Croydon Nightwatch, the local charity whose volunteers have been helping to feed and care for local homeless people every day of the year for the last four decades, will mark its 40th anniversary with a conference to discuss ways of tackling the issue next month.
Croydon Nightwatch has been helping the homeless for 40 years, and its services are in greater demand today than ever
Government minister Marcus Jones MP will join a panel of council figures, charity workers and some formerly homeless people at the Croydon Conference Centre in Surrey Street on September 21.
Other speakers at the Helping to Meet the Challenge of Homelessness event include Sue Medhurst, the producer of the television series Famous, Rich and Homeless. The series, which was partly filmed in Croydon, followed well-known people as they experienced first-hand what it is like to live on the streets.
“The Nightwatch 40th Anniversary Conference will propose a vision of the way forward,” said Jad Adams, the chair of Nightwatch.
As the largest volunteer organisation in the borough, Nightwatch operates a regular town centre meeting point which provides food and clothing, as well as support with fundamental issues such accommodation and routes to employment.
“In its 40th anniversary year, Nightwatch is seeking to work with the broader community to help address the challenges underlying homelessness, from unemployment and debt through to immigration and changes in the benefit system,” Adams said.
“As Croydon regenerates with increasing town centre residential and premium offices, it cannot afford to leave behind its most vulnerable communities.”
Panel speakers will also include Bishop Martin Wharton; Roger Davies of Nightwatch; Fatima Koroma of Croydon Food Bank; and Chennel Lawrence, director of operations, of CAYSH (Croydon Association for Young Single Homeless).
Former Nightwatch clients will give their personal testimonies of homelessness.
You can book conference tickets directly online via Eventbrite on: https://nightwatchconference.eventbrite.co.uk
Or visit the Nightwatch website to make a donation or volunteer by clicking here
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Central Croydon has very little open spaces. I think it is a great shame that the homeless are allowed to camp themselves in Queens Gardens during the day. The site of them smoking and drinking is enough to put anyone off going to such a potentially nice place.