Three of the larger hotels in the borough did their bit over the Christmas and New Year period to give a little festive joy by playing their part in distributing more than 1,000 care bags to homeless families and rough sleepers.
Staff prepare the GAMA goody bags for those staying at the hotel over Christmas
The bags, donated by GAMA Healthcare, contained a mix of infection-prevention products and warm clothing items and were distributed to those who during the covid-19 lockdown have been given accommodation in hotels run by London Hotel Group.
These include the Best Western Plus Croydon Aparthotel, Best Western Queens at Crystal Palace and the Ibis Styles London Croydon.
The Croydon Aparthotel recently became the first hotel in the country to open its doors to covid-19 positive clients for self-isolation, as part of a scheme to ease pressure on the NHS amid the current surge of coronavirus cases. The hotel has received bookings from Kings College Hospital and two London councils to accommodate covid-19 and homeless clients.
Since the coronavirus crisis began, LHG, which has 1,500 rooms in London, has spearheaded initiatives to adapt its sites to accommodate different vulnerable groups. It housed in excess of 1,000 homeless clients in its hotels over Christmas.
Three LHG hotels in Croydon participated in the scheme to help homeless clients
GAMA Healthcare provided LHG with a range of its infection-prevention and hygiene products, widely used by NHS hospitals to help safeguard patients and healthcare workers, to ensure that the hotel’s clients are protected against the virus and healthy hygiene is maintained at all times.
“Throughout this crisis, we have looked to think differently about our hotels and how they could support local authorities and the NHS with short- and medium-term solutions in this time of need,” said Meher Nawab, the chief executive of LHG.
“We have worked closely with charities, medical experts and clinical hygiene specialists such as GAMA Healthcare to find ways to transform our hotels to provide safe accommodation for local authority and NHS clients.
“We are open and ready to offer a vital lifeline at this critical time.”
Read more: Bankrupt borough could leave homeless out in the cold
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC London News
- ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: Croydon was named the country’s rottenest borough in 2020 in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine – the fourth successive year that Inside Croydon has been the source for such award-winning nominations
- Inside Croydon: 3million page views in 2020. Seen by 1.4million unique visitors
