Scrooge-like council shuts voluntary food hub at Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2021 by insidecroydon

Last run: the final food bank delivery run from CroydonVA was made yesterday

While dozens of voluntary groups and community organisations have been doing their bit to help the borough’s most vulnerable through the second pandemic Christmas, budget cuts at cash-strapped Croydon Council have seen their own voluntary sector organisation forced to shut down its food hub this week.

Croydon Voluntary Action confirmed yesterday that it is closing its food hub on London Road, unable to continue its operation which sought to coordinate the efforts of dozens of neighbourhood groups, charities and food banks, and help steer supplies of food and other goods to the needy.

Under the Labour-run council’s 2022-2023 budget put together under cabinet member Callton Young, there was a proposal to pull around £400,000 from the council’s Community Fund that had been promised to the borough’s voluntary groups and “third sector”. Continue reading →

Posted in Callton Young, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Council, CVA, Hamida Ali, Steve Phaure | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Auditors investigated four unlawful actions over Fairfield Halls

Posted on December 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Twelve months after Grant Thornton was asked to conduct an audit of the botched and budget-busting refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls, their report has yet to be published. The delay seems likely to be because the auditors have discovered evidence of unlawful conduct.
EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES

In the red: the £70m fiasco of the Fairfield Halls refurbishment may have included unlawful conduct

The external auditors whose dynamite Report In The Public Interest in October 2020 forced council leader Tony Newman and his key aides out of office have yet to publish the findings of a further audit, this time into the council’s multi-million-pound bungled refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls.

But official documents obtained by Inside Croydon strongly suggest that the delays have been caused by the shocking findings of the auditors, including the possibility that the deals between the council and house-builders Brick by Brick were unlawful.

It is 12 months this week since Katherine Kerswell, the council chief exec, commissioned this further piece of work from Grant Thornton, who at the time suggested that their report could be ready in just six weeks. Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Christmas spirit aplenty from Rotarians, kitchens and cadets

Posted on December 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

All wrapped up: Coulsdon Manor Rotarians prepared 100 parcels

The generosity and warm-heartedness of the Croydon public and its voluntary organisations is shining out once again ahead of Christmas.

Rotary clubs across the borough have been out and about over the past month, taking donations of cash and toys for their special Santa deliveries, while community kitchens,  such as that in South Norwood, and the Project for Youth Empowerment are gearing themselves up for another delivery of free meals, tomorrow and on Christmas Day itself.

The Rotary Club of Coulsdon Manor managed to raise nearly £10,000 from fund-raising efforts around Coulsdon and Old Coulsdon in just a fortnight. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Coulsdon, Crisis Skylight Centre, Croydon Rotary Club, Old Coulsdon, South Norwood, South Norwood Community Kitchen | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Veolia’s rubbish service ‘will stay the same’, says council

Posted on December 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

If you have been fortunate to actually receive a copy of the council’s annual waste and recycling services leaflet through your letterbox, you had better cherish it. It is the last you will ever see.

Make the most of it: the last waste collections leaflet you are due to receive

The leaflet is supposed to be provided to every Croydon household as part of the council’s multi-million-pound deal with rubbish contractors Veolia (corporate motto, allegedly, “Where’s there’s muck, there’s brass, especially while being paid handsomely for doing sod all about it“).

The once-a-year leaflet contains information on what can, and cannot, be recycled (ignoring the fact that two-thirds of all the borough’s waste is being used to fuel the Beddington incinerator), how to get your bulky waste items or green waste collected (simple answer: pay even more), and on what days you should expect the bin lorry to clatter down your street.

Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Refuse collection, Steve Iles, Veolia | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Short-staffed libraries forced to close their doors until 2022

Posted on December 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

No-go zone: the borough’s libraries won’t open again this year

Croydon’s libraries, already operating on much-reduced opening hours, will close their doors tonight and not re-open until Monday, January 3, at the earliest.

The closures leave students working towards exams in the New Year and other residents denied access to the reading areas and materials, or use of the library computers, for 12 days.

The council made the announcement on its website only yesterday.

“Croydon libraries will be closed from 24 December until 3 January,” it said.

“Our digital library will remain open with access to thousands of e-books, e-audio, digital magazines, newspapers and comics, online reference databases and more.” But tough luck if you don’t have easy access to a broadband connection, tablet or laptop. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Libraries | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

No train services to Victoria Station for 10 days after Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

Alternative routes: rail passengers on the line from East Croydon, through Balham, Streatham and Clapham Junction, will not be cut off for more than a week

There will be no rail services between East Croydon, Streatham, Clapham Junction and Victoria from Christmas Day until Monday January 3, as major track and signalling work is carried out.

After Boxing Day, there will be a (reduced and covid-affected) service through to London Bridge, and the Thameslink service will also operate.

Transport for London’s Overground services out of West Croydon will be operational on a reduced basis for the week between Christmas and New Year.

The engineering works causing the closure of Victoria Station will continue on weekends throughout 2022, according to Network Rail and Southern.

Continue reading →

Posted in Commuting, East Croydon, TfL, Transport, West Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lean times in January for the Clocktower’s arthouse cinema

Posted on December 22, 2021 by insidecroydon

The uncertainty and concerns over the Omicron strain of covid-19, and the dithering by central government over the measures to be taken by the hospitality and entertainment sectors, has prompted one venue to take its fate into its own hands and move to its own form of protections.

Precautions: the David Lean Cinema is taking things very carefully

The volunteer-run David Lean Cinema, in the Croydon Clocktower, announced overnight that they have cancelled their screenings scheduled for tomorrow, December 23, and that all further performances through into January 2022 at the art-house movie house will be socially distanced.

The David Lean – named after the Croydon-born Oscar-winning director of Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge On The River Kwai – only re-opened in October, after nearly 18 months of enforced lockdown closures.

“The David Lean committee is keeping an eye on developments in government guidance and will of course act accordingly,” they said.

“We will continue with our January programme, but will make all screenings socially distanced. Any patrons with tickets for undistanced screenings will be contacted if their tickets have to be changed. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, David Lean Cinema Campaign | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

£20,000 reward offered in South Croydon murder inquiry

Posted on December 22, 2021 by insidecroydon

Murder victim: Leroy Mitchell, 35, was a father of three

Crimestoppers, the independent charity, is offering a £20,000 reward for information in connection with the investigation into the murder of Leroy Mitchell, a 35-year-old family man who was shot in a car park off Birdhurst Road, South Croydon, on October 2 after attending a party nearby.

Following the victim’s funeral earlier this week, his family has issued the following open letter:

“To the people responsible for the death of my son,

“Let me tell you about the man you have taken away from me. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Crime, South Croydon | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The day I signed up with the NHS in the fight against covid

Posted on December 22, 2021 by insidecroydon

Extraordinary: Centrale’s upper mall has been an NHS covid vaccination centre since earlier this year, delivering more than 1,000 jabs per day for most of December

What’s it like on the frontline of the pandemic battle? ROBERT WARD found out yesterday, when he volunteered for duties at one of the borough’s largest vaccination centres

It’s been a while since I set a 6.30am alarm, but needs must when your shift at the Centrale covid-19 vaccination centre starts at 7.30am.

I signed up four days before to help out as an NHS Volunteer Responder. An online application, including sending in a photo ID, and a couple of days later I had been accepted.

The system works via an app (doesn’t everything?). This app works rather well – look for shifts that need people, one click and you are signed up. Most of the available shifts were earlies. The vaccination centre in Centrale seemed a good place to start – need six volunteers, already have five, I am No6. Continue reading →

Posted in Centrale, Health, Robert Ward, Selsdon and Addington Village | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Pelling banned by Labour for daring to speak to Inside Croydon

Posted on December 21, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: ‘It’s not about justice, it is about Labour Party rules. It’s not a court of law.’ That’s what one official said, apparently seriously, as the purge continues with potentially ruinous consequences for the party come polling day next May. By STEVEN DOWNES

Targeted: Labour councillor Andrew Pelling

Councillor Andrew Pelling seems certain to be removed from Labour’s list of selected candidates for next May’s local elections after he opted against attending the “kangaroo court” of a second interview panel last week.

Pelling is the latest target of a purge of figures from the party’s left, or those who backed the campaign to move to a directly-elected mayor, following the suspension from the party of veteran official David White and the de-selection of Councillor Jamie Audsley.

The case against Pelling is being run by Joel Bodmer, as the chair of Croydon Labour’s LCF – Local Campaign Forum – and a close associate of Progress MP Steve Reed OBE.

When a party colleague contacted Bodmer to complain about the treatment of Pelling, the official is said to have replied, “It’s not about justice, it is about Labour Party rules. It’s not a court of law.”

Continue reading →

Posted in 2022 council elections, Andrew Pelling, Hamida Ali, Joy Prince, Paul Scott, Robert Canning, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Sutton Nightwatch gets donations boost from New Mill Quarter

Posted on December 21, 2021 by insidecroydon

Residents and staff at the New Mill Quarter in Hackbridge have been collecting donations for homeless charity the Sutton Nightwatch this Christmas.

By the van load: the donations fromNew Mill Quarter are loaded for delivery to Sutton Nightwatch

Over the last month those involved have been encouraged to drop off their contributions to collection boxes placed in the Barratt London development’s sales suite.

Donations have included food, sleeping bags, warm clothing and toiletries.

Sutton Nightwatch was set up to support homeless people, providing services such as washing facilities and a kitchen at their Wallington premises, as well as taking to the streets to offer food and clothing. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Shawcross selected with 76.5% of local Labour Party vote

Posted on December 20, 2021 by insidecroydon

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the inevitable outcome of Labour’s highly controlling mayoral selection process

Overwhelming majority: Val Shawcross

Val Shawcross has been selected as Labour’s candidate in the Croydon Mayoral contest next May, after polling 76.5 per cent of the vote.

The laborious Labour Party process of nominations and then three weeks of voting among members saw Shawcross, the former council leader, London Assembly Member and deputy mayor of London, poll 844 votes from the 1,103 cast by today’s noon deadline.

Councillor Callton Young, the only other runner allowed to be short-listed by party officials – even though others, such as Jamie Audsley, received many more nominations from members – achieved just 259 votes from an official total Croydon Labour membership of 2,578.

Continue reading →

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Callton Young, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

No encore for Krippner after covid outbreak in Minster choir

Posted on December 20, 2021 by insidecroydon

Covid cancellation: Ronny Krippner at Croydon Minster

A special BBC Radio recording of a Choral Evensong, planned to be held at Croydon Minster tomorrow, has been cancelled after the musical director, Dr Ronny Krippner, and several members of the choir tested positive for covid-19.

The news is a bitter blow to the musical community at the Minster, as the cancellation comes in Krippner’s final week after nine years at the Minster, before he leaves to take up a position at Ripon Cathedral.

On Christmas Eve in 2019, 2million viewers tuned in for the BBC’s live television broadcast of Midnight Mass from the Minster, with musical performances which impressed so much that the Corporation’s producers have returned to Croydon several times since, with this week’s recording just the latest visit.

Krippner’s influence on the Minster’s music has been profound, achieved with talented youngsters, choral scholars in their teens and a range of adult voices. Continue reading →

Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, Music | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Supercar visit revs up The Children’s Trust’s annual appeal

Posted on December 20, 2021 by insidecroydon

A convoy of supercars, including a McLaren 675LT and Lamborghini Diablo SV, paid a special pre-Christmas visit to The Children’s Trust last week.

Impressed: the children staying with The Children’s Trust were wowed by the supercars

Children and young people are staying at the charity’s clinical site in Tadworth over Christmas to receive intensive rehabilitation.

Some of them gathered in the grounds to chat to the drivers and some even got to rev the powerful engines on the supercars.

Peter Dietsch, one of the drivers who organised the supercar visit, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet all the children and spread some Christmas cheer. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Crisis in urgent appeal for volunteer helpers over Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2021 by insidecroydon

Crisis, the national homelessness charity, is calling on people across London to volunteer at their Christmas services this year to provide companionship and support to people experiencing homelessness at one of the toughest times of year.

Can you help?: the national homelessness charity Crisis is seeking help over Christmas

The charity urgently needs “night owls” in and around London to provide in-person support through the night for guests at its Christmas services, and people with a background in providing support and advice who can provide remote telephone assistance to people experiencing homelessness across Britain over the festive period.

Every year, Crisis runs services providing accommodation, food, companionship over Christmas, and an introduction to Crisis’ year-round services to help people take their first steps out of homelessness. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Crisis Skylight Centre, Housing, London-wide issues | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Shawcross Redemption: coming back to fix Croydon

Posted on December 19, 2021 by insidecroydon

‘Uncontaminated’: Val Shawcross

Val Shawcross has spent her life in public service – a charity worker, then New Addington councillor and Croydon council leader in the 1990s; London Assembly member for nearly 20 years; London’s deputy mayor at City Hall in the 2010s; and, most recently, the volunteer chair of the Crystal Palace Park Trust. Now, she wants to be Croydon’s first elected, executive Mayor. Talking exclusively to Inside Croydon, Shawcross tells STEVEN DOWNES why

As you enter her campaign office on the 11th floor of No1 Croydon, Val Shawcross has her sleeves rolled up.

Not for her the phone call to office services to get some figure in oily overalls with a toolbox to trot along and adjust a bolt here or tighten a screw there.

Shawcross, shortly after moving into the building as part of her campaign to be selected and then elected as Labour’s candidate to run as Croydon Mayor next May, is probing around with the office heating system to make it work.

It is, in its own way, a metaphor. Val Shawcross means business. And she’s out to fix things. But there’s plenty that needs fixing. Continue reading →

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Callton Young, Jason Perry, Ken Livingstone, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, No1 Croydon, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Christmas deliveries delayed: covid outbreak at sorting office

Posted on December 19, 2021 by insidecroydon

For the second successive Christmas, postal deliveries in large parts of Croydon have been delayed, or even stopped altogether, as a consequence of staffing issues at a sorting office where there has been an outbreak of covid-19 cases.

Post haste: Royal Mail has admitted it has covid problems in South Croydon

The South Croydon sorting office, serving the CR2 postcode area, is among 23 across the country listed this week by Royal Mail as having been affected by a covid outbreak, with posties either unwell or forced to self-isolate.

Inside Croydon has also received anecdotal reports from customers in the CR0 postcode who say they have experienced delays in deliveries.

Royal Mail’s website is updated daily on weekdays with service status.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Deliveries are operating as normal across most of the country. We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week.

“In a small number of local offices this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues, such as covid-related self-isolation, high levels of sick absence, resourcing or other local factors.” Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Rich Addiscombe family’s memorials lost to thieves and fire

Posted on December 19, 2021 by insidecroydon

MARVELS OF THE MINSTER: Much has been lost from the church’s medieval past, but DAVID MORGAN finds some records of one wealthy family’s tombs

History centre: the Minster’s links to medieval England can still be found today

“Good morning everyone and welcome to this tour of Croydon Minster. We are going to start today by taking a trip back into Tudor history by looking at herons and helmets.”

I wish I could begin a tour with this introduction. But there are good reasons why I can’t.

Attached to the south wall of Croydon Minster today is a very small piece of an ancient memorial. Continue reading →

Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History | Leave a comment

Gove won’t ‘level up’ with an extra £1.50 per person per year

Posted on December 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

With the government’s settlement for local councils announced this week, our columnist ANDREW FISHER takes a look at what Michael Gove and his so-called ‘Levelling Up’ department is really offering

“Billions more for councils to build back better” reads the upbeat press release from the newly rebranded Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – which to you and me is the bit of government that funds local councils.

Not what it might seem: Tory minister Michael Gove

Good news for Croydon then, which – depending on who you listen to – has either lost around 80 per cent of central government funding in the last decade or has been driven to rack and ruin by the local administration in Katharine Street.

Either way, Croydon Council definitely needs more funding to build back better.

First, let’s just look at the recent funding context.

Adjusting for inflation, in 2015-2016 Croydon was receiving £146million per year from government. This year, that figure was just £88.2million – a 40 per cent cut. Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Andrew Fisher, Callton Young, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon mums hit the big-time with their colourful decorations

Posted on December 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

Jingle bells: putting some colour into Christmas

A pair of friends from Croydon who had the business idea of putting more colour into Christmas have hit the big time, with their collection of festive figurines with black skin tone going on sale at Selfridge’s on Oxford Street.

The world-famous department store began stocking handmade black Santa ornaments and a black nativity scene this week.

The products have been designed and made by March Muses, a partnership formed by Alison Burton and Natalie Duvall.

Duvall went to the Brit School who now works as an actress and brand event manager, while Burton works as a senior recruiter in the pharmaceutical industry.

Their 24-product range has prices from £8 to £45, and features black angels handmade with close attention paid to details such as skin tone, hair design, body shape and size. Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

97% of south-west London covid patients are unvaccinated

Posted on December 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

Under pressure: hospital admissions with covid are almost all from unvaccinated people

Nearly every adult hospitalised with covid-19 in Croydon and south-west London over the past two months had not been fully vaccinated with two doses and a booster.

Local operational figures for five major NHS hospitals in this part of London in October and November show that 97 per cent of the adults being confined to hospital with covid-19 symptoms were not fully vaccinated with their first, second and booster dose.

The figures, from Croydon’s Mayday, St George’s Hospital in Tooting, Kingston Hospital, Epsom Hospital and St Helier Hospital, also show that having the two doses plus the top-up meant people were eight times less likely to get seriously ill with covid. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon NHS Trust, Health, Mayday Hospital, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Jazz at The Front Room, St George’s Walk, Dec 23 and 30

Posted on December 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

Continue reading →

Posted in Music, The Front Room | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Coulsdon’s players take us on a masked myth-stery tour

Posted on December 17, 2021 by insidecroydon

There be monsters: Medea (Daisy Worby) takes on the Dragon Snake (Ciaran Kovach)in Theatre Workshop Coulsdon’s Jason and the Argonauts

BELLA BARTOCK donned her mask and covid passport and after picking up her old friend Claudia de Boozy from outside Purley Tesco, set off for a big night out in Coulsdon

Claudia was waiting as my Rolls rolled up.

“I am so excited to be back, getting out and watching a live show again,” Claudia said, her cheeks a little redder than could be accounted for simply by the rouge she’d applied.

“I’ve got my gold lamé fleece on. It is Jason and the Argonauts we are going to see, isn’t it?”

I nodded. I’d lost count of the number of times I’d explained to Claudia in the week beforehand that we were returning to the Coulsdon Community Centre where, before the dreaded plague, the Theatre Workshop Coulsdon regularly used to perform professional-looking productions, and that this was most definitely not a pantomime. “Oh no it isn’t,” I remember telling her.

Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Comedy, Coulsdon, Music, Theatre, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Negrini lands cushty consultancy with ex-council supplier

Posted on December 17, 2021 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE (and available in all good, and some not-so-good, newsagents): The exec who walked away with a £440,000 pay-out from the borough she helped to bankrupt has re-emerged with a juicy ‘consultancy’ from one of the firms she used to hire when running the council.
By STEVEN DOWNES

Revolving doors: Arup consultant Jo ‘Negreedy’ Negrini

Self-acclaimed “regeneration practitioner” Jo Negrini has regenerated her own career, the failed council chief executive emerging with a juicy consultancy deal at Arup, one of the firms she favoured so lavishly when she was frittering tax-payers’ money from the executive floors at Fisher’s Folly.

The special Ho-Ho-Ho edition of Private Eye magazine, published today, reports that “… thanks to the wonder of revolving doors, ‘Negreedy’ has resurfaced as a ‘cities and development consultant’ on the books of Arup, the giant engineering and planning specialists”.

Negrini, the council’s £200,000-plus per year chief exec, quit Croydon in September 2020, but only after she had screwed a £440,000 golden handshake from the borough she had done so much to help bankrupt. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, CPO, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Food banks across London anticipate ‘busiest Christmas yet’

Posted on December 17, 2021 by insidecroydon

Food banks in Croydon and across the capital are preparing for their most challenging Christmas yet, as they struggle with rising demand and dwindling public donations.

A time to give: Aldi and other supermarkets are taking donations from shoppers as well as donating surplus food to food banks

According to a survey by community giving platform Neighbourly – which Aldi partners with to distribute surplus food from its stores – 76per cent of food banks, charities and community causes in London are worried about having enough food to support people this Christmas.

Neighbourly polled more than 600 food banks and community causes and found that 90 per cent in London expect this Christmas to be their busiest yet, with more people than ever needing their support.

The survey also revealed that 93 per cent of food banks in London have witnessed a drop in donations in recent months – with the fallout of the pandemic and rising cost of living continuing to impact contributions.

Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Nightwatch | Tagged , , | Leave a comment