I was deeply saddened to learn that two young people had been stabbed on Tuesday, resulting in one of the men dying. This is a tragic loss of a young life and my deepest sympathies go to the family and friends of the victims. My thoughts are also with the local community, a strong community that I know has been shaken by this incident. A police investigation is ongoing and I would urge any witnesses to call 101 quoting reference CAD/6879/12SEP. We are working with the police and communities to make Croydon safer and in the past 18 months have been delivering targeted projects to prevent youth violence, including in New Addington. However, much more needs to be done and I will be listening to local people as we work with our partners to help young people stay safe and prevent tragedies like this occurring in our borough.
John Ruskin College
I was delighted to attend the opening of the new construction training centre at John Ruskin College. The centre, sponsored by The Berkeley Group, will focus on training people in green construction skills to support with the decarbonisation of homes across London and the southeast. This partnership will support our young people into a variety of career paths, including apprenticeships. The construction sector has long been a growth sector in Croydon and more than ever we need the green skills that will be honed by these new facilities so we can tackle the big green issues and help to grow the local economy.
Open House Festival
As part of a full programme of our London Borough of Culture’s Open House Festival events, the New Addington community celebrated the opening of the Choose Love Garden. The RHS garden, created by Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist Jane Porter, has been moved to the Good Food Matters project, which does amazing work in the local community through its food learning centre and teaching about growing produce and cooking balanced meals. See the website for more details on Open House events this weekend.
I’d like to take the opportunity to send my best wishes to our Jewish community and everyone celebrating Rosh Hashana. I want to recognise their contribution to our borough and wish them peaceful and happy celebrations.
Jason Perry
Executive Mayor of Croydon
