Under threat: Mind in Croydon fear the council could soon sell the building in South Croydon that their rent
Not content with withdrawing all grant aid from the borough’s voluntary groups, cash-strapped Croydon Council is now looking at making 17 charities and community groups effectively homeless by selling the buildings that they currently use.
At the start of the year, as well as hiking everyone’s Council Tax by 15%, Tory Mayor Jason Perry decided to end all council grants to charities based in the borough – about 40 groups in total, many of which provide essential support in the community, plugging gaps in provision created by previous council cut-backs.
Some third-sector voluntary groups are facing closure because of the council cuts.
But even those who have survived the savage cuts face being turned out onto the streets as the council flogs off its last remaining assets.
Council critic: CVA CEO Steve Phaure
Cornerstone House, near Selhurst, is used by 16 groups which run refugee support, free mediation and accessible transport. Croydon Voluntary Action, which coordinates voluntary groups in the area, also has an office in the building.
They only discovered the building was being put up for sale because it was listed in a report to the council’s scrutiny committee.
Another building, on Pampisford Road in South Croydon, where Mind in Croydon is based, is also on the council’s “For Sale” list.
Mind in Croydon pays the council rent at the market rate, while the CVA sublets space in Cornerstone House to its tenant charities.
The move has seen the council accused of a “blatant disregard for the financial sustainability of the voluntary sector”.
The claim was made at the scrutiny meeting by Steve Phaure, the CEO of CVA.
“We were under the understanding that we were in business together to try and do what’s best for Croydon’s community,” Phaure said.
“If these go, there will be serious implications for our communities and organisations which are supporting people working to prevent murders on our streets.”
The council’s scrutiny committee said it had formally recommended that the council give notice to all tenants before public papers about their potential sale are released. Croydon Council said “each sale will be handled on a case-by-case basis”.
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