With spring just around the corner, it was a pleasure to welcome the National Gallery: Art on Your Doorstep to Croydon this week alongside the Director of the National Gallery, Sir Gabriele Finaldi. You may already have spotted life-size replicas of National Gallery masterpieces appearing across the borough. This exciting project is part of the gallery’s programme to bring world-class art into local communities, and I am delighted Croydon has been chosen as the first London destination on their tour. I hope residents enjoy discovering and engaging with these artworks over the coming months as the weather warms up. You can download a map and find out more here.

Asian Resource Centre opens in Broad Green

This week I was honoured to open the new Asian Resource Centre for Communities in the former Broad Green Library. The building has been given a new lease of life and is now a vibrant community asset, offering flexible space for learning, wellbeing and cultural exchange. Watch this short video of the opening event.

When we restructured our library service, some people thought we planned to sell off valued public buildings. I saw a broader vision – one that keeps these buildings at the heart of their communities by bringing them back into use in a way that works for local people today. What was once a facility open just two days a week is now open six days a week, run by the community, for the community.

This is now the third community base to open in a former library, following Story Sanctuary in Sanderstead and Play Place in Shirley. I made a clear commitment that these buildings would continue to serve their communities, and I am proud to see that commitment being realised here in Broad Green. Read more.

Supporting our foster carers

Our foster carers do an incredible job, so I am delighted that we are now able to offer an increase in foster carer pay to help meet rising living costs and reflect how highly we value the care they provide.

We are working to address a critical shortage of foster carers. The borough has 146 fostering households and needs an additional 20 every year.

Becoming a foster carer can be a truly rewarding experience, offering the chance to make a real difference to the lives of our most vulnerable young people. If you’re considering it, I encourage you to read Christine’s story here. She is having a remarkable impact, and you could too. I want to say a huge thank you to Christine and all our foster carers – because of you, our young people have better life chances and feel loved and supported.

Cleaning up Croydon 

This weekend, I will be in Selsdon, at the start of a three-week blitz clean, the latest phase of my ongoing Cleaner Croydon programme, focused on our district centres and restoring pride in our borough.

Earlier this week, I also carried out a walkabout in Shirley, where a week-long blitz clean is under way. I look forward to sharing more with you about this next week.

Love Croydon

I am looking forward to hosting a Love Croydon event on Saturday 14 February at BOXPARK, bringing people together to reflect on how far Croydon has come and to look ahead to the borough’s future.

You can find out more and register to attend via Eventbrite here.

LGBT+ History Month

February also marks LGBT+ History Month, and we proudly raised the Progress Pride flag outside the Town Hall to celebrate Croydon’s LGBT+ community and its contribution to our borough. Find out how you can get involved.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Jason Perry

Executive Mayor of Croydon