Your Croydon 71 - December 2015 - February 2016

your ISSUE 71 – DECEMBER – FEBRUARY 2016

www.croydon.gov.uk

Your primary source of community information

Future looking fab for Fairfield See page 5

Go On, then – charity aims to improve borough’s digital skills See page 8 Five pages of Christmas schedules and preparations Pages 9 to 13

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City of Culture? Oh, yes!

Croydon – the UK’s next City of Culture. Unthinkable?

Actually, it’s not as outrageous a proposition as many who don’t know our borough might have you believe.

Over the past few weeks, it has been my pleasure to visit Croydon’s brilliant award-winning Rise Gallery; see fine productions in The Spreadeagle Theatre; and attend several packed events in Matthew’s Yard in the centre of Croydon.

As well as some great bands at the renovated and now community-run Stanley Halls in South Norwood, and at Croydon’s fastest-growing music venue, The Oval Tavern, I’ve seen the town’s first Craft Beer Festival at the Braithwaite Hall attracting a crowd aged 18 to 80. And, as the leader of the council, I had the privilege of announcing a major £30m renovation of the Fairfield Halls, to restore the building to its former iconic status (see page 5).

The good news continues with the announcement that our partner Boxpark will, next summer, be opening London’s coolest new location at East Croydon; and we are enjoying seeing the much-loved David Lean Cinema flourish.

Those achievements stand alongside an exceptional summer programme that included the excellent Ambition, Purley, Thornton Heath, London Road and South Norwood festivals.

And congratulations to Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation on 50 years of fantastic work in the community giving young people access to drama and theatre activities to increase their confidence and life skills.

And now we end a year that started with Ben Haenow winning The X Factor, to see Croydon wiping the floor at the globally recognised Mobo music awards. Thornton Heath’s Krept and Konan led the Mobo charge with two awards, accompanied by fellow Croydon winners Stormzy, Faith Child and Section Boyz.

That City of Culture honour seems quite attainable.

Of course, the headline-grabbing news around Croydon’s many new artists and venues will come as no surprise to local residents. We have all long been aware of the talent that exists across Croydon’s district centres and in our vibrant and multicultural communities.

The difference now is that, as Croydon’s recovery continues and our reputation grows, more of our performers and their achievements are getting the recognition they deserve.

The remaining challenge for us as a council is to ensure that all of these talented people have a venue to perform in that will do them proud. That is why we are determined to see through the planned transformation of the Fairfield Halls, Croydon College and surrounding area into one of the capital’s leading cultural and educational hotspots.

December 2015 – February 2016

Highlights £30m Fairfield regeneration............... 5 Major plans are afoot that will see Fairfield, Croydon College and College Green transformed into the town’s culture and education quarter.

Don’t mess with Croydon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 People who failed to heed the warning of the council’s anti-littering campaign have paid the price, with a further 15 prosecutions.

Go On Croydon launched . . . . 8 UK charity has joined forces with Croydon Council to help arm local people with the digital skills required today.

Christmas schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Five pages of vital seasonal information, including when your bins will be collected, when your local library is open and where you can recycle your Christmas tree.

Playing in the street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 More communities sign up to see roads closed to traffic once a month to allow local children to play safely outside their homes.

You shall go to the ball! . . . . . 22 Win a family ticket for four to see this year’s glittering production of Cinderella in Fairfield’s Ashcroft Theatre.

Season’s greetings and best wishes for a peaceful new year.

Councillor Tony Newman Leader of the council

To keep up to date with what’s going on, subscribe to Your Croydon and receive a free weekly email that’s full of news and information about your borough. Go to www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe and visit

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For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Lighting up St Mike’s

Amazing new architectural lighting, recently installed on a historic grade 1 listed church, has transformed West Croydon.

Anybody walking past St Michael and All Angels with St James Church after dark over the past few weeks will have been struck by its dramatic new night-time look.

A state-of-the-art lighting scheme, picking out the features of the Gothic Revival building, was formally switched on by the Bishop of Fulham Jonathan Baker in November.

Highlighting the stained glass windows and bell tower features of the landmark church, the new installation also brings more ambient light to the surrounding public space in Poplar Walk, helping to improve the area and create a safer, brighter environment for residents and visitors.

The project is part of the Connected Croydon programme, funded by the Mayor’s Regeneration Fund, which has delivered £4.6m improvements to the public spaces and transport interchange around Station Road, North End, West Croydon station, Poplar Walk and St Michael’s Road.

The church is next to West Croydon bus station, currently being rebuilt by Transport for London and due to reopen next year.

We’re delighted that, through the Mayor’s Regeneration Fund, Croydon Council has funded the exterior lighting of St Michael’s.

“It will be a focal point for the whole development scheme once completed.

CHURCH WARDEN KEN LEPPARD

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December 2015 – February 2016

Boxing clever for Croydon Plans to bring a successful London shopping concept to Croydon have cleared the final hurdle with the council giving it the green light.

A pop-up mall has been approved for a five-year stay, from next summer, on the Ruskin Square site next to East Croydon station, the main gateway to the town centre.

Boxpark Croydon, following its forerunner in Shoreditch, will be food-and-drink focused, with more than 30 outlets, comprising restaurant, café and retail units.

The scheme, being delivered in partnership with the GLA and developers Stanhope and Schroders, will be constructed from 97 shipping containers and will see units rented out to a mixture of independent, small and medium-sized businesses.

It is expected to generate up to 200 new jobs.

There will also be covered courtyard space, enabling events to take place year round, expanding the cultural offer in the town centre.

Boxpark Croydon is a meanwhile-use scheme that will occupy Ruskin Square during the wider office- and housingfocused redevelopment of the site.

That redevelopment will see up to 1.25 million sq ft of office accommodation, 625 new homes and more than 100,000 sq ft of retail, café and restaurant space.

All aboard for new look Station area’s makeover complete with new paving, planting and seating.

The first stage of works to revamp the area in and around East Croydon station has been completed.

The major improvement works, which began in January, have seen new paving delivered in George Street, from Wellesley Road to the station, and the carriageway has been resurfaced.

New planters have been installed at the George Street and Wellesley Road junction, and the area around the station has been made more attractive and accessible to pedestrians, with new seating on the tram platform.

The works have included: • 4,800 sq m of new paving • 4,000 sq m of resurfaced carriageway • 2,100 new shrubs, hedges and plants • 12 new trees • 6 new benches

The second phase of works, which starts in spring, will refurbish the adjacent bus station with new paving, planting and improved lighting.

It will ensure easier connections from train to bus and tram, with better links between eastbound and westbound bus stops.

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Where the culture and education are A refitted music, arts and cultural complex, new college buildings and a redesigned large open space are on the drawing board for Fairfield and its surroundings.

Exciting plans have been announced to turn Croydon College, Fairfield Halls and the College Green area into one of London’s leading cultural and educational destinations.

Fairfield Halls will undergo a £30m transformation into a modern concert and events venue, designed to attract world-class acts and become the focal point for Croydon’s creative and cultural scene.

And Croydon College will have a new state-of-theart home, bringing all of its faculties together on the Barclay Road annex site.

Fairfield’s 1,800 seat Concert Hall will retain its acoustic integrity, but will be fully refurbished to include new seating and modernised backstage and servicing areas.

The rest of the 1962 building, including the 755 seat Ashcroft

Theatre, will be refurbished to contain flexible performance and arts spaces.

A new mezzanine-level restaurant is also planned, alongside bar and seating areas on the ground floor leading to outside areas on the transformed College Green public square.

To allow these works to take place, Fairfield will close for two years to enable the refurbishment to be carried out more quickly and at a lower cost.

The wider plans for College Green will see the construction of hundreds of new homes of a mix of tenures, and new shops and restaurants.

Pedestrian paths and squares will be created, linking the area to East Croydon station, the town centre, Surrey Street and the wider borough.

Planning: Fransis Rossi, architect Stuart Cade, and Councillor Tony Newman

PRAISE FROM A ROCK LEGEND Status Quo frontman and Croydon resident Francis Rossi met up with council leader Tony Newman to give his views on the plans for Fairfield, a venue he has regularly played over the years.

He visited the backstage area, dressing rooms, concert hall and Sun Lounge, and heard from the architects tasked with the £30m project.

Councillor Newman said: “After hearing that Francis had expressed an interest in the future redevelopment of Fairfield, I invited him along to get his opinions as an artist who has played the venue as his hometown gig on many occasions.

“It was really good to get his input on this massively important scheme. He was impressed with what we’re trying to do and thought the plans were great, both for artists and audiences.”

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December 2015 – February 2016

Cleaning up the borough Communities have been embracing the Don’t Mess With Croydon spirit by organising community clean-up days to help make the borough a tidier place.

Clean and Green street champions teamed up with residents and staff from Selhurst Park Sainsbury’s to clean up an alley in Clifton Road.

Together they cleared half a tonne of fly-tipped waste and used the occasion to recruit passers-by to become street champions for their roads.

Elsewhere in the borough, beavers and scouts picked up litter in Selsdon Woods, using litter pickers, collecting bags, and gloves and high-visibility jackets supplied by the council’s clean and green team.

Community spirit was much in evidence when more than 50 residents got into

their work clothes and knuckled down to some serious clean-up tasks in a blighted corner of their neighbourhood.

Fed up with the fact that a patch of open land had become a magnet for all manner of waste and rubbish, the Friends of Love Lane Green organised a community clean-up, filling a cage lorry with landfill waste, and a dustcart with brambles and green waste.

Anybody interested in joining the 268 residents who have become Clean and Green Street Champions to improve their neighbourhoods, should contact Tracey Bellamy on 07825 103788 or email.

Clifton Road work in progress

Working group: Friends of Love Lane Green

Recycling – the word on the streets The high streets of four district centres should be cleaner as new dual-purpose waste bins are installed.

Residents’ call for more recycling bins on the street has prompted the council to provide 80 dual waste and recycling bins in high streets in four areas of the borough.

Councillor Stuart Collins

In a bid to reduce littering, the bins have been introduced in Thornton Heath, South Norwood, Norbury and Crystal Palace, with 20 in each district centre.

This follows surveys carried out where those who took part raised concerns about the lack of local recycling bins in their area.

As well as reducing litter on pavements, the containers have been provided for residents who live in flats above shops to give them recycling and landfill facilities all in one place.

The bins, which have sections for general waste and mixed recyclables, are emptied on a daily basis.

Click to watch the council’s Clean, Green Croydon cabinet member, Councillor Stuart Collins, explaining why the new bins have been introduced.

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Don’t mess with Croydon – you could lose your good name The latest round of Don’t mess with Croydon prosecutions has seen 15 people get a criminal record for littering.

The list of names in the council’s Hall of Shame continues to grow as another clutch of litter-droppers and fly-tippers appear in court to answer for their antisocial acts.

Offences ranged from dropping cigarettes to dumping rubbish on pavements and in the street.

Fines were issued to 13 of the defendants, while the remaining two were conditionally discharged by Croydon magistrates on Wednesday, 18 November.

The council’s Don’t mess with Croydon campaign aims to tackle fly-tipping and littering, and ensure the borough’s streets remain clean and tidy.

Since the campaign’s launch in summer 2014, the council has issued more than 800 fixed-penalty notices, and prosecuted flytippers through the courts, including a man jailed for six months in May for dumping 42 tonnes of waste in Waddon.

The 15 latest prosecutions have been added to the council’s Hall of Shame webpage, which can be viewed here.

You can report fly-tipping by calling the dedicated fly-tipping hotline on 020 8604 7000 or sending an email.

You can also report a problem via the My Croydon smartphone app.

Click for or more information about Don’t Mess with Croydon.

ers d n e ff o ess’ ‘Don’t M ught, a c n e e have b ave h w o n d ed an prosecut ecord r l a n i a crim

Hall of Shame newcomers

• Anna Ball, aged 24, of Godstone Road, Caterham, was found guilty of dropping a cigarette in North End, Croydon, and fined £100. She was also ordered to pay £250 court costs.

• Hayley Bashford, of Central Parade, New Addington, was found guilty of leaving a black refuse sack on the pavement in Central Parade, and fined £110. She was also ordered to pay £300 court costs.

• Burchell Bernard, aged 52, of Shrublands Avenue, Shirley, was found guilty of dumping cardboard packaging on a grass verge in the same road, and fined £120, and ordered to pay £300 costs.

• Agneiska Brooks, aged 32, of Winterbourne Road, Thornton Heath, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping three black plastic bags, and given an £85 fine. Brooks was also ordered to pay £200 court costs.

• Charles Burrows, aged 31, of Rothesay Road, Selhurst, was found guilty of dropping a cigarette in North End, Croydon, fined £85 and ordered to pay costs of £210.

• Samii Draper, aged 22, of Wimshurst Close, Waddon, was found guilty of dumping a cardboard box by provided bins, and fined £110. Draper was also ordered to pay £300 court costs.

• Marc Frasier Bourne, aged 26, of Coniston Road, Addiscombe, pleaded guilty to leaving a large fly-tip in the same road, and fined £100. He was also ordered to pay £250 costs.

• Declan Fontaine, of Central Parade, New Addington, was found guilty of dumping food and shop waste on the pavement in the same road. He was fined £180 and ordered to pay £330 court costs.

• Catherine Geraghty, aged 31, of Halesowen Road, Morden, was found guilty of dropping a cigarette in North End. She was fined £100 fine, and ordered to pay £235 court costs.

• Alicja Golab, aged 31, of The Coppins, New Addington, pleaded guilty to leaving furniture and cardboard waste on a verge, and was conditionally discharged for six months.

• David Haines, aged 49, of Lorne Gardens, Monks Orchard, pleaded guilty to dropping a cigarette in North End. He was fined £85 with £210 costs.

• Lee Kupperblatt, aged 27, of Meadowside, New Eltham, was found guilty of dropping a cigarette in North End, Croydon, and fined £110 fine. He was also ordered to pay £250 court costs.

• Hanna Maameri, aged 50, of Fouracre Path, Selhurst, was found guilty of dropping a cigarette in North End. She was fined £110 and ordered to pay £250 court costs.

• Sandra Stephenson, of Eden Road, West Norwood, pleaded guilty to dropping a cigarette in North End. She was given a three-month conditional discharge, and ordered to pay £150 court costs.

• Emma Fields and Wayne Alexander, of Central Parade, New Addington, were both found guilty of two separate offences of dumping household waste on a pavement.

Fields was fined £150, Alexander £120, and each was ordered to pay £330 costs.

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December 2015 – February 2016

Go On – learn some digital skills The council has joined forces with digital skills charity Go On UK in an exciting project to help arm local people with the digital skills needed to make the most of new technology.

A leading charity has chosen Croydon to launch the capital’s first digital skills programme.

Businesswoman and philanthropist, Martha Lane Fox, chair of Go On UK, came to Croydon last month to unveil the plans which will see local people trained to use new technology and surf the net Their new skills will empower them to go online to benefit from saving money, searching and applying for a job, and finding family members, or the simple enjoyment of keeping in touch or doing some research.

Go On Croydon aims to address the fact that 20% of the borough’s population don’t have basic digital skills. It will be available for everyone, including those most in need of support, such as the homeless, families in poverty, the elderly, and small businesses.

Research shows that people could save around £1,000 a year by going online, and many people over the age of 55 say it also makes them feel part of modern society and less lonely.

The Go On Croydon project will see

digital zones pop up in a number of borough locations to help residents get online and to increase their independence, life chances and well-being.

Digital champions will be recruited.

They will be volunteers who are confident in using IT, but not necessarily experts, and who will use their digital know-how to help others in the community and in the digital zones.

Learn how you can get involved in your local area by clicking here.

The project brings together national and local organisations including Age UK, Argos, Lloyds banking group and community groups, charities and volunteers, including Croydon Tech City, CVA and St Philip’s Church, Norbury, that will run projects in schools and the community.

Baroness Lane Fox said: “Having access to the internet and the power to use it in all the different ways is a fundamental right and we must work hard to make sure no one is left behind.”

One of the aims of the project, she added, was to replicate the work taking

place in Croydon across the whole of the UK. She said: “I think that if we can make that first step here in Croydon, we can really make a massive leap across the whole of the UK – one small step for Croydon, one giant leap for the UK.” Click to watch Baroness Lane Fox talk about Go On Croydon.

Martha Lane Fox – chair of Go On UK

Click to watch our video of the Go On Croydon project here.

Try Croydon’s first digital zone Croydon has unveiled the UK’s first Go On digital zone. Based in the council’s Access Croydon, in Mint Walk, it is open every Friday to provide help and support to people taking their first steps online or building confidence in using a smartphone, tablet or laptop to improve their skills.

June, 91, a parishioner of St Philip’s Church, Norbury, said; “I’m one of the lucky ones. Our priest has started computer classes for us on Friday mornings. We’ve got some helpers that come to show us how to use computers. I knew absolutely nothing, and now I can start one going and I have an email address. My family send me some messages and then I have to try and send them one back. It’s hard work, but I think if I have many more years it will be very necessary to have a computer at home just to help me to carry on with life independently, so I’m very grateful for the help I’m getting.”

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

FESTIVE SEASON OPENING HOURS Access Croydon, Bernard Weatherill House

Croydon leisure centres

Thursday 24 December Friday 25 December Saturday 26 December Sunday 27 December Monday 28 December Tuesday 29 December Wednesday 30 December Thursday 31 December Friday 1 January Saturday 2 January Sunday 3 January Monday 4 January

Thursday 24 December Closed Friday 25 December Closed Saturday 26 December Closed Sunday 27 December Check local times Monday 28 December Check local times Tuesday 29 December Check local times Wednesday 30 December Check local times Thursday 31 December Check local times Friday 1 January Closed Saturday 2 January Open as normal To check your local leisure centre’s opening times go to www.fusion-lifestyle.com/contracts/Croydon_Council/Centres

Open as normal Closed Closed Closed Closed Open as normal Open as normal Open as normal Closed Closed Closed Open as normal

Croydon Council call centre Thursday 24 December Friday 25 December Saturday 26 December Sunday 27 December Monday 28 December Tuesday 29 December Wednesday 30 December Thursday 31 December Friday 1 January Saturday 2 January Sunday 3 January Monday 4 January

Croydon libraries Open as normal Closed Closed Closed Closed Open as normal Open as normal Open as normal Closed Closed Closed Open as normal

Thursday 24 December Friday 25 December Saturday 26 December Sunday 27 December Monday 28 December Tuesday 29 December Wednesday 30 December Thursday 31 December Friday 1 January Saturday 2 January Sunday 3 January Monday 4 January

Close 1pm Closed Closed Closed Closed Open as normal Open as normal Close 4pm Closed Open as normal Closed Open as normal

BIN COLLECTION TIMETABLE Refuse and recycling collection date changes Over the Christmas holiday period, the council’s refuse and recycling services will be operating on a slightly revised collection schedule.

The table, right, shows the two days on which there will be no collections and requiring bins and boxes to be put out on different days.

Calendars with further details of the date changes and which containers need to be put out for collection can be found by clicking here.

NORMAL COLLECTION DATE

REVISED COLLECTION DATE

Friday 25 December

Sunday 27 December

Friday 1 January

Saturday 2 January

Missed collections can be reported via your MyAccount at www.croydon.gov.uk/myaccount or by calling 020 8726 6200.

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December 2015 – February 2016

Keeping the borough moving Croydon’s salt bins are full and the gritting teams are ready to go...

With recent winters having delivered their fair share of snow, the council is ready to tackle a repeat this season – and encouraging residents to get to know their grit.

Thousands of tonnes of grit salt have already been stockpiled but spreading it on the borough’s roads is not all that is needed to keep traffic moving.

Many people believe that the presence of grit salt on roads means snow and ice disappears instantly, but it will not work if there is no traffic to run over it, or if vehicles are held up.

Gritting lorries can also get stuck in traffic like everybody else, meaning their spreading routines are disrupted.

And a common misconception is that the council grits every road in the borough.

Approximately 30% of the borough’s roads are gritted when snow or ice are predicted – or in the case of sudden and unexpected snow.

These roads cover about 150 miles, and have been chosen because they are the most important in keeping traffic moving. They include ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads, main bus routes, approaches to fire, police and ambulance stations, railway stations, and steep hills.

During times of heavy snowfall, or when temperatures remain below zero for long periods, the priority is to clear the primary gritting routes first.

Maps showing the roads that are treated in each ward can be found on the council’s website.

The borough has 577 salt bins in key locations. They are replenished at the earliest opportunity after roads and pavements have been gritted according to a priority plan.

The exact coordinates of the salt bins are in the process of being collated.

When the process is complete, the information will enable the reporting of empty bins via My Account.

In the meantime, however, anybody standing next to an empty bin can report it, using the My Croydon app, and the bin will be scheduled for refilling, as the reporting process will identify the bin’s location.

On an ongoing basis, the council works closely with the emergency and voluntary services, utility companies and other London boroughs, to plan for a coordinated response to major emergencies.

But the council cannot do everything.

It needs the support of residents and businesses to keep the borough moving by promoting community resilience.

Whether it is looking out for elderly and vulnerable neighbours or helping in other ways, if people get involved, this winter will be easier for everyone.

For further information and advice, click here.

Road salt – the facts The council, at present, has a stock of 3,700 tonnes of road salt, with an agreement with suppliers to quickly add more in the event of heavy snowfall.

Should that snow arrive, the fleet of 12 winter-service lorries and their crews will be on 24-hour call, ready to get out and keep 150 miles of the borough’s main roads clear and the traffic moving.

Maps showing each ward’s treated roads can be found on the council’s website.

In addition to the lorries, the contractor also has a heavy-duty digger on standby.

The same is true when it comes to water leaks.

The two water companies serving Croydon ask that anybody who sees a leak as they go about their daily business, report it at the earliest opportunity. A leak is more easily fixed before a freeze sets in.

To report a leak, visit • Thames Water

• Sutton and East Surrey Water During an emergency, the latest information will be broadcast on local radio and TV, the council’s website and its Twitter feed @yourcroydon You can also sign up to receive Your Croydon weekly to have updates delivered straight to your inbox.

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Power cut pointers What to do if the unthinkable happens and there’s a power failure as the turkey’s being carved, or while the presents are being opened.

A power cut over Christmas – not much could be worse to bring the festive spirit down to earth.

However, if the worst does come to the worst, UK Power Networks has drawn up a list of things that will help the situation until the lights come back on.

And the advice is, of course, good for the rest of the year.

Power cut? Contact UK Power Networks 24 hours a day, 365 days a year • View a live power cut map or report a power cut here.

• Receive updates by texting “Power” and your postcode to 80876.

• Call 0800 31 63 105 or 0333 32 32 105 from a mobile.

Advice in case of a power cut • If electricity is crucial for any medical equipment you have, contact UKPN now to be included on the priority register for assistance during any power cut.

• Make sure you have a number of torches to hand, along with extra batteries.

• Keep a plug-in telephone that does not require electricity – a cordless phone might not work once the batteries are dead.

• Keep important documents safe and handy.

• For more tips about what to do during a power cut, click here.

What is UK Power Networks?

UK Power Networks owns and maintains electricity cables and lines across London, the south-east and east of England, making sure that your lights stay on.

You don’t pay your electricity bills to UK Power Networks. Your electricity supplier is the company you choose to buy your electricity from, and to which you pay your bills.

CHRISTMAS PARKING IN CROYDON Council spreads a little festive cheer for motorists with relaxation of rules.

The practice of recent years has been extended with the council easing parking regulations for even longer than previously over the Christmas and New Year period.

Helping to spread a little festive cheer, the relaxation of parking regulations will help people visiting shops, enjoying the displays of

festive illuminations or simply dropping in on relatives to share the seasonal good cheer.

The whole borough will be free of parking enforcement in council-run car parks and on-street bays, on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. All other restrictions –

such as yellow-line, footway, bus lane – will, however, remain in place on these days, and motorists are advised to park in a reasonable manner, showing consideration for other road users and pedestrians.

Normal parking enforcement will resume on Saturday 2 January.

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December 2015 – February 2016

Shop wisely and reduce your waste at Christmas A little pre-planning when buying food for the festive break can save money and cut down on unnecessary waste.

If there is one time of year that levels of household food waste are in danger of going off the scale, that time is Christmas.

An estimated 7 million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away by households each year in the UK, and a good proportion of that waste comes about over the festive season – the time of greatest consumer excess.

It is all too easy to over-cater when entertaining, which is fine, as long as the

leftovers are later put to use, and not just thrown away.

Leftover sprouts? No problem – they are a delicious addition to post-Christmas favourite, bubble and squeak.

Alternatively, they and other unused veg can be used to make up a batch of stock, providing a great base for warming soups.

Sometimes we can end up with more food than our guests can eat. Keep some store cupboard ingredients handy so that, if you do have leftovers, you can whip up a snack or lunch for the following day.

Some great left-over recipes are available here.

Even better, check out the site before you buy and cook, and get some practical advice on planning, portion control and food storage.

Seasonal waste-busting tips to save you money • Plan your Christmas menu to ensure you don’t buy more than is needed, and aren’t left with extra sprouts into the new year.

• More than half of households say they throw away food because they’ve cooked too much. Making delicious meals from leftovers is a smart way to

make sure you eat everything you buy.

• A large proportion of householders end up throwing away food because it has passed its “use by” date. Planning meals with the “use by” date in mind could save money.

• Don’t forget the freezer! Leftovers, or food nearing its use by date, can often be popped into the freezer, and spare Bolognese sauce is great on a baked potato for lunch.

• Know your “use by” from your “best before” – you could be throwing things away when you don’t need to.

• 70% of domestic fridges are set at too high a temperature. Keeping your fridge between 1°C and 5°C helps to get the best from your food.

• Buy a discounted compost bin by calling 0844 4721888 or ordering online.

When the feast is over, don’t forget to put your food waste into your caddy for collection.

INTERESTING FACT Research suggests that households throw away £470-worth of food a year, rising to £700 for a family with children; the equivalent of about £60 a month.

Items such as carcasses and bones can go straight into the larger external caddy; if you’re worried about any mess, just line it with some old newspaper.

Festive food recycling Over the festive period, residents will be celebrating and tucking into the mince pies, party food and turkey dinners.

Christmas is a great time to make the most of recycling, as many households will produce more waste than normal.

Here are a few tips to help manage your festive waste and recycling.

Top tips • Put all your food waste into your caddy. Food waste is collected weekly, unlike landfill bins, which are collected fortnightly.

• When preparing food, think about portion sizes as it is easy to overcater, resulting in wasted food.

• Make the most of leftovers and try some new recipes to polish off any items nearing the best-before date; alternatively, freeze leftovers to eat another day.

• Put all plastic bottles, glass bottles and cans into your green recycling box.

Make reuse your resolution When you’re clearing out the clutter in the new year, make sure you visit the popular websites Croydon Freegle and Croydon Freecycle and swap or give away those items you no longer want.

Of course, if you’re really strapped for cash this year, you could visit the websites now to see if you can pick up a bargain!

There is a host of charities in Croydon that would like your unwanted items.

Don’t be a Scrooge; give away those unwanted items to a good cause while, at the same time, doing your bit for the environment.

All councillors and staff at Croydon Council wish everybody a merry Christmas and a happy 2016

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Treecycling – it’s a Christmas thing If you’re opting for a real tree this Christmas, think about what will happen to it after the holiday.

With almost one million Christmas trees thrown away each year in London alone – and fewer than 10% of those being recycled – it is important that we remember to recycle our tree.

If you opt for a real Christmas tree this year, do not forget to take it to one of the council’s designated recycling collection points between Friday 1 and Saturday 9 January.

At other times, Christmas trees can be taken to any of the council’s reuse and recycling centres – but please remember to remove all tinsel and decorations before taking it to be recycled.

Christmas tree collection points Ashburton Coulsdon East Fairfield Heathfield Kenley New Addington New Addington Purley Purley Sanderstead Selsdon Shirley Shirley South Norwood Upper Norwood Waddon Waddon

Ashburton Park, access from Tenterden Road Grange Park, Canon’s Hill Oaks Road/Coombe Road car park Addington Park car park, Gravel Hill Kenley Residents’ Association, Oaks Road green Central Parade car park Fisher’s Farm reuse and recycling centre, North Downs Road Upper Woodcote Village RA, Woodcote Village green Purley Oaks reuse and recycling centre, Brighton Road Occasionally Yours, Limpsfield Road Selsdon Recreation Ground, access from Woodlands Gardens Monks Orchard green Shirley Park RA, Green Court Gardens green Whitehorse Meadow, Parry Road Secret Garden, Westow Street Wyevale Garden Centre, Waddon Way Factory Lane reuse and recycling centre, Factory Lane

CHRISTMAS TREE COLLECTIONS There will be only two collections from the listed points – on Sunday 3 and Sunday 10 January – so please do not leave Christmas trees at the collection points after Sunday 10 January.

Trees needing to be disposed of after this date can be taken to one of the borough’s three reuse and recycling centres.

Recycle those electricals this Christmas WEEE have ways of convincing you that those old electricals should be recycled.

It will come as no surprise that Christmas, and the run-up to it, is the peak period for the purchase of electrical goods.

Be it mobile phones, battery-driven toys for tots, mp3 players, hairdriers, toasters, or the latest tablet computers, more will be sold at this time of year than any other.

Any appliance that has a plug or uses a battery is classed as a WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic

Equipment) product and can be recycled.

Many electrical items have valuable plastics and metals inside, which can be used to make new products.

Another reason not to send old electricals to landfill, is that they can contaminate soil and water – making recycling doubly important.

Mindful of these facts, and to make it easier for you to recycle such appliances, the council provides a number of

WEEE recycling banks • • • • • • •

Central Parade, New Addington CR9 1HS Co-op, Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead CR2 9DQ Forestdale car park, Selsdon Park Road, CR0 9AS Kenley station car park, Kenley Lane, CR8 5DF Lloyd Park Recreation Ground, Coombe Road, CR0 5RB Tesco car park, Brighton Road, Purley CR8 2HA Waitrose car park, Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead CR2 9LE

neighbourhood recycling centres (see above).

As well as small electrical goods, you can recycle domestic batteries and energy-efficient light bulbs in these banks.

Larger electrical equipment

– such as televisions, fridges and freezers – must be taken to your local reuse and recycling centres.

Please note that these centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

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December 2015 – February 2016

Here’s to a safe 2016 We recently held our commendation ceremony when we honoured officers, civilian staff and members of the public for their heroism and/or contribution in making Croydon safer.

I found some of their stories very humbling; such as the PCs who found a loaded handgun on a man after a routine stop, the off-duty police officer on his way home who intervened to find a high-risk missing person, and the officers who are responding to local concerns by reducing antisocial behaviour in their area.

These instances form only a snippet of the work being done every day, on your behalf, to make

Croydon a safer place.

As we enter the festive period and darker nights, you can do a lot to ensure that you do not become a victim of crime. Be careful not to leave presents in clear view; leave a light and radio on if you are going out; buy a strong lock to secure your moped, if you have one; and never leave your ignition key in your car, moped or van. Believe it or not, people do just that and then wonder why their vehicle has been stolen!

We are currently in the first stage of rolling out a new property marking kit to thousands of households in Croydon. We are attending addresses and, free of charge, marking key items of property with a unique traceable liquid that carries a forensic ‘code’ registered to an address or location.

This is part of our overall strategy to reduce housebreaking to levels never before seen in Croydon. We are currently averaging only

four housebreakings a day, which is pretty impressive when you consider that we are London’s most populated borough.

Finally, I’d like to take this chance to wish you the season’s greetings and a prosperous New Year, and to restate my commitment to making Croydon even safer in 2016.

Andy Tarrant

Chief Supt Andy Tarrant Croydon borough commander

Christmas gifts for children in care Children in care across the borough will get a little festive cheer this Christmas courtesy of the generosity of local police, residents and shoppers.

Hot on the heels of the success of last year’s campaign, Croydon police have repeated the Give A Gift Christmas Tree Project to ensure that more than 300 children in care get a present.

The public have endorsed this union of the traditional and modern by claiming one of the many tags hanging from a Christmas tree enjoying pride of place outside Croydon Police Station, in Park Lane.

Each tag was marked with an email address which was then contacted to learn the age of the boy or girl for whom the tag picker could buy a Christmas gift with a suggested maximum spend of £20.

Inspector Phil Mockett said: “The commissioner’s Christmas Tree Project was an amazing success last year in Croydon, resulting in more than 700

presents being generously donated by the public to our looked-after children.

“We’ve been able to build on that success and see even more gifts donated to this worthy cause this year.“ The gifts will be wrapped by Police Cadets and local school children. For further information, click here.

The scheme is part of the commissioner’s Met-wide project After 14 December, members which will be accepting which will ensure the capital’s of the public are able to donate gifts right through until looked-after-children are not left wanting.

Christmas Eve. via Centrale shopping centre, The Met’s appeal coincided with Centrale’s Giving Tree Paul Chadwick, the council’s head of looked-after children, said: “Croydon Council is delighted by the public response to the launch, which passed all its commissioner’s Christmas Tree Project because this demonstrates the donated presents to the police awareness, warmth of feeling, and support for the children in our project for distribution. care from so many members of the local community.

Tags on the Giving Tree “We can make this Christmas an even more impressive display of detail the age of a boy or girl support for children in care from the people of Croydon.” for whom a gift should be bought.

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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SAFETY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Five new teams of neighbourhood safety officers are patrolling borough streets and providing first point of contact for residents.

Patrols targeting antisocial behaviour and environmental crimes such as littering and fly-tipping are the main feature of the council’s new neighbourhood safety team.

The new street-based service went live in September and is organised into five area teams around the borough, where officers spend most of their time patrolling, helping residents and dealing with problem issues.

The team was formed following the merger of the neighbourhood warden and area enforcement services, and is the first point of contact for residents and businesses in any of the five areas.

The changes enable the council to provide more coordinated, consistent and visible services across Croydon while reducing duplication of similar work carried out by teams under the previous structure.

The service operates from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and between 9am and 10pm on Sundays and bank holidays. While a given

area’s warden may have changed, the service offered remains the same.

For more information, click here.

Reporting problems Residents are most likely to be affected by the changes if they need to report antisocial

behaviour or environmental problems.

The best reporting option is the My Croydon app, a faster way to report a whole range of environmental issues, such as fly-tipping and graffiti, using a smartphone.

Links to download My Croydon can be found here.

Problems can also be reported by telephone or online from a computer, laptop or tablet via My Account. To register for My Account, click here.

For further information about the changes and contacting us, please refer to our leaflet.

New service, new kit: neighbourhood safety officers in their distinctive uniforms

Have a fake-free festive season Don’t be tempted by the false promise of cheap goods that could prove dangerous.

Christmas can be a challenging time for families, balancing paying the bills with enjoying the festive season and catching up with relatives and friends.

As they strive to meet gift expectations without putting too much pressure on the bank account, some might be tempted to consider counterfeit goods – a path the council’s trading standards department is warning consumers to tread very carefully.

Fake goods come with risks – and counterfeiters don’t care if those risks are costly or dangerous to the consumer.

Knock-off goods are

cheap to produce and profitable to sell – from the fake Chanel perfume that could scar your skin, to counterfeit vodka, the toxic ingredients of which might cause serious internal harm.

Shayne Coulter, head of the council’s trading standards department, said: “We all like to give at Christmas, but it’s much better to buy cheaper presents that you know are safe, than flashy, expensivelooking copies that could put your friends and family at risk.

“Saving some money at the point of sale could ultimately prove very costly.”

Suspicious goods, and details of where and when bought, should be reported

to Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506.

Click here to visit the website.

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December 2015 – February 2016

See the children play The council’s Play Streets scheme is growing in popularity as residents across the borough see the benefits to their children – and themselves.

Parents from five Croydon communities want to join others in a council scheme that closes roads, enabling children to play safely in their street.

In October, a pilot Play Streets event in Love Lane, Woodside, drew more than 50 children who played in the sunshine for three hours while council officers temporarily closed the road to through traffic.

Following the trial and a follow-up information evening run by council officers, neighbours from five more roads have expressed interest in applying to the council for their own Play Streets event and street closure. These streets will be named when the public

consultations begin in December.

Residents in another trial play street, Limes Road in Selhurst, have permission to regularly hold their event on the last Sunday of each month, while Love Lane’s play street now has permission for the second Sunday of each month.

The council-backed scheme, supported by charity London Play, involves a temporary road closure once a month so that children can play and residents can get out and meet their neighbours.

Other communities can apply to the council for a street closure and a share of up to £1,200 in equipment from London Play.

Watch council leader Tony Newman and fellow Woodside member Hamida Ali underlining, during the Love Lane trial event in October, why the Play Streets initiative is worthwhile.

If you are interested in holding your own Play Streets event, email or call 020 8726 6400 ext. 63371.

For more information, click here.

BMX COMING TO NORBURY Thrills, and the occasional spill, are guaranteed if a planned community BMX track is given the nod.

The borough’s first BMX track and community club could be coming to Norbury in 2016.

Schools and groups from across the borough would be able to use the facility in daylight hours during the week, with club sessions at weekends.

If approved by the council’s planning committee, the track will be built next to the sports pavilion in Norbury Park, using British

Cycling-approved contractors and funded from developer contributions to local projects.

The track will be home to Croydon BMX, a new volunteer-led community club for people of all ages and abilities, including toddlers and the disabled.

The group behind the idea is Access Sport, which supports BMX clubs and tracks across 14 other London boroughs. Its BMX

Legacy Programme plans to offer introductory sessions and coaching training for all local people through Croydon BMX. If the plans are approved, later in December, Croydon BMX will be supplied with all the necessary equipment – including bikes, helmets, gloves and pads – for qualified local coaches to use in the community sessions.

In February 2011 Access Sport received the support of

the Olympic host boroughs, the Greater London Authority and British Cycling to launch the BMX Legacy Programme.

By 2016, Access Sport will have engaged more than 17,000 young people to get into cycling.

To see the planning application, click here.

For more on the BMX Legacy Programme, call Access Sport on 020 7993 988, email or click here.

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Keeping the floods at bay A long-term strategy to tackle flooding in the borough gets green light as improvements continue to a key location.

Flood defences in Kenley and Purley have been improved over recent weeks with the clearing and widening of a culvert in Dale Road.

In February 2014, hundreds of households were affected after the Caterham Bourne overflowed, flooding homes and key routes including Godstone Road.

The latest Dale Road works – part of an ongoing £850,000 council investment taking in improvements to the Purley Oaks emergency balancing pond – involve enlarging a drain and clearing a culvert of tree roots, silt and other potential blockages to ease water pressure in case of flooding.

In addition to developing local action plans such as

Kenley’s, the council’s cabinet has approved an overarching flood-management strategy to improve everything from planning policy, to advice to residents.

The agreed action plan, drawn up after consultation, includes: • developing more detailed data and maps of at-risk areas, including watercourses from the Norbury Brook to the Wandle; • educating residents on preparation for future flooding; • closer working with organisations that tackle flooding, including the Environment Agency and neighbouring councils; • developing a long-term

plan to better protect the Kenley water treatment works; and • compulsory drainage strategies for new housing developments.

Elsewhere in Kenley, council engineers are developing options to protect

Welcomes Road and the station area.

Local residents will be informed when the plans are ready early in the new year.

For advice on what to do in the event of a flood, click here.

High-speed fibre set for borough A further 9,000-plus local homes and businesses to benefit from new investment.

BT has announced plans for an expansion of high-speed fibre broadband in Croydon.

Openreach, BT’s local network business, will make fibre available to an additional 9,368 local homes and businesses in the next two

years, taking total coverage in the borough to more than 140,000 premises.

Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council, said: “I’m delighted to see that BT Group is making a further investment in fibre broadband

“I know our residents and businesses in the additional areas where fibre broadband is now being delivered will be very pleased with this announcement.”

COUNCILLOR TONY NEWMAN LEADER OF THE COUNCIL

within Croydon.

“Fast connectivity is increasingly important to many in the borough, especially so to the burgeoning Croydon Tech City community, and this announcement will help to support our ambitious

plans for the growth of the borough.

“I know our residents and businesses in the additional areas where fibre broadband is now being delivered will be very pleased with this announcement.”

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December 2015 – February 2016

Fostering star: Richard Dickson, flanked by TV presenter Holly Willoughby and Jim Bond.

Foster carer lands top award National award for an inspirational foster carer with more than 10 years’ experience.

Language difficulties, cultural differences and bureaucratic Croydon is always keen to recruit new foster parents and paperwork are just some of the challenges faced and overcome provides plenty of training and support to help them in this

by Richard Dickson in his time as a foster carer. sometimes challenging role.

And now, his hard work and dedication have been recognised Over the past year, Richard has been a mentor for new with the presentation of the President’s Award at The Fostering foster carers and he has recently started supporting them to Network’s annual Fostering Excellence complete their Training Support and ceremony.

Development Standards.

Richard’s accolade is in He has also been chosen to coacknowledgment of his tremendous train on a safer caring course for services to fostered children, male foster carers. As well as all particularly unaccompanied refugees this, Richard has been an education from countries including North Korea, champion for London Fostering Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, and the Achievement, working with foster Congolese republics. carers, teachers and young people Richard said: “Many of the children to raise educational aspirations and and young people I’ve looked after have achievements. shown huge bravery and potential.

Watch a short video on fostering.

“It’s been fantastic to help some Jim Bond MBE, president of The of them become more confident and Fostering Network, said: “Richard independent in a new country, where is more than a foster carer; he’s an Fostering: rewarding for all concerned they have often gone on to achieve advocate for all children and young academically and be offered university places.” people.

There have, of course, been a variety of common hurdles that “His absolute empathy for those he cares for, combined with Richard has had to overcome, such as language, and cultural his tireless enthusiasm for justice and his positive attitude, are and religious differences. Alongside these issues, he has had to what makes him exceptional. manage the ongoing process of applications for asylum, and “I know that all who have worked with him at The Fostering regular home office interviews.

Network have seen the tremendous value and support that he However, as Richard explains: “Despite the many challenges, brings to those who enter his home and that’s why I’m humbled I think they’re all outweighed by the positive outcomes we see to be awarding this year’s President’s Award to Richard.” these young people achieve time after time.”

Click for more fostering information.

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Croydon confirmed as southern economic powerhouse

New figures show borough has the UK’s second-fastest expanding local economy.

What has long been suspected by leaders of local industry and business has now been confirmed – Croydon is on the economic up and boasting a formidable rate of growth.

Newly-published economic data underlines how Croydon has the secondfastest expanding local economy in the UK, with a 9.3% growth rate putting the

borough’s progress significantly ahead of many other areas.

Croydon’s growth is 3.7% above the London average and more than twice the UK average.

It is also largely responsible for the southern part of outer London having the highest rate of regional economic growth in the country, at 7.4%.

The Office for National Statistics’ ‘gross value added’ (GVA) calculations are the measure of how much money is generated through all goods produced and services delivered in an area.

Croydon’s economic expansion has been largely driven by property investment deals and bolstered by the rapid swelling of the local technology base.

Apply now – and save stress later A young child’s introduction to school is often as traumatic for the parents as the child – ensuring the application is made in a correct and timely fashion can make things easier.

For families with boys or girls who are four years old, or approaching their fourth birthday, now is the time for a decision that will have a major impact on their little one’s life.

Those families should now be starting to apply for primary school places in 2016.

The closing date for applications is 15 January.

If your child was born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012, your application must be completed by this date.

Details of the application process, with step-by-step instruction, can be found on the council’s website, and in the Admissions to primary schools 2016/17 brochure.

Be sure to use all six preferences, and consider them carefully before submitting your form.

To be offered a place, your child must meet the admissions criteria of the school.

If you do not get your first or second choices the council needs to know which schools would be your other choices.

Without this information, you could be offered a school that you would not have selected.

Paul Greenhalgh, the council’s executive director of children, families and learning, said: “For most children, primary school is their first experience of full-time education and it’s important they get all they can from it.

“We want to provide children with the best opportunities in life through a great start to their education.

Parents can play a huge role in achieving this by making sure that their application is properly completed, reasonable in its expectations and submitted on time.”

For further information, visit www.croydon.gov.uk/ admissions

Case study – Mr and Mrs X Mr and Mrs X lived reasonably close to the primary school that they wished their child to attend.

Mr and Mrs X checked the distance between their home and the school using software available on the internet and found that the distance fell well within those described in the school’s published admission criteria.

On this basis, they submitted their application and expressed only one preference, with the expectation it would be successful.

To their great surprise, it was not. The reason given by the local authority was that the child lived further away than the last successful applicant.

Mr and Mrs X were offered their nearest school with available places, a school they had not considered and that was further away from their home than some other schools.

Had they listed their allowed six preferences, an offer of one of them could have been made.

The parents subsequently appealed for their only preference, but were unsuccessful.

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December 2015 – February 2016

Volunteering can deliver better services Croydon’s health and social care champion volunteers are making a real difference to services in the borough. Could you help?

Have you ever wondered who the champion for better health and social care in Croydon is?

The answer is Healthwatch Croydon, a body with a remit to influence decision-making in response to residents’ needs, experiences and concerns about GPs, hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, nursing homes and care homes.

The staff team of five, together with committed volunteers, works within the community every week, hearing and recording the views of patients and service users.

The views are then analysed, maintaining anonymity, and reported to key decision makers to influence change in the delivery of health and social care services.

Healthwatch Croydon sits on all the key decision-making boards in the borough, with a legal right to represent their views and, crucially, be listened to.

The boards on which it participates include the Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, the key decision maker for many

of the health services in the borough; and the Croydon Health Services NHS Trust board, which runs Croydon University Hospital and other community health services.

Annamika Koomoshan, the group’s volunteer manager, said: “We have opportunities for people, of all ages and backgrounds, who are passionate about improving services.

“If you’re a student, volunteer with Healthwatch and gain relevant and useful experience for your CV and a reference which could help you get a good job.

“If you’ve retired, we can give you an opportunity to contribute by applying the experience you’ve gained through your career. Even employers may find a way to let their staff volunteer with us and support their development.”

Long-term volunteer Nicky Selwyn said: “I’ve been volunteering with Healthwatch Croydon since it began, and I get out of it at least as much as I put in.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with a fantastic bunch of ‘can-do’ people I probably wouldn’t have otherwise met, and gained free, high-quality, valuable training which is always interesting.

“I’ve also developed transferable skills – such as report writing, which is a huge plus on a CV – and gained a better understanding of the health and social care system. Overall, I’ve had a sense of doing something worthwhile.”

Healthwatch Croydon has a range of opportunities.

These include Enter and View visits that see volunteers visit GP surgeries, hospital wards, dentists and care and residential homes to speak to service users and staff about services, to find ways of improving the service for all.

Volunteers can also support Healthwatch in analysing data, attending community meetings or outreach visits and events.

Find out more by calling Annamika on 020 8663 5649 or email annamika.koomoshan@healthwatchcroydon.co.uk Find out more at: www.healthwatchcroydon. co.uk/volunteering

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

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Cutting back on the booze Worried that you might be drinking just a little too much?

Take the Dry January challenge and enjoy the benefits.

Saving money, losing weight and feeling healthier – what’s not to like?

All the above are potentially achievable by taking the Dry January challenge to cut back on the amount of alcohol you drink.

This year, more than two million people reduced their drinking in January, and it is hoped that 2016 will see even more taking part, so why not join in and reap the rewards?

Most are aware of the need to keep an eye on alcohol consumption, but how much do you really know about the dangers of excessive drinking?

Regular over-drinking can significantly increase the risk of alcohol-related harm.

The NHS guidance on alcohol

consumption recommends that women should not regularly drink more than two to three units per day and men should not regularly drink more than three to four units per day.

There’s more information on the Don’t Bottle It Up website, the one-stop shop for advice and support about alcohol.

Why not complete the confidential online test, which should take no more than two minutes to complete?

There’s nothing to lose from signing up to Dry January in 2016.

If you are concerned about your, or anybody else’s, drinking habits, speak to your GP or Turning Point, Croydon’s alcohol treatment and recovery service, 0300 123 9288.

More details available here.

Flying the flag for good food Croydon’s Food Flagship programme is spreading the word about eating healthily for a healthy life.

Eating hearty, nutritious meals throughout the day is vital in providing the energy needed to focus on completing daily tasks well, be it at work, school or running around on those important errands.

Missing out on the recommended three square meals a day of breakfast, lunch and dinner can seriously impact health and overall well-being.

Unfortunately, across the country many families struggle financially and as a result, find it difficult to ensure their kids eat adequate amounts of the right foods.

In Croydon, the ambitious Food Flagship programme is tackling some of these issues through helping communities to learn more about what they can eat to maintain good health and prevent obesity – and that it is an affordable option.

The programme offers advice on cooking simple tasty meals, and gardening projects for growing fruit and vegetables.

It also supports food businesses to flourish.

Three flagship schools – Rockmount Primary, Fairchildes Primary and Meridian High – are galvanising pupils, staff and parents to advocate healthy eating through food education, and encourage more children and adults to turn away from sweet, fizzy drinks and foods high in fat, salt and sugar.

A school food plan for Croydon is now used as the benchmark to get head teachers, caterers, staff, pupils and

parents/guardians to look afresh at school food provision.

The Food Flagship programme received a further boost recently from the Mayor of London and Whole Kids Foundation who teamed up to offer schools in the two flagship boroughs, Croydon and Lambeth, part of a £42,000 school garden grant for food-growing projects.

Click here to find out how to get involved with the Croydon Food Flagship programme.

Flagship lunch: healthy options at Fairchildes Primary School, New Addington

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December 2015 – February 2016

We must never forget A ceremony in the Town Hall will remember those who perished during the Holocaust and other genocides.

Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated each year on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of AuschwitzBirkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, in 1945.

This year’s theme is “Don’t stand by”.

The council will mark the day with a candle-lighting ceremony in the foyer of Croydon Town Hall at noon, followed by a civic event in the council chamber from 12.30 to 1.40pm.

All are invited to attend.

Holocaust Memorial Day is a time for everyone to: • pause to remember the millions of people who have been murdered, or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition, during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur; and • seek to learn the lessons of the past and recognise that genocide does not take place in isolation of other

factors; it is a steady process that can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented.

The day will be supported by a short programme of related events, including, on 19 January, a talk by Eva Schloss, the step-sister of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl immortalised by her wartime diary. The talk will take place in Croydon Clocktower.

For further information about Holocaust Memorial Day 2016, email angela.vanegas@croydon.gov.uk or call 020 8604 7010.

Win a family ticket to see Cinderella A pair of the latest design in glass slippers will almost be required footwear for any young ladies going along to Fairfield for this year’s fairy dust-sprinkled Christmas pantomime.

Why the fancy footwear?

Because that’s what the heroine of Cinderella will be wearing when she attends Prince Charming’s glittering ball in the Evolution Pantomimes production in the Ashcroft Theatre.

Your Croydon and Fairfield

have joined forces to offer one lucky family a chance to join the fun.

Cinderella promises a wondrous mix of all the ingredients that make for a great family night out – heroes, a fairy godmother, outlandish ugly sisters,

spectacular costumes, great dancing, music and songs, and plenty of rib-tickling gags.

Cinderella offers great value, with tickets – all with no booking fee – priced at just £18 for performances from 4 to 11 December, 5.30pm on Saturday 2 and

3pm on Sunday 3 January; and with other performances at £22, £27 and £30.

Concessions are available for children, senior citizens, schools, groups and families.

Tickets are available from the Fairfield box office by calling 020 8688 9291 or online at www.fairfield.co.uk

To win a family ticket of four seats for Cinderella, tell us the name of the popular word-guessing TV game show presented by Stephen Mulhern, starring as Buttons in this year’s Fairfield panto.

Terms and conditions: Prize is a family ticket for four for the 5.30pm performance of Cinderella, at Fairfield’s Ashcroft Theatre on Wednesday, 30 December. The editor’s decision is final and there is no cash or performance alternative to the prize, which is non-refundable and not for resale.

Email your answer (with your name, daytime phone number, email and postal address) to yourcroydon@croydon.gov. uk to arrive not later than Tuesday, 22 December, 2015.

The winner will be the sender of the first correct answer selected at random.

For up-to-the-minute council news visit www.croydon.gov.uk/news

Council meeting dates

Useful contacts

Deadlines for public questions for the forthcoming full council meeting (starting at 6.30pm) – noon on the relevant deadline date.

For police, fire brigade, ambulance, call: 999 or 112, Text phone 1800

Meeting: Monday 25 January

Deadline: Monday 11 January

Meeting: Monday 29 February Deadline: No public questions Questions (maximum number of words: 50) for consideration at a full council meeting, can be sent by email; alternatively, print and complete the form here and post it to Questions for the council, Democratic and legal services, 4th floor, Zone G, Bernard Weatherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon CR0 1EA; or call 020 8726 6000 extn 63876.

Unless otherwise stated, cabinet meetings start at 6.30pm, in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall.

Meeting: 14 December 18 January 22 February For information on meetings, minutes and agendas, click here. For information on cabinet and shadow cabinet members, click here.

Unless otherwise stated, scrutiny meetings start at 6.30pm, in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall.

Meeting: 15 Dec Scrutiny and strategic overview committee Meeting: 12 Jan Children and young people scrutiny sub-committee

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Croydon Council general enquiries 020 8726 6000 Croydon NHS Walk-in Centre 020 3040 0800 Non-emergency urgent care - 111 Croydon University Hospital 020 8401 3000

Get in touch To get in touch with the Your Croydon editorial team, email: yourcroydon@croydon.gov.uk or call 020 8760 5644 If anybody you know isn't receiving the online version of Your Croydon, tell them that they can ensure delivery by subscribing at www.croydon. gov.uk/subscribe

Meeting: 19 Jan Scrutiny and overview committee Meeting: 26 Jan Health, social care and housing scrutiny sub-committee (Oasis Restaurant, Croydon University Hospital) Meeting: 2 Feb Streets and environment scrutiny sub-committee Meeting: 1 Mar Streets and environment scrutiny sub-committee For information on scrutiny, click here or email.

Meetings of the Safer Neighbourhood Board are held in the venues indicated. For further information, look here.

Forthcoming public meeting dates are: Meeting: 17 February at 6.30pm Community Space, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon CR0 1EA Details of all Croydon Council meetings can be found on the council website here.

Guided Walks For full details, visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/ parksandopenspaces/walks December Sunday 20 December Sunday 13 December – Christmas wreath-making on the Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Countryside Area Come and join us round the camp fire and have a go at making a Christmas wreath.

Event starts at 11am, booking essential.

Please call the countryside warden on 07771 715812 to book a place. There will be a small charge of £2.00.

Winter tree ID and folklore in Happy Valley Forget the Christmas shopping for a while. Wrap up warm to discover the myths and folklore behind our native trees and learn how to name them when they are without their leaves. Meet at Farthing Downs car park, Ditches Lane, Coulsdon, at 2pm.

Central Library and Museum of Croydon Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET Open: Monday to Saturday (see website for daily hours) Library – www.croydon.gov.uk/central-library Telephone: 020 8726 6900 Email: libraries@croydon.gov.uk Museum – www.museumofcroydon.com Telephone: 020 8253 1022 Email: museum@croydon.gov.uk Fairfield Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1DG Details: www.fairfield.co.uk Telephone: 020 8688 9291 Email: boxoffice@fairfield.co.uk

January Saturday 9 January Winter trees in Selsdon Wood Have a closer look at the bare tree branches and learn to spot the many different trees in the wood. Meet the Friends of Selsdon Wood, at 1pm by the wooden bear in the car park.

Sunday 24 January – Happy Valley and Farthing Downs nature trail Join the Happy Valley warden to discover the scenic section of the nature trail. Meet 2pm in the Farthing Downs car park.

February Sunday 21 February – Mini-beast

hotels and beetle bungalows at Whyteleafe Rec Try your hand at building a beetle bungalow or insect hotel to help keep our critters comfy and warm. Indoor venue and all equipment/tools provided. Places are limited, so call the countryside warden to book, 07771 715812. There will be a small charge of £2 per ‘home’ to cover materials.

Sunday 28 February Down in the valley with the countryside warden As well as being a beautiful place to visit, Happy Valley is one of the most valuable sites in the country for wildlife, and is home to many plants and animals now very rare in Britain. Call the warden on 07966 113413.

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December 2015 – February 2016

Your A to Z of council services The council provides a comprehensive range of services designed to offer help and advice to residents. Below is only a small selection of those services – for the full list, visit www.croydon.gov.uk and follow the “A-Z” link at the top of the home page.

Adult education Information on the courses available to older students.

Blocked drains Information on how to deal with drain problems.

Disabled parking

Disabled parking Providing parking bays throughout Croydon for vehicles used by the holders of blue badges.

Bulky waste collection What it is, how to book it and how much it will cost.

Educating your child at home All you need to know if you are considering the option of elective home education.

Credit unions What they are and how joining one can benefit you.

Emergency planning Keeping Croydon running in the event of serious incidents.

Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping How to report it, your responsibilities as a landowner, and how the council prosecutes fly-tippers.

Croydon Careline Providing a home safety and personal security system, helping people to live independently within their own homes.

Deaf services How, where and when you can get help and advice.

Leisure centres Links and information on all the borough’s leisure centres.

Lottery registration Running a lottery to raise funds for a charity or an organisation such as a sports club, church or school, requires registration.

Mutual exchange - housing Information on how to go about arranging a swap of your home for another tenant’s.

Gritting

Recycling What to recycle, how to recycle and where to recycle.

Road gritting Details on which roads, and why, will be gritted if there is a repeat of last year’s Arctic weather conditions.

Safer Croydon Working to make the borough safer for all who live, work and visit here.

Gambling The different types of licences – and how to apply for them.

Neighbourhood wardens Offering help and support to local communities.

Home safety advice See if you are eligible for a free home safety check.

Occupational therapy Enabling people with disabilities to carry out essential activities, with the aim of maintaining or improving independence.

Instrument tuition Service for children and young people.

Recycling

Planning applications Advice on all aspects of the planning process.

Trading standards Dealing with doorstep crime and rogue traders, and offering advice to residents and businesses.

Voluntary organisations Details on available funding.

Welfare benefit advice Know what you’re entitled to and claim it.

Youth projects All you need to know about Croydon’s youth provision.

Zoo licence You need to apply for a licence to run a zoo – should you really want to!

www.cro ydon. gov.uk/atoz