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The Mercedes Amos Day Centre

Mercedes Amos Day Centre is a day care service, established since 1988 – but officially opened by the former Mayor of Croydon Cllr Clarence McKenzie in the presence of the patron the Rev. Wilfred Woods a former Bishop of Croydon . Today the day centre’s Patron is Bishop Eric Brown.The day centre provides activities, support and care, enabling dependent older people to live in the community for as long as possible. We are particularly aimed at BME (but not exclusively), elders in the wards of Broad Green, Bensham Manor, West Thornton and Thornton Heath. The London Borough of Croydon has commissioned the Westbury Community Project to provide this vital service.

We provide an environment in which our clients are able to receive care, support, socialise and have fun with those having similar or shared interests.

Youth Club

The Youth Club aims to support our young people by developing:

  • Qualities necessary to become positive and responsible role models
  • A mentoring and support network
  • A sense of independence, including teaching essential life skills e.g. cooking, budgeting
  • Strong confident, articulate public speakers
  • Creative, expressive and imaginative writers
  • A more extensive range of sporting activities e.g. team sports such as football
  • Fun, entertaining singing and talent events
  • Music and media workshops

In conclusion, the Youth Club is aspiring to move forward by supporting, nurturing and stimulating our young people in the year ahead. The Youth Club, as ever, remains an important vehicle to positively channel the energy of our youth and a symbol of hope for young people in our local community.

youth_club

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Croydon Kitchen

  • Providing clothing and supplies to those in need within the community
  • Feeding the community every Saturday from 12:00 – 14:00

Our Aims

  • To work with the community to enable it to develop in a way which improves the quality of life of its members
  • Enable people to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capacities so that they can fulfil their full potential in self-respect, dignity as individuals and members of society.

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Objectives

  • To enable older people to remain in their own homes and communities by helping to improve their quality of life
  • To develop an information resource for users and their family and carers
  • To provide care, support, befriending and counselling
  • To employ and train staff and volunteers to deliver services
  • To monitor the demand for the service and identify the need for different or additional facilities
  • To identify and monitor the success (or failure) of the centre in meeting the objectives, and to contribute to forward planning for the development of this and other services for older people

Ethnicity

Broad Green is an ethnically diverse ward:
54% of the population are from a ‘Minority Ethnic’ background, which includes White Irish, White Other, Black, Asian, Mixed and Chinese and Other ethnic groups.

48% are from a ‘Black and Minority Ethnic’ (BME) background, which includes Black, Asian, Mixed and Chinese and Other ethnic groups.

Strategic Relationships

Various professional relationships exist which we will continue to utilize to assist us in achieving our aims and objectives. These include;

CNCA – Which provide various training and information and advice services to the Voluntary sector that we have found to be invaluable.

CVA – Helps with training, capacity building as well as information and advice

VoSSPOP – Also provides a voice and information advice and support to older peoples’ services.

BME Forum – Capacity building and training

Various Residential Homes – A number of our clients are residents of various residential homes across the borough. They have said that they are glad to be able to come to the ‘club’ to be away from the ‘home’ environment, although on the whole, they love where they live.

Health Visitor- Health advice

AGEUK – Advice services, Home services, nail cutting service

Local church – Advertising and volunteers

Local secondary school – Health and Social Care students doing their Work Experience at the day centre

Croydon and Brixton Colleges – Health and Social Care students and Social Work students doing voluntary work at the day centre to gain valuable experience