Volunteers Who Look After War Graves, Help Out at a Music Festival, Be an Alcohol Health Champion

Published on: 3 Dec, 2025
Updated on: 3 Dec, 2025

Voluntary Action South West Surrey is the go-to service for people who are looking to undertake some volunteering. It also gives help and advice to charities and organisations who rely on volunteers, and promotes community activities, services and events.

Tidying up and checking war graves

Voluntary Action’s Kate Jones and David Rose have teamed with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and its Eyes On, Hands On project.

The team ready for the task ahead at Stoke (Old) Cemetery, Stoughton Road, Guildford.

As well as the CWGC’s own war cemeteries throughout the world, thousands of war dead are buired in churchyards and municiple cemeteries. The Eyes On, Hands On scheme has volunteers who check, twice a year, on what are termed ‘scattered graves’ located in such places of rest.

With the help of its own volunteers, Voluntary Action looks after the scattered graves in Guildford’s Stoke (Old) Cemetery, off Stoughton Road, and the Nightingale Cemetery in Farncombe.

After each inspection photos of the headstones are taken and a report of the work done filed to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The CWGC’s volunteer co-ordinator, Denise Sear, is also kept in the loop and she gives support and help to volunteers of the Eyes On, Hands On volunteers. Click here for details of that project.

A volunteer gives the headstone of one of the 27 war graves in Stoke (Old) Cemetery, Guildford, a clean.

In November the second visit of the year was made to Stoke (Old) Cemetery. Kate Jones said: “Our war graves inspection was a great success again. We had 10 volunteers, four of whom were new ones.

“We cleaned the headstones and tidied the areas around them and then went to the local Scout hut where we serve refreshments to our hard-working team!

“This is a lovely part of the morning, as everyone gets to chat and socialise, and there is always a great atmosphere.

“The new volunteers said how much they enjoyed the event and to be part of the Voluntary Action team and would really like to join us again next time.

John and Steve doing a good job on a war grave that was somehwhat overgrown with vegetation.

The war graves in the Nightingale Cemetery in Farncombe will be the next to be inspected and tidyed up. This will be in the new year.

If you would like to help out, email Kate Jones at k.jones@vasws.org.uk or phone 07513 825132.

Volunteers needed for Haslemere Fringe Festival, July 3 to 5, 2026

The Haslemere Fringe is a volunteer-led, family-friendly festival which takes place every two years on Lion Green, just off Wey Hill in the heart of Haslemere, and volunteers helping to make it all happen are vital.

Blue on stage at the Haslemere Fringe festiuvial in 2024.

Previous headliners have included Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Lottery Winners, Blue, Daniel Bedingfield, legendary 1980s bands such as T’Pau and Haircut 100, and rising stars including The Howlers and Callum Beattie.

The event features several stages with something for audiences of all ages including more than 50 live bands, emerging new talent, comedy, poetry, children’s entertainment, local artisans and more.

Unlike many other festivals, Haslemere Fringe is a charity event, run and supported entirely by its fantastic volunteer network from the local community and beyond.

Volunteers are vital to the vibrancy and smooth running of the festival and most importantly to keep its ticket prices affordable.

Volunteering also offers a great opportunity to meet new friends and be involved in a brilliant community event, and it rewards with free entry to the day of the festival on which you volunteer.

Various volunteering roles are available and include stewarding, site set-up and take down.

Young volunteers (if aged 14 to 18 must be qaccompanied by an adult) are also welcome as part of the Fringe media team – that includes the camera crew, sound desk, and so on, providing fantastic work experience to those interested in a career in media or live events.

Click on the link to read more and express an interest at http://www.haslemerefringe.co.uk/volunteer

Festive Fun at The Hive

The Hive community centre in Park Barn has a free family-friendly Christmas event on Monday, December 22, from 10am to 4pm.

There will be Santa’s grotto, arts and crafts, fairground rides, face painting, Guildford Borough Council’s Playrangers, a raffle, plus live music that features the Rhythm of Life Community Choir, which was set up in 2013 with help from Voluntary Action.

Be a volunteer Alcohol Health Champion

Voluntary Action is looking for people who are enthusiastic and motivated in raising awareness about the negative and harmful effects of alcohol consumption, for a pilot project it is running.

This can be within a person’s own charity, organisation or community group.

The role can include having informal conversations about alcohol and health with family, friends, colleagues and clients.

Plus, supporting people to reduce drinking through brief advice and /or guiding them towards specialist services (the information you need to do this will be provided in the training).

And, attending local community social events to speak to people about alcohol and health. For example, if you already go to the gym, a dance lesson or an outreach / charity event you could speak to other people there about the negative and harmful effects of alcohol consumption.

With the support of the co-ordinator, Hilary Holness, and other volunteers and other services, attend events to promote a healthier relationship with alcohol.

For more details email Hilary Holness at h.holness@vasws.org.uk

The next Alcohol Health Champion training day will be on Wednesday, February 25, from 10am to 4pm, and is being held at the Silver Birch Care Home inWorplesdon.

Click here for Voluntary Action South West Surrey’s website where hundreds of volunteer roles from many charities and organisatins are listed.