Together for Surrey: A One Stop Sustainability Hub for Surrey Residents

Together for Surrey

In May 2025, Surrey County Council and the Sustainability Innovation Hub launched a new platform designed to inspire and empower individuals, communities, and businesses to make more sustainable choices. From saving energy at home to recycling electrical items, the platform offers practical guidance and insights for anyone looking to live or operate more sustainably.

Surrey is home to a rich ecosystem of impactful initiatives and grassroots organisations working toward a healthier, more prosperous future. Community groups such as Zero Carbon Guildford and local repair cafés have long championed meaningful projects that help residents adopt sustainable habits. Yet without a central information point, these efforts often went unrecognised, and it was difficult to connect individuals and groups working toward similar goals.

Recognising this gap, Surrey County Council approached the Sustainability Innovation Hub at the Institute for Sustainability to co‑create a unified hub — a place where knowledge, resources, and community action could come together. The content and structure of the platform have been shaped with input from behavioural change experts at the University, ensuring a strong, research-backed foundation.

Together for Surrey serves as a single point of reference, offering practical advice in one hub and signposting to further support across ten key sustainability themes, including:

• Keeping your home warm while cutting energy bills
• Earning rewards for choosing healthy, sustainable journeys around Surrey
• Restoring biodiversity by accommodating wildlife in your garden
• Improving your health while contributing to planetary health 
• Building a community while tackling poverty

It also highlights news stories celebrating events and initiatives led by schools, churches, community groups, and the Council, showcasing the many ways people across Surrey are driving positive change. By showcasing real-life examples and practical actions that can be taken or replicated, the platform aims to inspire peer-to-peer influence and empower local action for a more sustainable future.

Since its launch, the platform has attracted more than 15,000 visitors, with around 200 users each month actively accessing and benefiting from practical information and signposting to further support. This steady level of engagement demonstrates the site’s growing impact in helping Surrey residents find relevant resources, make informed decisions, and take positive action within their communities.

Click here to access hundreds of practical tips and resources for living sustainably in Surrey.

True collaboration

Together for Surrey reflects the shared commitment of Surrey County Council and the Institute for Sustainability to create a fairer economy, tackle health inequalities, support sustainable living, and build stronger communities. Delivered as part of the Civic Agreement for Surrey, the project also invites local community partners to contribute content, helping to ensure the platform remains relevant, collaborative, and up to date. Since the platform was launched, more than 24 partner organisations have been onboarded as content partners, including Surrey Wildlife Trust, Surrey Business Network, and Zero Carbon Guildford. 

Community groups and residents can get in touch at togetherforsurrey@surreycc.gov.uk to explore ways to get involved.

SDGs

Together for Surrey addresses many of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project itself embodies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), as it is the result of a shared vision and strong collaboration between Surrey County Council and the Sustainability Innovation Hub at the Institute. Its content directly supports a wide range of SDGs, with a particular emphasis on SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Change).

Read the latest on the University of Surrey’s UN SDG report here.

Contributors

Ben McCallan, Principle Programme & Commissioning - Sustainability & Engagement, Surrey County Council

Jo Dalby, Senior Programme & Commissioning Officer (Sustainability & Engagement), Surrey County Council

Hannah Hopcroft, Programme & Commissioning Officer (Sustainability & Engagement), Surrey County Council

Cat Halter, Energy & Climate Strategy Manager, Surrey County Council

Haeyoung Eun, Innovation Lead, Sustainability Innovation Hub, Institute for Sustainability, University of Surrey 

Cath Cole, Innovation Lead, Sustainability Innovation Hub, Institute for Sustainability, University of Surrey 

The Institute for Sustainability facilitates collaborations between scientific experts and organisations. The Institute’s Sustainability Innovation Hub provides expert voices from the Fellows to nurture ideas, encourages collaboration, and supports organisations in the adoption of sustainable practices, products, or services.

Find out more about the Institute here.

Find out more on the Institute Sustainability Innovation Hub here.