of The Eikon Charity, Chris Hickford MBE, says:

Painting of Woking Golf Club House by Grace Cerveny

Auction prizes including a signed Harlequins rugby top

Fantastic selection of raffle prizes on the day

Get involved

Related news...

In the first six months from 1st April to end of September 2023, Eikon has been there for 1,527 children and young people 8,982 times.

Latest stories

Related news...

The Eikon Gardens are a place for young people to learn new skills, make friends, relax in nature, and talk to a trusted adult in a safe space.

Donated plants from J.Parker’s

Volunteers got their hands in the soil

Fantastic furniture restored by Woking & District Men’s Shed

Generous support from Byfleet United Charity

How you can get involved…

Related news...

The Captains of Woking Golf Club pulled out all the stops for Eikon this year, raising a record amount for any charity golf day in the club’s history.

You can read more about the ways this support helps the children and young people of Surrey here.

The Captains of Woking Golf Club shared…

Painting of Woking Golf Club House by Grace Cerveny

Auction prizes including a signed Harlequins rugby top

Fantastic selection of raffle prizes on the day

Get involved

Related news...

London Marathon and Virtual London Marathon will take place on Sunday 23rd April 2023.

Image credits: AAT-events, Epic Action Imagery and Surrey Half

What are the minimum fundraising targets for each marathon event?

Fatima took on the London Marathon and Virtual Marathon challenges to help at-risk children.

Challenge yourself and do something incredible for young people in Surrey. Every mile will bring us closer to changing a vulnerable child’s life.

Chris Hickford MBE, Chief Executive of Eikon, says:

Get involved

Related news...

RideLondon will take place on Sunday 29th May 2022

What are the minimum fundraising targets for each race?

Chris Hickford MBE, Chief Executive of Eikon, says:

Get involved

Help us spread the word

RideLondon route maps

Related news...

The Surrey 5k and Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 6th March 2022.

Chris Hickford MBE, Chief Executive of Eikon, says:

How will it help?

Help us spread the word

Related news...

Related news...

Donate and give a child someone to turn to this Christmas

Set up a fundraiser to help a child thrive

Fancy a bigger challenge?

Donate your last hour of pay in 2021

Give a gift while doing your Christmas shopping

Could you be our Small Business Star this Christmas?

A note of thanks to our trust and foundation supporters

Related news...

Get active, improve your wellbeing and raise funds for Eikon.

Run, ride, cycle, hop, lift, step…

Fundraise or Donate now

Looking for 2.6 Challenge ideas?

The options are endless: