The Surrey Hills A-Z project is about local distinctiveness and highlighting what is special about this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Although we are very familiar with where we live and work it is often taken for granted. Local distinctiveness is about what places or things mean to us. By focussing our attention on the significance of our surroundings helps to build more of an attachment to a place.
The Surrey Hills A-Z project was launched at the Surrey Hills Annual Forum 2003 and over 120 people were asked to list from A to Z what they see as special and distinctive about
the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A wide variety of responses were received and the Surrey Hills office chose one distinctive feature for each letter.
The A-Z project was an idea that came from Common Ground which is internationally recognised for playing a unique role in the arts and environmental fields, distinguished by the linking of nature with culture, focussing upon the positive investment people can make in their own localities, championing popular democratic involvement, and by inspiring celebration as a starting point for action to improve the quality of our everyday places.