A message from Councillor Hamida Ali, leader of the council


With school now out for the summer I want to say a huge thank you to all Croydon’s pupils, parents, teachers and school staff for a tremendous effort over the past year. We may be out of lockdown, but our schools continue to be on the frontline of this pandemic and they have worked tirelessly with our own council staff to keep our children in education, and our families safe and well.
I also want to recognise all our children and young people who have inspired us with their strength, resilience and community spirit over the last year – from leading the way with regular rapid testing to coping with unprecedented change. They have been true role models for our community and we are rightly proud of them.  Thanks also to all the families who have supported them through what has been a challenging time in their young lives, and to the parents and carers who have juggled home-schooling with other commitments. I wish you all a very well-earned rest this summer and plenty of holiday fun. The school holidays can be a difficult time for some and we are supporting families eligible for free school meals through our holiday food and activities programme. With a huge range of activities from more than 40 clubs, there is something for everyone. Find out more on our webpage.
As the inquest ended yesterday, everyone in Croydon will have been thinking of the families who lost loved ones in the tram derailment. I know the verdict of accidental death has been very difficult for the families of the victims and our thoughts are with them and with everyone affected. While we must continue to fight to ensure tragedies like this can never happen again we will also never forget those we lost. Dane Chinnery, Philip Logan, Philip Seary, Dorota Rynkiewicz, Robert Huxley, Mark Smith, and Donald Collett, all taken from us too soon.
Finally, as we head into the summer break, please remember to stay safe. As Covid-19 cases in Croydon continue to rise, the advice from Croydon’s director of public health remains that we should all continue wearing face coverings when in busy indoor spaces to help keep our community safe. And don’t forget you can easily book your vaccination online here.
If we all take care this summer we can hopefully look forward to a more settled autumn and a return to more of the things we enjoy.
Councillor Hamida Ali, leader of the council

2021-07-23T18:44:32+01:00 July 23rd, 2021|Recent news|