Simply Connect Croydon - helping you find local community services
“We’re on a mission to help you find local community services, activities and support that can really help you with whatever issue you’re struggling with at the moment.
Maybe you’re looking to meet new people – or get some advice or support for a friend or family member? Or you might be wanting to find out about exercise or social clubs, or how to get involved in a local charity?
Community services can provide specialist support too on a range of topics, such domestic abuse, helping to manage your finances, housing issues or bereavement support.
We can support you to improve your health and wellbeing by:
- Focusing on what matters most to you
- Connecting you to local community services and activities, and
- Helping you to reach your goals and ambitions.
Whatever it is you’re looking for, there’s something for you.”
Croydon Refugee Day Centre - supporting Asylum Seekers, Refugees and migrants
Croydon Refugee Day Centre exists to support Asylum Seeekers, Refugees and migrants primarily in the Croydon area, but during the pandemic we have been supplying clothes and essentials to New Arrivals across London in response to need. It is staffed mainly by volunteers of varying faiths or none from over 20 local churches.
Croydon Refugee Day Centre is a friendly, safe meeting place offering practical assistance to all asylum seekers and refugees.
You can also find support on the Croydon Council website here: https://www.croydon.gov.uk/
The Croydon Health & Wellbeing Space - providing better access to mental health services
http://www.croydonhws.co.uk/The Croydon Health & Wellbeing Space has been created as part of a new community mental health service dedicated to providing better access to mental health services and support for people who have not previously engaged with support, including BME communities. The CH&WS will bring together non-clinical staff (Support Workers) and clinical staff (psychologist and registered mental health nurse) in a hub designed to provide both clinical and social care support. We provide short term support, helping build resilience; and provide advice, information, and signpost people to the right services.
CVA - builds stronger communities for social change
CVA builds stronger communities for social change by supporting citizens to take active roles in their neighbourhoods and by championing community organisations that nurture and celebrate local strengths
Care Choices - finding a Care Home or Care Solution
Care Choices – find the Care Home or Care Solution that’s best for you – get information, guidance and reviews.
Whether you’re looking for a Care Home or help with staying independent at home,
Alcoholics Anonymous - concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help.
Millions of men and women have heard or read about the unique Fellowship called Alcoholics Anonymous since its founding in 1935. Of these, more than 2 million now call themselves members. People who once drank to excess, they finally acknowledged that they could not handle alcohol, and now live a new way of life without it.
What is AA?
AA is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help.
Newcomers
If you seem to be having trouble with your drinking, or if your drinking has reached the point of where it worries you, you may be interested to know something about Alcoholics Anonymous and the AA programme of recovery from alcoholism.
We have a group meeting here at St Matthew’s every Monday – to find out more click here
Nightwatch - caring for homeless people
During the cold winter season, we provide a shelter to the homeless in Croydon for one night each week, sharing with six other churches so that homeless people have somewhere to sleep for the entire week. You may have heard of the ‘Croydon Churches Floating Shelter‘. We are a part of that venture.
During this time we are not able to provide shelter, although all Street Homeless in Croydon are offered a hotel room during the winter months.
At present we are helping provide sandwiches for Nightwatch and hot meals through the homeless Hub.
If ever you are asked for support by a homeless person, or you come across a person who is homeless, or you find yourself homeless, do use the following link https://www.streetlink.org.uk StreetLink is a website, phone app and telephone line that acts as a referral system and a way of connecting people who are rough sleeping to local services for support.
Ask the person if they would like to be put in touch with local support services. If they respond ‘yes’ then gather information needed by Streetlink and enter the detail you have collected on the streetlink.org.uk website. You will need to create a user account so that Streetlink can communicate with you.
Croydon Food Bank - food and support to local people
We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
We currently collect non-perishable food for the Croydon Foodbank and the bin is located to the left of the main entrance here at St Matthew’s. Peony Court have kindly been collecting all of the donations and taking them along to the foodbank.
Mind in Croydon - working to promote good mental health
Mind in Croydon is working to promote good mental health. It seeks to empower people to lead a full life as part of their local community.
To achieve these aims Mind in Croydon:
- Educates and provides services
- Campaigns and raises funds
- Works in partnership with other relevant organisations
- Values diversity and focuses on quality
- Involves service users and other volunteers in its work
Mind in Croydon is a mental health charity founded in 1967 and since then has developed into a significant provider of mental health services in Croydon.
Age UK Croydon - helps improve the lives of local, older people
Age UK Croydon offers lots of services for older people and their carers living in the London Borough of Croydon.
St Christopher's - promoting and providing skilled and compassionate palliative care to you and your loved ones
A warm welcome to St Christopher’s. We are proud to offer world class palliative and end of life care to everyone who needs it, whenever or wherever that may be. We are also here for the people closest to you.
We passionately believe in the words of our founder, Dame Cicely Saunders, who said: “You matter because you are you and you matter until the last moment of your life.” That means we’ll listen to your story, adapt our treatments and advice to suit your particular needs, and we won’t stop until we can give you the best possible support.
The hospice itself is a friendly, vibrant place, and as unlike a traditional hospital as we can make it. But rest assured, our medical and nursing care is excellent and our clinical teams are highly professional and devoted to doing their best for you.
However, as we often say, we’re more than just a hospice. We are proud of our community programmes that offer practical, emotional and spiritual support to over 7,500 people in the local area, most of whom we will help to continue living at home. If you’re one of them, we are ready to help you too.
We are a place for everyone.
DSM Foundation - The Drug Education Charity
In January 2014, Dan went to a party and made a fatal decision to take the drug ecstasy with a group of friends. He died two days later from multiple organ failure.Dan was from a strong Christian family, a member of the church youth group at Emmanuel, South Croydon, and a popular student at Archbishop Tenison’s School. His parents, Fiona and Tim, felt that if this could happen to him, it could happen to anyone, and their determination to do all they can to prevent it has led to the establishing of a drugs education charity in his name.
The DSM Foundation works with young people, families, professionals and teachers in schools, colleges and communities across London and further afield, through an evidence-based drug and alcohol education programme “Making Safer Choices”, and a powerful play “I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die”, published by Methuen Drama, which has toured professionally since 2017.
You can find more information on how to support The DSM Foundation here:
Please pray for the growth of their drugs education work, which now offers online delivery: a filmed play production and other resources for schools and colleges, so they are able to reach further, offering effective drug and alcohol education to students, parents and professionals during these very difficult times.