SMART Cranleigh is a community network that supports and enables local initiatives in and around Cranleigh. We are helping bring together a wide range of local groups and organisations together to defeat loneliness and isolation, raise awareness, learn and find new ways of working to help people stay connected.
We are creating a high street community space where people can drop in, get advice and get involved at Oliver House by Cromwell’s Coffee House between 10-1pm Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between May – October to meet others, and help signpost to some of the support and activities available in the community with a listening ear.
Did you know?
The proportion of pensioners living alone is higher in Cranleigh than the rest of Surrey. 1/5 have no cars and there are a higher than average proportion of carers living in Cranleigh. Nationally, 15% of older people are always or often lonely. 16-24 year olds at risk of feeling lonely.
We are living longer, have more solitary working and high use of social media. We need to find local ways to support social relationships as essential to social wellbeing. We all want to live well in a community and enjoy a good quality of life. There are a rich variety of things the community already provides that needs to be more widely known and better joined up.
The quality of our relationships and information was a key part of the Public Health and SMART Cranleigh Needs Assessment in 2017 which highlighted problems and opportunities relating to young families, loss and changing life circumstances / relationships, dementia and caring responsibilities. These can compromise our ability to reconnect.
Keeping independent and preventing ill health is the emphasis of the strategic approach adopted by an integrated approach between health, local government, social and communities working together. Meaningful social engagement needs society-wide change which takes time. Cranleigh is wanting to find our own solutions, involving all ages working and learning together collaboratively in new ways.
More people need easier ways to access local information. This involves building a source of information that is available within the community through a calendar and directory.
SMART Cranleigh are making a start through developing a Community Calendar and Directory and facilitating a small groups of volunteer community Connectors. Come and join us. We need your help.
