Byfleet has a fascinating past - but it is not a village prepared to rest on its historical laurels. It is now over 12 years since it became the first community in the Borough of Woking to set up an organisation to help housebound people, providing an example for other communities to follow. This organisation - Byfleet Community Action, alias Byfleet Care - was established as a registered charity.

The initiative for forming the group came from Joan Mackintosh and Ronnie Cresswell, who, amongst other councilors, realised there was a gap in the statutory services provided by the Council and Government. Both Byfleet Parish Council and Woking Borough Council agreed to make initial grants available to the group. The group soon recruited a team of cheerful and willing volunteers.

Byfleet Community Action's original constitution only covered Byfleet Village itself. Five years later, the constitution was extended to cover the whole of the ancient parish of Byfleet, which included what is now Byfleet and West Byfleet.

Byfleet Care was used as a model for the equally successful Horsell Care.

Volunteers can be of any age, as long as they are responsible. An encouraging development in recent years has been the involvement of senior schoolchildren, working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

The collie Zimba, pictured on the left, is Byfleet Care's mascot.

Should you wish to become a volunteer or to make a donation, please click the link on the bottom left of this page.