CHEER exists to promote the welfare of older people in Elmbridge, and has been supporting the retired community for 70 years. Our befriending service, including social events, covers the whole of Elmbridge, whilst our benefits advice service is available in the eastern part of the Borough – namely, Esher, Oxshott, Thames Ditton, Long Ditton, East and West Molesey, Hinchley Wood, Claygate, Weston Green, Stoke d’Abernon, Cobham, and neighbouring areas.
With its origins in the Esher and District Old People’s Welfare Council (founded in the early 1950s), CHEER became a charitable company on 1st April 2010. In 2018, we expanded our coverage area by taking over the befriending service previously provided in the western part of the Borough by Friends of the Elderly.
According to the Campaign to End Loneliness there are 800,000 chronically lonely people in England. That translates into several hundred elderly people in the East Elmbridge area. Although Elmbridge is a generally affluent area, we still have many elderly residents who are struggling with low income, poor living conditions, disability and loneliness.
We are the only local charity to provide a comprehensive and caring response to these issues, including visiting people in their own homes.
Please contact us for more information of how we can help.
Our people
Charlotte Chatwin
Adviser
Martin Jancar
Parkinson’s Group
Helen Ross
Parkinson’s Group
Our trustees
Julian Mobbs
Julian has been living in Claygate with his partner, two of their sons, and mad Labradoodle since 2015, and has been a volunteer with CHEER since 2018. He was appointed to the CHEER Board as a Trustee in Spring 2020, and became Chair in early 2021. He currently runs his own consultancy business following a successful career in senior management roles in large corporations, start-ups and SMEs in the private and public sectors (with a focus on media, publishing, technology and software). In his free time, Julian enjoys music, travel, gardening and playing water polo.
Christine Elmer
Christine served as a Councillor for Walton South ward on Elmbridge Borough Council for 15 years until 2021. She was on the Council’s Cabinet for 10 years and was the Cabinet Member for Social Affairs for 6 years (2010-16). Christine served for 2 years as a Council Nominated Observer of CHEER and she is also a Trustee of Home Support Elmbridge. Her work career for nearly 24 years was as a Civil Servant for MAFF/Defra until 2007. She lives in Walton-on-Thames and is a member of the Friends of Flt. Sgt. Charles Sydney RAF, working with other volunteers to see the replacement memorial site re-established at the ex-Birds Eye site in Station Avenue, Walton-on-Thames.
Claire Owen
Prior to joining the CHEER Board in December 2024, Claire had over 20 years experience working in Arts & Health, combining creativity with strategic planning, collaborative working and inclusive leadership. Most recently, she was Head of Music Delivery for the charity Music In Hospitals & Care, a charity that improves the health and wellbeing of children and adults through the healing power of live music. Prior to that, she worked successfully in subsidised and commercial theatre, on productions at The Royal Court, National Theatre, Gate Theatre, Bush Theatre, Soho Theatre, West End, Edinburgh Fringe, Trinity Dublin and Lincoln Centre New York.
As an Arts Award Discover and Explore facilitator, Claire has an interest in fine art and sculpture, enjoys music and spending time with her family.
Julian Rye
Julian has lived in Elmbridge since 1966, and has two sons and five grandchildren. His career was mainly in ICT and major project management in international banking. He has been a Citizens Advice volunteer, sits on schools appeals panels and is a past trustee of Rentstart. Leisure interests include amateur theatre and choral singing – and he grew up with golden retrievers from the age of three!
Janis Fletcher
Janis lives in Hinchley Wood with her husband, and has been a volunteer with CHEER since 2014. In a varied career, she has done administrative work in Africa (Zaire), held senior positions in financial services and consultancy, and she ran her own business working on projects for banks. Leisure interests include playing bridge, music and walking.
Lisa Khwaja
Lisa hails from the west of England but moved to Elmbridge in 2007 and now lives in Walton-on-Thames with her husband, secondary school-aged children, dog and 2 cats. She has a 25+ year career in HR and talent strategy and is currently a Global HR Director at a global professional services company. Lisa was appointed to the CHEER board as a Trustee in Spring 2023 and enjoys socialising, travel, walking, music and spending time with her family.
David Moss (Treasurer)
David joined the CHEER Board at the beginning of 2023.
