Category: Supporters

Spelthorne’s Mayor honours Eikon

Wednesday 18th September 2019

The Mayor of Spelthorne has selected Eikon as one of two charities to benefit from The Mayor’s Charity Fund this year! Throughout the year she will be hosting a number of fundraising events. Coming up is a Jazz night on 5th October at St Peter’s Church, Staines. Then a fun quiz night at The Bells pub in Staines on 27th October. On 1st November she is hosting an evening with the fabulous Rat Pack at the Greeno Centre in Shepperton.

Tickets for all these events and more can be booked online here via Spelthorne Council’s website

Mayor of Spelthorne

Fundraising update

Monday 19th August 2019

Financial gifts and grants are vital to Eikon, enabling us to protect and develop our unique way of working that is so effective in young lives. So we thought you would like an update on how fundraising has been going and what’s coming up in the months ahead.

The Winter Wonderland Ball was a spectacular success and raised a marvellous £15,705! Eikon was also lucky enough to benefit from The Surrey Fashion Show to the tune of £1,465. THANK YOU to everyone involved in both events. We are grateful indeed.

More recently Eikon supporters have been raising funds by running in The London Marathon, raising a stunning total of £11,426. Huge thanks to all of you.

Next year the 2020 London Marathon comes during Eikon’s 25th birthday year. Demand for places is sure to be high. If you are interested in taking one of our 2020 Gold Bond places

Doodle smiley fac
Chris, Matt and Jonny having just run the Marathon

Our Glencoe Challenge team led by Chief Executive, Chris Hickford, managed to complete their impressive challenge of walking The Ring of Steall (a 30km mountain trail in the Scottish Highlands) as well as ascend Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK at the end of June. Together they completed the 8,500 feet of ascent, successfully raising just over their target of £50,000 for Eikon’s work.

Well done all of you!

Doodle of a pound sign
The Glencoe Team

A massive thank you to the Heathrow Community Fund for a wonderful grant of £47,379 towards Eikon’s outreach work with young people in some of Spelthorne’s most deprived communities. This will enable us to help young people across the district to gain new skills, improve their mental health and resilience and raise their aspirations. Projects will include community volunteering activities such as tree planting, boxing sessions & sports clubs, and 1:1 guidance and support for young people who are struggling.

Thank you doodle
Heathrow Community Fund logo

St Faith’s Trust have awarded a second grant to Eikon’s Volunteer Mentoring Programme. Read more here…

If you are a trustee or administrator of a grant making trust and would like to support Eikon’s work with children and young people, please email us to let us know fundraising@eikon.org.uk.

Doodle filled heart
Claire Parris

Ring of Steall and Ben Nevis Challenge

Tuesday 25th June 2019

Chief Executive Chris Hickford will lead a crack team of adventurers to tackle Ben Nevis and the Ring of Steall – 28th to 30th June 2019

 

On the weekend of the 28th to the 30th June, some of Eikon’s most committed and brave supporters will be taking on a mammoth challenge in order to raise much-needed funds for Eikon’s vital, award winning work with young people.

Based upon a classic route set in the Mamores mountains, but with the added challenge of ascending Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, this physically very demanding test of endurance includes 8,500 feet of ascent!

Please encourage participants with a donation – and make a real and lasting difference to the lives of young people who are very much in need of Eikon’s support. Thank you. You can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ros

doodle - Thank you
Ben Nevis

Downing Street Reception for Eikon

Wednesday 12th June 2019

Eikon CEO Chris Hickford and Chair Jenny Griffiths OBE with Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer and MP for Runnymede and Weybridge

We had a wonderful evening at the end of February when we were guests of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at 11 Downing Street. Eikon’s constituency MP, Philip Hammond, hosted this prestigious event in which we were able to thank our current supporters and introduce new potential donors to Eikon’s work.

Doodle smiley fac
Eikon CEO Chris-Hickford and Chair Jenny Griffiths OBE with Philip Hammond

The room was packed, as two ‘Eikoniks’ (young people helped by Eikon) told their immensely powerful life stories. They explained the almost unimaginable circumstances they’d experienced and how they’d been helped by Eikon’s dedicated staff. The impact on all those in the room was deeply moving and inspirational. Jenny Griffiths and Chris Hickford, Eikon’s Chair and CEO respectively, explained Eikon’s founding story, the reason for our existence and the principles and values that underpins all that we do.

Chris explained that early intervention and strong and trusted relationships with young people are the key ingredients that power the transformation we see in young people. Eikon is incredibly passionate that these principles remain at the core of every service offered to young people. Eikon will continue to lead with courage, resolve and by example in promoting prevention and the strong bonds that young people need if they are to thrive.

The Chancellor also gave a very powerful endorsement of Eikon: “Over the past twenty years, I have seen Eikon grow from the small charity it started out as (the New Haw Youth Project), to the great charity it is today. This year, Eikon will support 15,000 young people across 132 schools.”

He commended Eikon for being well run and retaining the passion and commitment to the wellbeing of young people throughout the twenty years. He encouraged those who were curious about Eikon’s work to become committed donors to it.

Doodle hope

Charity of the Year success!

Tuesday 13th December 2016

Head of Fundraising for Eikon Natasha Iles, collected a cheque for over £9,000 from Bill Williams, Seniors Captain at The Drift Golf Club.

The Drift Golf Club chose Eikon as their Charity of The Year 2016/17 wanting to support Eikon’s work with young people across Surrey building resilience, strengthening well-being and raising aspirations.

As Seniors Captain Bill put the successful year down to well attended events, good weather and a collective engagement in Eikon’s aims.

The amount raised can deliver 12 months of early intervention for 35 young people, ensuring personalised and sustained support.

A huge Thank You from everyone at Eikon!

Picture of Bill Williams, Seniors Captain at The Drift Golf Club and Head of Fundraising Natasha Iles.

Bill Williams, Seniors Captain at The Drift Golf Club and Head of Fundraising Natasha Iles.

Eikon awarded £10,000 by BBC Children in Need

Thursday 20th August 2015

Today The Eikon Charity’s youth work team embarked on their annual residential trip to Devon; taking 23 young people away for a week of fun, learning and friendship building experiences! The Eikon Charity is delighted to announce that BBC Children in Need has awarded them a grant of £10,000, which has made this trip possible.

This residential trip and will help make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged young people right here in Surrey as it is aimed at helping young people who have difficulties with self esteem, risk-taking behaviour, emotional instability, economic and social deprivation and lack independent life skills. This trip will allow these vulnerable young people to engage with a different and completely new experience which will allow them to grow and develop as individuals. Half of the young people attending this residential trip are young carers, meaning they are heavily depended on within their household. Their caring duties mean that many of these young people have never spent time away from home, making this trip an incredible experience for them; allowing them to make new friends, whilst boosting their confidence and self esteem.

Arrow doodle
Children doing outdoor activities

Caroline Olivero, Head of Youth Work at The Eikon Charity, said “We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to support more young people over the Summer months thanks to this generous grant from BBC Children in Need. With the recent government funding cuts, financial support like this is vital in ensuring more vulnerable young people are given better opportunities which will change the lives of many across Surrey”.

BBC Children in Need funding relies on the energy and commitment of thousands of fundraisers and supporters across the UK who donate their time and money to support the Appeal. Whether it’s through cake sales, wearing pyjamas to school or having a song and dance, every penny of the money raised goes towards supporting projects across the UK.

All grants go to projects working with children and young people living in the UK who may be affected by homelessness, neglect, abuse or poverty, or those who have faced challenges in their lives such as serious illness, disabilities and psychological disorders.

The Eikon Charity is very grateful for the support given by BBC Children in Need and are thrilled to have been able to take 23 young people away a residential trip on 21st August 2015.

Doodle sun
BBC Children in Need logo

Eikon Charity Wins National Award!

Monday 9th February 2015

In 2014 we were honored with a Centre for Social Justice Award. Eikon were the 2014 Award Winner in the CSJ’s “Early Intervention” category. This award marks the first time in our 20 year history that we have been recognised on a national scale for the transformational work that we deliver to vulnerable young people throughout Surrey.

The Centre for Social Justice is an independent think tank founded 2004 by the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP. The fundamental hope of the CSJ is that every person, family and community in the UK is given every possibility to achieve their full potential. The CSJ is comprised of individuals with both policy-making and poverty-fighting experience and has formed an alliance with over 320 charities across the UK. This Alliance acts as a bridge between Parliament and the UK’s most deprived communities; the Eikon Charity has been a part of this Alliance since 2013.

The CSJ was awarded Prospect Magazine’s “Think Tank of the Year” in 2013, “Joint Think Tank of the Year” in 2009 and in 2008 was awarded “Best Publication of the Year” for its piece entitled, ‘Breakthrough Britain – ending the costs of social breakdown’.

doodle cursor arrow yellow v4
Social Justice logo

The annual CSJ Awards Programme recognises charities, small voluntary groups and local projects that display innovation and effectiveness in addressing the root causes of poverty, turning lives around and reversing social breakdown. The 2014 awards ceremony took place in Westminster on Thursday evening, October 23rd. In attendance were over 400 politicians, members of the media and many leading figures from throughout the voluntary sector.

The Eikon Charity was one of six charities to be recognised with a £10,000 cash award at the awards ceremony and was the award winner in the “Early Intervention” category. There were over 250 applicants for the awards this year. The award, presented by Rt Hon Nicky Morgan, was given to Eikon in recognition of the variety of innovative ways that we work with young people throughout Surrey, such as 1:1 mentoring in schools, youth centre work, mobile outreach, extensive school programmes, group work, youth development board opportunities and organised summer trips. The demand for our services is huge and growing. Last year we worked with over 3,000 young people from all corners of Surrey.

Animated smiley face looped
Our CEO, Chris Hickford, says…

 

“We are delighted and very grateful to the Centre of Social Justice for this award. It recognises the transformational work that we do with young people and underpins the immense dedication of all our Eikon staff and army of volunteers. I thank them all”.

We are immensely proud to have received this award and wish to thank the CSJ for their formal recognition of the work that we do with young people throughout Surrey.

Doodle twizzle
https://youtu.be/m9QpMwdb2gI
CSJ Awards ceremony
CSJ Awards ceremony
CSJ Awards cermony

Opening of Our New Offices!

Sunday 16th November 2014

After several years of planning and six months of construction, our beautiful new offices at Fullbrook School were unveiled to the public during an official ceremony on Friday November 14th, 2014.

Supporters, distinguished guests, friends, employees and young people were all on hand for the Grand Opening. Guests were treated to tours of the offices, where interactive displays were set up throughout and manned by members of our Youth Teams and young people. This gave our guests an excellent opportunity to see first-hand the wide range of Programmes that we offer and the transformational results they provide.

Also in attendance were the talented members of the Fullbrook School Dance Band, who provided an impressive repertoire of live music for our guests to enjoy throughout the evening.

Speeches on the night were given by John Inverdale, (Honorary President of the Surrey Region of Wooden Spoon), Chris Hickford, (CEO, The Eikon Charity), Charlotte Grobien, (Managing Director, Give it Away Ltd) and Jenny Griffiths, OBE (Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the Eikon Charity).

 

doodle cursor arrow yellow v4
John Inverdale and Chris Hickford

The official ribbon cutting was performed by (pictured from left to right): Caroline Fraser, (LandAid), John Goodrum, (The Chertsey Combined Charity), Paul Taylor, (Wooden Spoon), Julian Smith, (Maris Interiors) and Charlotte Grobien, (Give it Away, Ltd).

The new bright, professional and welcoming offices are already making a significant difference to the young people we work with and the entire staff at Eikon. The demand for our services is huge and growing and the new facilities will enable us to expand both the range and quality of Programmes that we offer. This undertaking would not have been possible without the generous donation of money, materials, time and expertise from the supporters of this capital project. On behalf of all at Eikon and the young people we work with, a massive THANK YOU to:

  • The Chertsey Combined Charity
  • Give it Away Ltd
  • LandAid
  • Maris Interiors
  • Peter Harrison Foundation
  • Surrey County Council Councillors
  • The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
  • The Clothworker’s Foundation
  • Wooden Spoon
Animated thank you words
Opening of new Eikon offices
Opening of new Eikon offices
Opening of new Eikon offices
Opening of new Eikon offices