New Youth Hub Opens in Redhill

A new youth hub has opened in Redhill to support young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and those facing barriers to work.

Launched on Monday 11 May by Rebecca Paul MP, Cllr Rich Michalowski, Mayor of the Borough of Reigate & Banstead and Councillor Deb Shiner, Vice Chair of Tandridge District Council, the hub is a responsive local service bringing together community partners to provide young people with access to resources, advice and guidance in one place.

It is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and delivered by Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership (SLLP) in partnership with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Tandridge District Council.

Focused on young people

The hub, which also includes outreach in Caterham and Oxted is focused on young people aged 18-24 and will offer services such as one-to-one employment support, supported job search sessions, workshops on interview skills and topics such as apprenticeships, preparation for work programmes, and engagement with employers through employability workshops and recruitment events.

Speaking at the opening event, Cllr Michalowski said, “We are delighted to open the Redhill Youth Hub – a brilliant initiative funded by the DWP that came out of our ongoing partnership work. We are confident that the hub will help remove some of the barriers to youth employment and provide opportunities for our young people to connect with local employers, and develop the skills needed to get them into work.”

Councillor Shiner added: “We’re proud to be supporting young people through this service. Working with our partners, we’re helping those facing barriers to employment access the advice, support and opportunities they need to take their next steps into work.”

The Redhill Youth Hub will be open every week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 76 Station Road, Redhill RH1 1PL and every Thursday from 21 May at the Woodhouse Centre, Oxted and Caterham Valley Library.

You can find out more about the hub and how to access it on the Reigate & Banstead Works website.

University of Surrey Designs New Safety System for Aircraft

Photo Credit: University of Surrey

Scientists at the University of Surrey have designed a new type of aircraft sensor which they say can help pilots make safer decisions in real time.

The tiny units which are just three centimetres long help detect ice that can build up on the wings and hamper performance.

The new technology helps to give a much clearer picture of what’s happening to the wings and could also lead to improving fuel consumption due to less reliance on anti-icing systems.

Mental Health Awareness Week: When Staying Quiet Hurts

Sunday Brunch features soundbites from the ‘Sussex & Surrey Soapbox’ podcast latest episode…. to skip chapters click on the 3 horizontal lines (left in the above player). Have your say via WhatsApp (bottom right) or join the conversation in our Facebook Group HERE. 

Special Guest: Shariff Boolaky, Menshare Listening Group & BRING YOUR SH*T host.  Plus Roundtable Featuring: Maureen Jones, Micaela Leal, Abigail Chapman-Miller, James Tidy & Iqbal Khan. Host: Clive Hilton. 

If your mental health has felt heavier in the last few years, you are not alone and you are not “too sensitive”. We sit down as the Sussex & Surrey Soapbox roundtable to talk about what anxiety, burnout, loneliness and depression look like on the ground across Sussex, Surrey and the wider UK, and why so many people feel isolated even with constant digital connection. 

Shariff from Menshare Listening Group shares what he hears week after week in facilitated listening circles: the hidden impact of divorce, parental alienation, custody battles, addiction, overthinking and the quiet slide into emotional shutdown. We also talk directly about men’s mental health and suicide prevention, including what helps when someone looks like they might be at serious risk, and why simply crossing the threshold into a supportive room can be a turning point. 

Psychotherapist Maureen Jones breaks down early warning signs you can actually spot, from sleep issues and feeling flat to irritability and repeated “escape” habits. We explore when counselling can help, when speaking to your GP matters, and why medication can sometimes be the breathing space people need to start recovery. Abigail shares lived experience of CPTSD and the complicated role of diagnosis culture, plus what changed when therapy finally became the right fit at the right time. We finish with practical coping tools that work for us: gratitude, nature, routine, discipline, creativity, faith, and reaching out before things spiral. 

If any of this hits home, share the episode with someone who might need it, subscribe for more community conversations, and leave a review to help others find Sussex & Surrey Soapbox.

Horsham drug dealer jailed

A drug dealer who tried to escape being arrested, has been jailed.

22-year-old, Mukhtar Abdullahi, was linked to an address where suspected drugs deals were taking place in Horsham.

Abdullahi tried to jump from a first floor window to evade arrest. However he was detained.

He was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

Hospital contributed to autistic patients death

A coroner has said there was a lost opportunity in the care of a patient at East Surrey Hospital that “materially contributed” to his death.

32-year-old, Tom Parsons, from East Grinstead, died in July 2024 from complications caused by blood clots, having been admitted to hospital a few weeks earlier suffering psychosis.

An inquest at Surrey Coroner’s Court heard that for 14 days he was not given his prescribed blood-thinning injections because of safety fears about administering them.

Coroner Dr Karen Henderson said on Tuesday that while there were multiple factors that contributed to his condition, including Covid and his BMI, the failure to administer the drugs was a factor in his death.