New activity hub for Croydon

Work is underway on a new £1 million activity hub aimed at Croydon people of all ages.

Council contractors are refitting and upgrading a 1980s building in St James’s Road to be the new hub, which will include a large activity space that is suitable for workout classes, a sensory room and a training kitchen and laundry.

The hub will also have flexible rooms with wi-fi that can be booked for classes, from IT skills sessions to arts and crafts groups. The activity space, sensory room and training kitchen will be available for both people with disabilities and other community groups.

Rooms at the newly-fitted building, which used to be the Cherry Orchard day centre, will have full disabled access including doors wide enough to fit wheelchairs, plus hoists and handrails. The site is next to the Cherry Orchard garden centre, which remains open for business during construction and will continue to operate once the new hub is finished.

The council’s autism service, which is currently based in Chatsworth Road, will be the first group to use space in the hub by early August, and other services will be able to use it from the autumn. The Whitehorse Youth Centre and nursery will continue to use a separate part of the St James’s Road building.

“This excellent new activity hub will be perfect for people across the borough whose active daily lifestyle calls for a range of community facilities they can use, whether they have a disability or not.

“If you want to start a hobby with friends, run a dance class or are keen on honing skills to increase your job prospects, this modern hub will offer a range of specialist rooms that meet both the needs and the interests of local people with disabilities and the wider community.”

Councillor Jane Avis, cabinet member for families, health and social care

The number of staff provided by the autism service will remain the same and they will support their users during the transition. The borough’s other day services for people with disabilities, including at Addington Heights and Whitehorse Road, will remain open and its users will be able to benefit from using the resources at the new hub either in groups or as individuals.

For more information, visit the council’s website.

2018-06-29T10:19:07+01:00 June 29th, 2018|Recent news|