Glen O’Dwyer 
Glen, and his colleagues at Computer Solutions in Caterham, have worked solidly over recent months to ensure as many Tandridge children as possible could access online learning.
Connectivity For Kids, Caterham School’s Laptops4Lockdown, Warlingham Library and Caterham Rotary have been collecting unwanted laptops and tablets and passing them to Glen. They have then been securely wiped, set up for re-use and donated to homeschooling children in the local area who lack IT facilities.
In February the Computer Solutions team reached the milestone of having cleaned, reinstalled and distributed 100 devices.
Glen was nominated by Julie Pescod, who emphasised the effort he has put in to the project:
“He has done all this in his own time, at no charge.”
Katie Cox
Like many businesses, the Katie Cox Dance Studio – usually based in Warlingham and Caterham – has had to provide their services online over the last year.
Claire Lines has nominated Katie:
“Katie has gone above and beyond for her students and their parents. She’s offered free online classes, workshops, pizza nights, and expert speakers throughout.
She’s raised money for food banks and supported local businesses through partnerships and social media shout outs, keeping their momentum going when they’ve been forced to close. She’s also delivered free dance classes to St Mary’s School as another way of giving back to the community.
She has spent the last year giving: “from freebies to positivity, she’s worked hard to keep up the morale of all her students. I and my children would not have got through lockdown without her!”
Sara Jones
A Tandridge Hero himself, Deano Cline has nominated Sara Jones, his co-coordinator at the Whyteleafe and Kenley Community Hub.
While her pub, the Whyteleafe Tavern, has been closed over the past year, Sara has offered it as storage for the many food bank donations received. Over Christmas, she and Deano promoted their ‘10 Days of Giving’ appeal, asking local residents to contribute food, toys and gifts, which they then distributed to families in the area.
Deano says:
“Sara is so kind and generous. She dedicates all her spare time to the Community Hub, and sorts and creates food and toiletry packages every week for those people who don’t have enough. She also helped us source laptops, which we donated to Whyteleafe School and vulnerable families. She is a great motivator!”
Geoff Ledden and the Lingfield Coronavirus Help Group
Geoff Ledden is the coordinator of the Lingfield Coronavirus Help Group. The group’s volunteers have been shopping and collecting prescriptions for local residents, plus making masks and scrubs for NHS and care home workers. Recently, Dormansland residents donated money to the group, paying for two microwaves, which were delivered to the ICU at East Surrey Hospital (ESH), along with toiletries for in-patients who are unable to receive visitors.
Geoff’s current project is ‘Skincare Plus for Nurses’. Claire Rowley, Nurse Consultant for the Critical Care Outreach Team, says:
“Geoff Ledden has supported us by providing creams and lip salves to protect our skin from the PPE we wear, as well as tea, coffee, fruit and treats during the pandemic. I am nominating Geoff for his commitment, support and dedication to those of us on the Frontline.”
Geoff is keen to everybody receives recognition:
“Credit must go to our volunteers and donors: Lingfield and Dormansfield residents and Parish Councils, the Hygiene Banks of Oxted, Edenbridge and Hurst Green, and Godstone and Bletchingley, and the Caterham, Oxted and Godstone Lions Clubs. I’d also like to thank Claire Coutinho MP, as with her help Oxted Morrisons agreed to donate weekly fresh fruit to the ICU.’
This is our last Tandridge Heroes feature in print but please continue nominating and we’ll celebrate them across our social media!
