Earlier this week I joined community leaders to launch the Croydon Equalities Pledge for businesses and organisations borough-wide to commit to creating a fairer, more inclusive Croydon. The Croydon Equalities Pledge aims to make sure everyone living and working in Croydon is treated equally, and we’re asking organisations of every size, set-up and sector to sign up now. My thanks to all our residents who have helped us to develop this important piece of work, and a big shout out to the pupils at Winterbourne School for their fantastic performance at our pledge launch.
Balanced budget protects your local services
Over the past 16 months we have made significant progress in transforming our council and tackling our financial challenges. On Monday the council took the next step in that process and approved our balanced budget for 2022/23. The budget protects local services, keeps every library and children’s centre open, protects fortnightly bin collections, and invests in our residents’ future needs, and provides extra support for carers and for children with special educational needs.
The significant reduction in our core funding over the last 10 years means that there are difficult decisions to be made, but in line with our residents’ wishes, we have focused on protecting frontline services and making the council more efficient. We have also kept our council tax increase to less than £1 a week for Croydon services – our council tax booklet explains more about how your council tax is spent.
Supporting people through trauma
We know that experiencing trauma can have a devastating impact on people’s lives and getting them the right support, at the right time can be vital. That’s why in Croydon we are launching new trauma-informed training, to equip more residents to recognise the signs of trauma and understand how to help. Experiencing trauma can make people more vulnerable so this initiative goes right to the heart of our public health approach to keeping residents of all ages safe. I would urge anyone who has experienced trauma and those working with people in these circumstances to get involved in helping us shape this training – you can help make a real difference.
Finally, don’t forget that bookings are now open for Jubilee Big Lunch street parties – we are waiving the cost of road closures to give as many people as possible the opportunity to celebrate with their friends and neighbours. Book your event before 6 May to join in.
Have a great weekend,
Councillor Hamida Ali, leader of the council
