As we approach another winter with the cost-of-living crisis still severely impacting people across the country, working alongside partners to support those who find themselves struggling has never been more important.

Reducing inequalities and creating a fairer borough where everyone has opportunities to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives is at the core of our work as a council. Right now, we want to find out from residents how they are being affected by rising living costs and understand the challenges they are facing, so we can work with partners to try and improve the support available.

Hearing from residents about their real life experiences will help us and other community organisations make sure we are providing the best support we can, in the right places for our communities.

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We are doing this through a short survey which only takes a few minutes to complete and can be found on the council website, along with lots of other helpful advice and information, at kingston.gov.uk/costoflivingsupport. Residents can also request the survey by email or by phone.

As part of our commitment to making it as easy as possible for residents to access the support they need and bringing services into communities, we have launched another drop-in space for council tenants and leaseholders.

Surrey Comet: Cllr Andreas KirschCllr Andreas Kirsch

Much of this work is already underway, but this important and inclusive motion formalises those commitments. It focuses our efforts on removing the stigma around being in care and dismantling barriers, to ensure those with care experience are treated fairly and able to thrive.

All of this forms part of our work, alongside our partners and communities, to make Kingston a fairer borough that supports those who find themselves in a vulnerable position and offers everyone opportunities to thrive.

  • Cllr Andreas Kirsch is leader of Kingston Council