The Surrey Index

The Surrey Index

Do you need accurate local statistics to plan projects and support your funding applications?

Surrey County Council has a new indexing tool on their website – The Surrey Index. It contains local data on social, environmental, economic and health outcomes across Surrey.

The purpose of the index is to highlight areas of Surrey that perform well or poorly against various outcomes. You can quickly see how well your area is doing against a given theme. For example, of the 11 districts and boroughs in Surrey, Reigate and Banstead is ranked 11th (ie. worst) for residents with mental health issues – receiving Incapacity Benefit or Employment Support Allowance (1.6%).

Why is this relevant to funding applications?

Providing statistical evidence can be a powerful way of illustrating the need for your project. For example, if you want to apply for funding for a project that improves the mental health of residents in the Borough, you could quote the figure above as part of the evidence of need for your project. (Remember you will still need to demonstrate how your project addresses this need.)

The Surrey Index can be particularly helpful when making a case for a project to local funders, such as the Community Foundation for Surrey or the Surrey Members Allocations. This is because you can easily show how your area performs relative to other areas in Surrey (at a borough or ward level). However, if used in context, it can also be used to support applications to national funders.

How can I access the Surrey index?

The Surrey Index is part of the Surrey-i website, managed by Surrey County Council. It is open to all and free to use. Data and maps can be downloaded from the site for use in funding applications or presentations.

It is strongly recommended that you watch the 10 minutes introductory video on the home page, before using the site.

Other sources of data

  • Surrey i – 454 datasets brought together by Surrey County Council, providing insights into Surrey
  • Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – health and social care assessment for Surrey that identifies needs (includes qualitative and quantitative information)
  • Office for National Statistics – links to population, employment and other government statistics at a UK level