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Celebrating a Major Milestone in Partnership Working

Wednesday 21st October 2026

This summer, Eikon successfully went live on a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, becoming part of a pioneering digital transformation programme delivered alongside Surrey Wellbeing Partnership (SWP) partners and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

The project is believed to be the first of its kind locally, bringing NHS and voluntary sector services together on a shared recording system. For children and young people, this means more joined-up support and a smoother experience when accessing help.

 

Putting Young People at the Centre

When a young person is receiving support from different services, it can be frustrating and overwhelming to repeat the same information over and over again. By sharing appropriate information securely, professionals can better understand the support already in place around a young person. This helps them work together more effectively, avoid unnecessary duplication and connect young people with the right help more quickly. Most importantly, it means conversations can focus sooner on what a young person needs now, rather than asking them to retell their story multiple times.

For our practitioners, the new system provides a clearer picture of the support network surrounding each young person. Having access to relevant information from across the partnership supports more informed decision-making and strengthens collaborative working. The move also brings greater consistency to the way we record our work. By using a shared clinical system, records are becoming more accessible, cohesive and aligned across partner organisations.

 

Innovation Through Partnership

Implementing an NHS clinical system within a charity setting has required significant planning, collaboration and change. Over many months, our colleagues across Eikon worked closely with NHS and voluntary sector partners to develop new processes, establish secure access arrangements, strengthen information governance, train staff and adapt the system to meet the needs of community-based services. The achievement reflects the dedication of teams across multiple organisations working towards a shared goal: improving the experience and outcomes of children and young people.

Runnymede Community Hero Award for Eikon

Thursday 17th September 2026

We are proud to have been named Community Hero Award winners at the 2026 Runnymede Business Awards, recognising our work alongside children, young people and families across the borough.

The award was presented at Royal Holloway, University of London during an afternoon celebrating the organisations, businesses and individuals making a positive difference in Runnymede.

Anna and Karen from our team were honoured to accept the award on behalf of colleagues across the charity. It was a proud moment to celebrate the dedication, compassion and expertise that our staff and volunteers bring to their work every day.

Across Runnymede, we work alongside schools, families, local authorities and community partners to help children and young people feel safe, heard and supported. Through programmes including Safer Streets, we have seen the difference that prevention and early help can make, ensuring young people can access support at the right time and creating stronger, safer communities.

As we look ahead, this recognition strengthens our resolve to continue delivering prevention and early help services across Runnymede and beyond.

We know that when children and young people receive the right support at the right time, they are better able to navigate challenges, build healthy relationships and look forward to brighter futures.

Thank you to the organisers of the Runnymede Business Awards and to everyone who supports our mission of helping young people in Surrey.

Pictured – Anna and Karen alongside The Mayor of Runnymede – Cllr Steve Ringham, Cllr Pippa Tucker-Brown, and Jadranka Masnec Nicholls from local business Stanhope-Seta.

Supporters Gather to Celebrate Eikon’s 30th Anniversary

Thursday 2nd July 2026

On 30 June, we were delighted to welcome supporters from across Surrey to Brooklands Museum to celebrate a remarkable milestone: 30 years of The Eikon Charity. The event brought together trustees, volunteers, commissioners, partners, funders, businesses and individual donors who have played a vital role in our journey.

From humble beginnings in a single room at Fullbrook School, Eikon has grown into a thriving charity supporting young people across Surrey, with 71 staff, eight trustees and 43 dedicated volunteers. The evening was an opportunity to reflect on three decades of impact, recognise the collective effort behind our work and look ahead to the future of support for children and young people.

Thirty young people who have received one-to-one support from Eikon attended the event, representing the nearly 250,000 young people we have supported over the last 30 years. Three of them courageously shared their personal impact stories through words and music, moving the audience and demonstrating the life-changing difference that early support can make.

Another highlight of the evening was a thought-provoking fireside chat exploring the challenges facing today’s young people. Joining the discussion were Lucy Ivankovic, Operational Director for Mindworks, Laura Wright-Smith, Certified Digital Wellness Educator, author and researcher, and Caroline Barnes, Youth Engagement Officer with Surrey Police.

Drawing on their expertise in mental health, digital wellbeing and youth engagement, the panel shared valuable insights into the growing pressures affecting children and young people, from rising anxiety and neurodiversity needs to the impact of online life. Across the discussion, all speakers stressed the need for early, joined-up intervention, strong partnership working and meaningful parental involvement. These themes reflect Eikon’s core approach: providing preventative support, working collaboratively across sectors, listening to young people and families, and helping children before issues reach crisis point.

Our Eikon Founder and CEO Chris Hickford reflected on the charity’s 30-year journey with gratitude, celebrating the thousands of young people whose lives have been touched by Eikon and thanking the volunteers, trustees, partners, funders and supporters who have helped make that impact possible.

He spoke passionately about the strength and resilience shown by the young people Eikon supports, as well as the importance of working together to help children and families before challenges reach crisis point.

Looking ahead, Chris acknowledged the growing pressures facing the next generation, from the impact of technology and social media to uncertainty about the future, and reaffirmed Eikon’s commitment to providing early, accessible support when it is needed most.

He closed with a heartfelt call for everyone to play their part in creating a future where every child and young person feels safe, supported, hopeful and able to thrive.

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Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner visits Eikon’s Garden of Hopes and Dreams

Thursday 18th September 2025

We were delighted to welcome Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, and Deputy Commissioner, Ellie Vesey-Thompson, to Eikon’s Garden of Hopes and Dreams at our base in New Haw.

During their visit, Lisa and Ellie met with our Chief Executive, Chris Hickford MBE, and members of the Eikon team to learn more about how we support children, young people, and families across Surrey. They also explored our beautiful garden – a calm, welcoming space co-designed by the young people we support and has since helped transform an unused plot into a thriving, restorative space.

We are incredibly grateful to Lisa and her team for awarding £20,000 from the Community Safety Fund towards the first year of our Family Wellbeing Service. This vital funding will help us provide early, tailored support to families who need it most – helping prevent young people from reaching crisis point.

At Eikon, we believe every child and young person deserves to feel safe, heard, and supported. Thanks to the continued support of partners like the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, we can keep creating spaces – like our Garden of Hopes and Dreams – where young people can talk openly, find hope, and begin to thrive.

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