A voluntary organisation in Croydon

“Bridges are powerful metaphors for crossing divides, linking communities and making places accessible.” Elmwood Community Centre is doing exactly that. This project is the brainchild of Calcutta-born Mrs Bilquis Ahmed who taught in Elmwood Primary School for 30 years in a deprived area of Broadgreen in Croydon. So she was well aware of the difficulties of the families living there. When she retired she decided to help the parents and their children living in that area. She founded the Elmwood Community Centre in 2001.

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In the beginning the Centre was funded by SureStart and the children attended the SureStart nursery accompanied by their mothers. Soon the mothers were joined by grandmothers and aunts. It began to emerge that those ladies had more pressing need to attend the Centre to curb the years of isolation and depression by being housebound.

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As the membership started increasing, predominantly women over 50 and some with young families, the Centre had to move from the SureStart nursery to the Methodist Church Hall on London Road and with the bigger space the project took off. People from the communities of different countries began to join, e.g. Afghanistan, Mauritius, Iraq, Iran, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan as the centre was open to the whole community. The members belonged to various faiths, nationalities and backgrounds and some with health problems. They all joined weekly for a cup of tea and a chat. They were helped by an active team of volunteers who get a thorough induction and receive a certificate after training.

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Men and women participated together in social events. A committee was formed to organise and manage various planned activities that were devised by discussions with the members and attendees for their needs. The Centre soon evolved to become a focal point.The Centre became a charity with the following aims:1.To link members to their community

and the community at large.2.Support lifelong education to build

confidence.3.Support independent living for the

elderly in their homes, help retain their skills and reduce their long-term support.

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4.Bringing together older and younger generations by including activities that help the older generation to know more about the changing world of their children and grandchildren.

5.Support health improvement by reducing stress and learning to adopt a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and leisure.

6.Support for every senior member by bringing together education, information, guidance on health. Social and emotional support for elderly community by training opportunities.

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The main activities of this Centre:1.Drop-in sessions every Tuesday, 11am

– 2pm for grandparents, parents with pre-school children, carers as well as those without immediate family.

2.During the holidays special projects are organised for children aged 5 – 15 of parents with low income by organising workshops and inviting speakers from Asian Resource Centre, Asian Youth Alliance, Mind, Kids in School, Neighbourhood Watch and BME.

3.The examples of some activities are shown in the following photos.

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Keep fit and yoga classes8

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Table tennis and dance classes for younger people.

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English language classes and ICT classes, and using other modern technologies for ladies to improve their employability and quality of life.

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Members receive certificates after completing the ICT course.

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Home industry skills training through arts and crafts, designing and dressmaking.

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Crochet, knitting, glass painting and henna hand art. Workshops for embroidery and beadwork.

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Cookery classes to learn cooking and baking.

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Form Filling Workshop: Provide advice and moral support and general assistance in accessing public services such as housing, heating provision, health and safety in the house, filling forms, etc.

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Seaside outings: Arrange at least two or three yearly outings for senior members and their families for a days’ visit to the seaside or other place of interest.

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Seasonal celebrations like Eid, Diwali and Christmas and literary activities like poetry, Bait Bazi and story reading.

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Fundraising events: Home industry skills classes generate products that are sold in funfairs/mini bazaars to pay for the hall hire.

Outreach work in the community, by reaching out to housebound families for minor shopping and helping them in hospital visits or school.

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In May 2011 the Centre moved to West Thornton Community Centre.

The current membership is 400 from which there are about 100 attending the annual parties to celebrate special occasions and 40 – 50 arriving each week to attend the classes. All the activities delivered by volunteers at no cost to attendees except there is only a small charge for the hire of a coach to only those members who like to go on an annual trip to the seaside.

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From the continuous evaluation and feedback it is evident that the Centre has improved the quality of life for so many of its members who reported that they are now using the skills learnt at the Centre in their daily lives, gained self-confidence and feeling positive effects of becoming part of the wider social group. There is no other facility like Elmwood Community Centre in Croydon that can provide such varied services.

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This is the reason the Centre has received a “Certificate of Recognition last year for outstanding commitment to Asian elders in the Borough of Croydon”

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Elmwood Community Centre has also been awarded “Heart of the Community” award last year by Croydon Advertiser.

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The cost of hall hire is funded by making grant applications to a mix of community funding and awarding bodies ranging from London Borough of Croydon, Peabody Trust, The Wates Foundation, City Bridge Trust and other charitable organisations. 24