Today marks the beginning of Pride Month and this morning we raised the Progress Pride Flag outside the Town Hall. It is a privilege to celebrate the contribution of our LGBTQ+ community in Croydon and together stand against discrimination in all its forms.
Recognition
Yesterday saw the premiere of ‘Recognition’ at Fairfield Halls, as part of our This is Croydon, London Borough of Culture 2023. Recognition is produced by the Talawa Theatre Company which follows the story of Song, a young Black composer of the modern generation, who discovers the music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and draws inspiration from his legacy to find her own voice. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was a successful dual heritage African and British composer and Croydon resident – and this is a fantastic tribute. Tickets start from £5 and you can find more information and book here: https://www.fairfield.co.uk/events/talawa-recognition-23
Volunteers’ Week 1-7 June
Thursday 1 June also marked the first day of Volunteers’ Week and as such, I would like to recognise the amazing contribution that our volunteers make to Croydon. As Executive Mayor, I have met many inspirational volunteers who have selflessly given their time to help others and to better their community. This week provides a great opportunity to acknowledge all volunteers across our borough, and to thank them for their efforts and activism.
Youth Assembly
I am delighted to see the election of Jemima-Helen Tshondo to Chair of Croydon Youth Assembly. As chair, Jemima-Helen will play a crucial role in advocating for young people and act as a liaison between the assembly and the council and give voice to young people. When I was elected, I promised to listen to all our residents – and Jemima-Helen will help us to create a Croydon where young people are heard, valued and actively involved in shaping our collective future. We are actively looking at how we can involve the Youth Assembly in more council business and I Iook forward to seeing what she and the Youth Assembly will achieve.
Finally, I have heard from many of you this week that there is still a lot of grass to be cut around the borough and we are working hard to keep up with the growth. I know how much maintaining the grass means to our community – it’s about taking pride in where we live – so I want to assure you that we are listening to residents and are improving this important service. The grounds maintenance service is working over a four-to-six-week cycle, so please be patient whilst the team work through the cycle and strike the balance between maintaining meadows, wilding and providing full cuts for children to play.
Jason Perry
Executive Mayor of Croydon
