What's Happening at The Meeting Room?
We turn 10!
2026 marks our 10 year anniversary!
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Over the past decade, we have stood alongside people in crisis in our local community and we are so proud of the work The Meeting Room has carried out and the huge impact it has made on so many of our clients’ lives.
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We will celebrate later in the year, whilst also raising vital awareness and funds, ensuring we continue to evolve and respond to the realities people face today — so that we can remain here, providing life-changing crisis support, for the next 10 years and beyond!
Over the years, through sustained hard work and networking, we have built strong and valued partnerships with a wide range of local organisations and businesses.
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These relationships make a real difference to the people we support in crisis and reflect the strength of our local community.
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We are incredibly grateful to Cook in Ashtead High Street, who generously provide 40 frozen meals every two weeks, and to Mark’s & Spencer in Ashtead, Sainsbury’s in Leatherhead, Waitrose in Dorking and Tesco in Leatherhead for supplying much-needed food and essentials.
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We have also established connections through attending local craft fairs and community events, and we are always touched by visits from therapy dogs, which bring comfort and joy to our clients.
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Together, these partnerships help us provide consistent, compassionate support to those who need it most.
Community Partners
2025-26 Winter Appeal
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At the beginning of December, we launched our Winter Appeal for 2025. This is one of the most difficult times of year for many of our clients, as financial pressures intensify and physical and mental health can deteriorate. In the lead-up to Christmas, we highlighted different aspects of our crisis support and the life-changing impact it has on people facing homelessness, poverty and acute hardship.
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In our campaign video below, clients shared in their own words what The Meeting Room means to them.
We are so grateful to everyone who donated and supported the appeal. Your generosity made a real difference at a time of acute need.
While the festive season has now passed, the challenges our clients face do not end there. They continue to need consistent, ongoing support and there’s never a bad time to donate through our JustGiving page!
More staff
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Last year, we were delighted to welcome Emma, our Client Support Worker, and Mark, our Drop-in Supervisor, to The Meeting Room team. Since joining, they have made a huge difference to the charity and the people we support.
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Their dedication and compassion have strengthened our crisis support and enriched our community, and they have quickly become valued members of The Meeting Room family.
NESCOT
We’re partnering with the North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT) in Epsom to provide students taking their Public Services course with essential work experience interacting with vulnerable adults. The students attend our drop-in location in Epsom and assist us with a variety of client focussed activities
Here are some of things that have been happening recently...
​Walton Firs Activity Centre - In November, a group of staff and clients headed off for an overnight stay at Walton Firs Activity Centre in Cobham. They tried archery, climbing and heaps of other activities. Ah, I can still smell the campfire.......
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Pantomine at Leatherhead Theatre - Who doesn't like a pantomine (our Head of Client Support, Lisa, certainly does!)? Dick Wickington came to town, and took a group of over twenty clients to have a wonderful time - oh yes, we did!
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Christmas Day Lunch & Christmas Party - Christmas is always a very special time of year for us and 2024 was no exception. We partnered with Leatherhead Community Hub to host a Christmas Day lunch for 45 people at their site in North Leatherhead and put on a full Christmas spread with all the trimmings!
We love it when so many of our clients, supporters, volunteers and staff come together to celebrate the season and all we do at The Meeting Room. On December 16, we had our annual Christmas Party at the Leatherhead Football Club. ​​​​​​
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Visit of Helen Maguire, MP - We were very happy to welcome our local Member of Parliament, Helen Maguire, to our lunchtime drop-in in Leatherhead. She spoke with trustees and staff discussing all of the different aspects of what we do and also, she spent time with our clients. We look forward to working with Helen in better serving our local community.
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Visit to Kew Gardens - A group of 17 clients has a wonderful day at Kew Gardens including several with restricted mobility. Thank you to Vera and Farroakh Parekh for kindly donating the tickets to allow this event to take place.
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Barge Trip - The Meeting Room barge trips are well-known for a being a great laugh and a lot of fun. In early September, 10 clients and 2 of our staff went to take in the canals of north London & Middlesex and went camping out for two nights. The weather was fantastic and a great time was had by all. The remembrance of the recent passing of two of our most beloved clients, Robin and Darren, made this trip even more special.
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Jo Sherring - On September 2, our dear friend and former colleague, Jo Sherring came to talk to our clients about the work she is now doing with refugees in our community. Jo gave us real insight into the situations she has experienced with refugees coming to the UK. She also spoke about the common misconceptions and disinformation that are spread about refugees in our country. It was wonderful to hear about the work that she and her team are carrying out in the local area and we thank Jo for giving us her time and highlighting her passion for helping those most in need.
Volunteers - it's been wonderful to see new people getting involved with The Meeting Room and all our activities. Recently, we've had several new volunteers help out with everything from preparing food, being a friendly ear at the drop-ins, distributing items, and helping with some of the charity admin. Their work is so important and we are hugely grateful for their input.
Previous events
Our regular activities - as well as our regular lunchtime drop-ins, we have our monthly walks in the beautiful countryside of the Surrey Hills, regular trips and various crafting activities..
Walks - Our regular schedule of walks generally take place on the first Saturday of every month. These are so important for our clients who need a change of scene, some exercise in the countryside and most importantly are a fun, safe, and social space to be with others.
Crafting - You name, we make it! Led by our clients, learn how to make beautiful things at our three drop-in sites. Ceramic tiles, printed tee-shirts, birthday and Christmas cards are just a few of things we have been making over the past few months.
