Letter from the editor – May 2026

Last month, I was delighted to see the Caterham Beacon being lit to honour the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day. As we continue to come out of the pandemic I hope to see many more of you soon.

As part of my attempt to have 'a Green-tember' - a month focussed on environment issues - I will be litter-picking with Caterham residents on the 5th September. I will also be hosting a virtual Q&A on the Environment for East Surrey residents on 28th September at 10.15am with Zac Goldsmith, Minister for the Environment, and long-standing Green champion in Parliament.

I want to take this opportunity offered to me by Louise at ‘The Caterham Independent’ to thank all our loyal clients for their support over the last 4 months.
I was overwhelmed by the lovely messages and requests to purchase vouchers while we were closed.

It was lovely to be able to interact with our clients through social media, sharing beauty tips and advice throughout lockdown.

A couple of months ago we published the story of Liam and his family. Liam is a four year old suffering from. neuroblastoma. 16 year old Josh Baker (who goes to school in Caterham) ran and cycled for 100 miles over 10 days to raise money for Liams treatment and a possible life saving vaccine available only in New York.

Rebecca Bush is a Caterham based artist with a unique and vibrant style.

Rebecca teaches people of all artistic ability, in her classes, supporting them to embrace the learning curve with her relaxed approach, so they can enjoy the emotionally uplifting benefits of creative self-expression.

In July we ran a feature on the part RAF Kenley Airfield played in the Battle of Britain (BoB). Now Mike Street, Chairman of the RAF Kenley Tribute Committee, tells us the story of its registered War Memorial.

“RAF Kenley has a legendary heritage, with many famous squadrons, pilots and ground crew serving there. On 18 August 1940, RAF Kenley lost more aircraft and pilots than any other Battle of Britain airfield station. Such was the intensity of the fight in the sky seven of 616 Squadron’s 13 Spitfires were destroyed.

During the lockdown we saw an amazing upswell in community spirit. This month I’ve been working with five MPs from right across the country exploring how we can further support and empower our communities. Thank you to those who have take part in my Community Survey on my website. This week I was also delighted to host a meeting between Danny Kruger MP – who has been appointed by the Prime Minister to lead on this issue and previously led work for David Cameron and Theresa May - and community leaders in East Surrey including representatives from the inspirational Westway Centre and Chaldon Cares so they could feed in the successes and challenges they’ve faced on the ground. We hope to publish initial findings in the Autumn.

My name is Shaily and I am 10 years old. I play four instruments. They are harp, cello, piano and violin. I like going on bike rides and playing tennis with my dad. My favourite colour is violet with sparkles.

I started composing music by drawing a few basic notes on a piece of manuscript paper. I had to practise drawing treble and base clef a lot of times. Then about three months later I decided to do more complex composing. So then I thought of a theme. I chose to do water themed songs because I was not allowed to go to swimming pools because of lockdown. For example I have got a piece called” Water Bottle Let Loose” and ”Walking On Water”.

My very first composition was for the harp and is called ”Tree Climb” and it was played as part of the 15 second harp series. My latest composition is ”Walking On Water” and had its premiere at an online concert called Harpy Hour in July 2020.

Makes about 30 Biscuits
70g zante mini seedless currants (Whitworths brand)
225g plain flour
80g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
¾ tsp baking powder
165g unsalted butter (cut into cubes & slightly softened)
20g golden syrup
Caster sugar to dust

A community group in Chaldon has raised money for people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in the local area

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Chaldon Cares Pandemic Hardship Fund was set-up in April as a direct response to the coronavirus outbreak and has raised £8000 for those who have lost work and earnings.
The fund has not only raised donations but has given advice for further help, delivered fish and chips and worked with the local primary school.

Members of Chaldon Cares have also spoken to Danny Kruger MP and East Surrey MP Claire Coutinho about how the government can expand on this further.
Cllr Bob Milton, of the Chaldon Cares leadership team, said: “We saw there were some real hardships coming out of Covid in the nearby area. So we decided we would put out an appeal for some funding for a hardship fund and we were overwhelmed by the response to be honest.

August is traditionally the month that families go away on holiday. This year that might look a bit different. But if you are going away here are some tips to look after your garden and plants whilst you’re gone:

1: Before you go, get up to date with any routine jobs like weeding and mowing the lawn and make sure all tools are put away and lock the shed.

2: Deadhead all your flowers before you go to encourage new growth.

3: Pick all your produce and either freeze or give it away.

4: Water everything well before you go.

When I first joined Orpheus, I felt a new level of freedom.
In my mind, I’ve made plenty of friends, started taking part in group activities and also I told the students and support workers my own home-written stories.
I also like the outreaches that I am doing.
My favourite ones are definitely the East Surrey Hospital Radio, (I think) and Big Fish Media where I’m currently training as a voice-over.
I also like my supported internship at the Warlingham Co-Op. I also liked it when passers-by told me the whereabouts of the merchandise and I helped find things for them too. As I always say, ‘Helping the public doesn’t bring out the best in you, but everyone as a whole!’