A Very Special ChristmasHello everyone!

Welcome to the last Newsletter of 2020! We would like to build on our Community Theme from last month’s edition when we read Maxine’s wise words:

“For me, Croydon Vision has a true feeling of community, of people coming together” (Maxine Plowden – Member and Volunteer)

What a year it has been! We are all on a quest to understand 2020, and to move forward by highlighting many positive chapters and strengthening our learnings from this uniquely challenging year.

For our very special Croydon Vision Community, it has been a year of sharing experiences and celebrating the joys of a strong united team.

As we approach the end of the year, we are committed to celebrating Christmas by creating magical moments around any local restrictions that may be in place. Here at Croydon Vision is where the magic happens! Whether at Bedford Hall, through our Outreach Services, or remotely via Zoom or Facebook Live, we will continue to do our utmost to stay connected and nurture a strong sense of belonging within our Croydon Vision Community.

This is the first time in many years (decades!) that I won’t be travelling to Palma de Mallorca or Munich for Christmas (my ‘family homes’). However, I am looking forward to celebrating the festive season with my ‘adopted family’ at Croydon Vision. Thank you to all of you for making this such a memorable year.

From all of us at Croydon Vision, have a wonderful Christmas and our very best wishes for 2021!

Ines Canellas-Jager, Business Development Manager

The Magic of Poetry & Art

Our special Croydon Vision Community is getting very creative at Chrismas! Here is a lovely poem from Bob Horne, one of our very active Members. Thank you, Bob!

“Your Advent” by Bob Horne

Whatever we celebrate
Whatever is meant
To prepare for our Christmas
We have our Advent.
Reading the Bible
Stories to share
The whole meaning of Christ’s birth
Four weeks to prepare.
After this year’s pandemic
We need to be aware
The love coming at Christmas
It’s time for a stronger prayer.
Yes, break out your holly,
Decorations and tree.
But don’t forget the Christmas child,
Born for you and me.

Furthermore, our Arts & Crafts group of artists were incredibly busy curating a beautiful knitting arrangement at our last session. We are in no doubt that these small works of craft will make wonderful Christmas decorations. Well done to them and to Masha, our fantastic Art Tutor!

Engage In Creative Writing

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world” (Ludwig Wittgenstein)

Croydon Vision Staff enjoyed an excellent Creative Writing Workshop facilitated by Josie Robson on Friday 6^th November. This session helped the team to reflect about ways to improve our communication through engagement, simplification, emotion and personalisation.

It was a highly interactive and fun session, and it inspired us to learn more and get better at connecting with others through language.

Josie asked us to come up with words that describe our team at Croydon Vision. Here are some of the terms presented by the team:

When I hear ‘Croydon Vision’, I think about…
·       Creative ·       Purpose ·       Content ·       Useful ·       Impactful ·       Positive! ·       Influential ·       Good ·       Excited! ·       Game changer ·       Part of a community ·       Part of a team ·       Thoughtful	·       On a journey ·       Challenge ·       Energised ·       Helpful ·       Empower to empower ·       Empowered ·       Grateful ·       Positive ·       Alive! ·       Supportive ·       Connected ·       Growth enablers ·       Member centred

Do you agree? Have we missed any words?

Please send your thoughts to Newsletter@croydonvision.org.uk. We would love to continue this dialogue next month.

Thank you! (We are grateful!).

A Milestone Birthday For Elsie

Happy birthday to Elsie Warrack who will be 100 years old on 30^th November 2020 (Wow!). We are so pleased to have Elsie in your lives and wish her all best. Elsie has been inspired by our previous page and has shared her creativity with this poignant poem.

“Independence” by Elsie Warrack

Life is a challenge without visibility
Sight gives ability, agility and stability
But one must adapt and also be adept
To bring about change.
This could be the precept
For me to accept
life must go on.
Though one cannot see
Lots of determination and imagination
Highlights the need for creation
Which can fill the time
And life can be sublime.

Happy birthday, dear Elsie! Here is our message to you:

We admire that you are a consistent and loyal visitor to Croydon Vision, and always look forward to your intriguing stories. Nothing defeats you when exploring new technologies.  We are grateful to have received your input on the lunch service, enabling us to enhance our menus. We acknowledge your contributions over the years including wonderful stamps! We’ve kindly put together an acronym for your name which we feel best represents you: Elegant, Lenient, Sophisticated, Intelligent, Eager (ELSIE).

Adapted Services Make A Difference

New CV Services – Saying ‘Good Bye’ to 2020 on a High Note

Although Croydon Vision is currently closed to Members, Staff and Volunteers are hard at work to support them. We have re-instated all our previous Adapted Services and have introduced new ones.

One of our most popular services was the lunch delivery and I am pleased to say that it is back! Lunches are delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays until the end of December, and can be booked via Reception. We are suggesting a contribution of £5.00 per meal simply to cover our basic costs.

If you would like lunches and are unable to afford a contribution, please talk to us as we are here to help you. If you find yourself struggling financially, perhaps you are not receiving all your statutory benefits or you are entitled to additional help.  We will delighted to support you.

The Befriending Service, another very popular service, is back and stronger than ever. Having a phone call once or twice a week can make all the difference; helping to reduce loneliness, isolation, and breaking up the day. Even if someone lives with other people, a different voice (that understands sight loss), can be a life saver. If you would like a Befriender please contact Reception or call me.

We also offering a face-to-face Door Stop Dialogue. This is 15-20 minute chat at your door-step. The Befriender will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and will stand at least 2 metres away from the Member. Being able to talk in person to someone can make a big difference as it means having personal contact with another human being. If you are interested in this service, please call Reception or speak to Glen Brazier, our Advice and Advocacy Officer.

Gee-Gee (Driver) commented: “Our Members are very appreciative of our special services as they cannot get them anywhere else”.

Miss Virmati Jethwa (Member) shares: “Croydon Vision is doing a great job with all its services during these difficult times”.

Anna Smith, Outreach and Progression Officer

Securing Employment In 2021

Finding a job during this pandemic can be difficult and this may be even more challenging for those people who are also visually impaired. With Brexit around the corner, there seem to be multiple barriers for Working Age Group Members actively looking for employment.

However, new vacancies are posted across many newspapers and websites every day. There are still jobs out there, so how can you land that perfect dream job?

I have personally experienced the difficulties of becoming visually impaired and having to change career. Following redundancy last year, I had to focus my efforts to search and apply for many vacancies.  I have experienced the emotional challenges of going to interviews and facing many rejections, but tenacity always pays off so here I am!

Everyone is at a different place on their own personal journey. Some of our Members will need to build up their confidence, others might need to completely change careers and learn new skills, while others might need practical experience through volunteering or work placements.

I am looking to design a 12-weeks ‘Stepping Stones To Employment’ course which will bring together employment experts and VI employees from different sectors. They will have direct links with local employers, will share collective learnings and inspire us to climb that mountain!

The course will comprise of practical workshops to re-skill and up-skill our Members and support them to enter employment or even set up their own businesses. Please contact me if you would like to hear more or get involved.

Maxine Plowden is an inspiration to our Working Age Group. She embarked on a communications course (on-line), is attending our sessions and making the most of our coaching as she is committed to driving her career further. Well done to Maxine! Keep up the great work!

Odette Battarel, Personal Development Officer

Exercise Nurtures Health & Confidence

As the year comes to a close, we have been reflecting about how we grow and learn together, promote healthy living and continue empowering lives through different activities.

Fit and Fab at Croydon Vision

We have recently launched this very special fitness programme for ladies in our community. The feedback we have received so far is very encouraging, and we look forward to working with our wonderful women until the programme ends in February 2020.

This programme is part of a national initiative to encourage girls and women to take up physical activity and lead a more active life to improve their health and well-being. Please contact Fitandfab@croydonvison.org.uk if you are interested as we still have some places available

“I would like to say how much I enjoyed the first session of Fit and Fab today. I found all exercises good and helpful”. – Sophia

“Just a very quick mail to say thank you for organizing the session this afternoon. I haven’t exercised for a while and thoroughly enjoyed getting active”. – Kara

‘Virtually Eastbourne’ Weekend on 7^th & 8^th November 2020

Well done to Odette Battarel who represented Croydon Vision at this special weekend conference!

Odette ran a clever and fun workshop using cans of baked beans to strengthen muscles. This was part of a nicely curated programme of aerobic exercises inspiring audiences and nurturing confidence. Conference organisers said:

“Please pass on my congratulations to the ‘Virtually Eastbourne’ Team. They did a splendid job. What fantastic weekend of events it was. A big thank you for making it a success”.

We are collating our learnings and thinking of ways to promote healthy living in 2021. Chat to us if you have any ideas.

Tech for Success Is On!

Press PLAY! We are thrilled to announce that we have started to enjoy the use our new Technology Studio. This is situated at the top of our building and it occupies the old Talking News room. This modern tech hub allows us to create high quality video and audio recording to engage with Members and the wider community.

We are extremely grateful to BIG Lottery for their investment in our Tech for Success Project which includes funding for this modern studio. BIG Lottery’s support in our long term vision is key to our growth so thank you! Furthermore, we would like to thank IRS for the design of this space (https://www.irs-ltd.co.uk/). Our Technology Studio really looks great and we can’t wait to show it to you! Masha, our talented Art Tutor, has even produced a site-specific artwork depicting Croydon Vision’s journey to celebrate this historic moment.

This is a very exciting development as it will allow us to deliver more engaging, sharp and accessible content. Having a space to record with minimal interruptions and the appropriate equipment makes all the difference. If you have been joining us on Facebook Live in recent weeks, hopefully you will have noticed that good tech has unleashed our creativity.

Alongside our Tech Studio we are developing our SEE Hub. This is a digital library of videos, podcasts, practical resources and compelling stories. As we evolve, grow and learn together, the SEE Hub will become a knowledge-sharing archive for everyone to enjoy. Here you will find further information: http://seehub.croydonvision.org.uk/

Visionary kindly invited us to run a webinar last Tuesday 24^th November. We facilitated an interactive session on “Tech for Success – How we transformed our services to ‘bricks and clicks’”. We thrived on sharing experiences with the audience, and were humbled to receive encouraging comments such as “very inspiring”, “very useful”, “very interesting” and “I really enjoyed this”.

We look forward to learning and enhancing our tech journey in 2021 and beyond! There is so much more to do and improve, and are very keen to receive your feedback so get in touch.

Embracing Transformation

On Friday 20^th November, a group of colleagues kindly offered to feature in a delightful short film on Embracing Transformation. This was part of an important funding application we have been working on in recent weeks, and it gave us the chance to use our new Tech Studio.

Odette Battarel set the scene by describing her own journey:

“When I became visually impaired, I was told by the doctor “There isn’t much more we can do for you”. I was young then and my life collapsed. My dreams and aspirations of a brilliant career travelling the world, even owning a house, and raising a family crashed. What was I going to do? Who was I going to become?

And this was the start of my journey. Looking back, I realise there were three important factors that enabled me to adapt; helped me to move forward and become the confident woman I am today:

1. Meeting other VI people who were active in society, working, volunteering, participating in sports and travelling independently. They inspired and taught me to cope and overcome barriers. Peer support and role models were very important to me.
2. Technology! In the past, VI people could be physiotherapists, piano tuners, or basket weavers but times have changed. I needed expert support to teach me how to use accessible features of all my devices as well as the financial support to purchase specialised equipment.
3. Managing my health as well as possible so I could make the most of life and be the best version of myself.

After a period of adaptation, retraining, changing careers, developing my self-confidence and self-belief, I now have a heart full of new ambitious dreams. I hope to inspire others to reinvent themselves and help create a better future for them”.

We will share more on our Embracing Transformation Project early next year. In the meantime, a big thanks to Odette, Ola, Daniel, Ade and Kim (Kimberley Stevens) for going the extra mile. The video is a true gem so thank you!

Meaningful Connections At Christmas

As we have just discussed, we are using technology more and more to empower and stay in contact with others. One of the advantages of this over traditional telephone is that you can see the person or people you are talking to. Why don’t you speak to us about the two options below if you want to reach out to others during Christmas?

SKYPE – Free for most with no time limit

Skype is like a phone call with video – it requires both the caller and the receiver to have a Skype account to ‘call’ each other. You don’t need to have a specific time set up to make a call as there will be a ringtone and button to quickly answer on.

Margaret had Skype on her tablet, however she relied on a friend to set it up for her. She wanted to be more independent. Together we practiced how to answer Skype calls until she was happy with doing this without help. Next time we will be looking at making Skype calls so she doesn’t have to rely on others calling her. Margaret said “I’m so pleased I can now see my grandchildren in Australia”. We are so happy for this family.

ZOOM – Free for personal use under 40 minutes

Zoom burst into our collective knowledge earlier this year. It is a video conferencing platform allowing many people to participate in an interactive conversation. You need to have a Zoom account to host a meeting and organise details to be circulated beforehand. A phone-only option (audio without video) offers great flexibility especially if you are on the move.

Ann has been using Zoom for her virtual yoga classes, but was told by others on the call that she looked very pale and her image appeared upside down. We arranged a Zoom call with Ann so that we could work on various lighting set-ups and coached her on image rotation. Ann has moved from feeling very self-conscious to taking control of her image projection on the video screen. Well done to Ann!

Katherine Turner and Ola Ogunyanwo, Resource Centre and IT

Seeing Beyond The Eyes

We were delighted to partner with Dan Williams and his team at Visualise Training and Consultancy for a very insightful, interesting and informative webinar on Thursday 26^th November (6.30-8.30 pm).

Visualise delivered their award winning Seeing Beyond the Eyes workshop, a learning session to further knowledge and finesse the skills of a diverse group of eye care professionals.

This course connected the optical and sight loss sectors to ensure patients with visual impairments receive the best experience.

Kimberley Stevens and Glen Brazier shared their personal journeys which brought to life so many opportunities for improved cross-sector collaboration. Additionally, Croydon Vision Staff interacted both on and off screen thus it was a very rewarding team effort.

The session empowered eye care professionals with the knowledge and confidence to support low vision patients on the next step of their sight loss journey. We also covered the VI registration process and listened to information that you will find on page 16 (Advice & Advocacy).

By seeing what others see, we can make better adjustments to collectively help each other, and to improve treatments and support for sight loss patients. On the night we covered a general introduction to visual impairment, discussed a wealth of case studies and personal narratives, and explored a range of technical topics linked to some of the latest techniques on eye health and eye testing.

With a commitment to ‘Saving Sight, Supporting Sight Loss’, the event reminded us that research is hope. It also highlighted the critical role of sight loss charities like Croydon Vision in our societal mission to Changing how we SEE. We look forward to further seminars in 2021!

No One Left Behind At Christmas

As we mentioned in our previous Newsletter, Christmas springs love and togetherness, yet for many people in our community, isolation is on the rise. Due to current restrictions on large gatherings, we will not be hosting a Christmas party this year.

However, Christmas meals will be available the week leading to Christmas Day. This is part of our special Christmas 2020 Campaign with our bold commitment to wider community reach, making sure ‘No one is left behind at Christmas.’

On Christmas Eve we will be delivering freshly cooked hot Christmas dinners to our members. Also, there will be fun entertainment via Facebook Live and saved on memory sticks so everybody can feel included.

For this very special and worthwhile initiative we are still looking for Christmas Ambassadors offering voluntary support on:

Wednesday 23^rd December:

11am – 3pm: Food Preparation (To undertake Food Hygiene level 2)

Thursday 24^th December:

8am – 12pm: Food Preparation (To undertake Food Hygiene level 2)

12.30pm – 3pm: Food Delivery

Entertainment (either live or pre-recorded). Live show will be hosted at 12pm – 2pm

Please contact Reception if you want to join our very special team of Christmas Ambassadors!

Our colleague Nataliya says: “I’m so excited about the preparations on 23^rd and 24^th December, and look forward to supporting our Members at this special time of the year”.

Purpose, Meaning & Gratitude

“People want purpose, meaning and gratitude. Purpose is shared, meaning is personal and gratitude is the great connector” (Eric Mosley & Derek Irvine, ‘Making Work Human’).

We’ve identified our most vulnerable members and with your help we can provide a hearty meal, gifts and entertainment this Christmas.
So far we have successfully received part funding of £1,500 from Ros Harding Trust. We are now looking to raise a balance of £3,000. We have increased our target to £4,500 as we are fully aware that many Members need our support.

We have a clear and meaningful purpose to share with you. This is an urgent call to action so our most vulnerable and isolated Members can enjoy Christmas after a particularly challenging year.

Let’s make sure this Christmas is really for All. Let’s end the year by warming up many hearts and souls! If you wish to donate, please visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chrismas2020

In the meantime, we continue to show gratitude and appreciation to those who have contributed donations to Croydon Vision throughout the year. Your kindness and support mean a lot to us.

Many thanks to Mike Close and Margaret Wilson for their very special contributions in recent weeks.

We are also extremely grateful to Rodney Alexis and the team at Service Graphics, 7-9 Dingwall Road, Croydon CR0 2NA (https://www.servicegraphics.co.uk/). They kindly offered free printing of 200 beautiful posters to raise awareness of our ‘No one left behind’ Christmas 2020 Campaign.

We are currently processing further donations and will make sure these are recorded in a prompt manner. Thank you, All!

Our C&YP Adapting To Change

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt.

Croydon Vision continues to reflect that it is an organization which rapidly adapts and responds to change. In the midst of our second round of The New Now, our wonderful Children and Young People are powering ahead with their activities and Mickella hosted our first Virtual Chocolate Making Workshop on Saturday 14^th November. Wow!

Activity boxes were prepared at Croydon Vision offices and delivered by hand on Friday 13^th November. These boxes consisted of one chocolate mould, a pot of chocolate and a miniature whisk for each attendee. The children also received a games envelope consisting of bingo sheets and a quiz answer sheet.

The session began by slowly melting the chocolate and then pouring into the moulds to set for half an hour. Whilst the moulds were setting, they learnt about the history of chocolate. They also participated in three rounds of chocolate bingo, followed by the quiz.

The session was successfully finished off by devouring the chocolate which had set perfectly in the moulds – “It tastes like chocolate heaven!” muffled Daniel, with his mouth full.

Cat Kelleher (Mum) said:  “Thank you SO much! They loved it”. Danielle Cleary (Mum) shared: “It was really good, thank you. The chocolate came out really well”.

By the way, did you know that?

• It takes 400 cocoa beans to make one pound of chocolate.
• Each cacao tree produces approximately 2,500 beans.
• Research to date supports that chocolate can be enjoyed as part of a balanced, heart-healthy diet and lifestyle.

Please join us for more exciting events in 2021!

Mickella Hosannah, Children & Young People’s Officer

The Power Of Advice & Advocacy

“Glen is a very determined and helpful person. Due to my sight loss, I struggle completing applications and sometimes bump into things when I am out in the road. Glen helped me complete my benefits form and even posted it for me. Thanks, Croydon Vision” – David E

Sometimes it’s good to start from the basics. Let’s ask a very simple question such as “What is registration?” and see how many more lives like David’s we can support and transform.

Registration is the official recognition that you have a visual impairment (VI). Being registered as sight impaired is entirely voluntary, but opens the door to help that you may not otherwise receive. A person is described as being VI when they have an eye condition that cannot be corrected using glasses, or if they have a significant loss of visual field. To become registered your vision will need to be assessed by a Consultant Ophthalmologist in a hospital setting.

If you are suitable for registration, the Consultant will issue a CVI or Certificate of Visual Impairment either as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind). You will be given a copy of the form, and a copy will be sent to your GP. With your consent, an additional copy will be sent to your local council and Moorfields Eye Hospital who hold the national register.

Some of the potential concessions for people who are registered include:

• Disabled Persons Blue Badge or Rail Card
• Use of the Royal Mail Articles for the Blind Service
• Free NHS sight tests, free bus travel on and off-peak
• Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, and other tax allowances amongst many benefits

Please contact Glen Brazier, our Advice & Advocacy Officer, to gain personalised advice and discuss the best options for you.

Christmas Quiz

Let’s have a bit of fun with our special extra-long Christmas Quiz! Ho, ho, ho… What a treat!

1. How many gold rings are there?
2. Who sang ‘Mistletoe and Wine’?
3. Who introduced the Christmas tree?
4. Who is the Saint for Christmas?
5. Which red nosed reindeer did not pull Santa’s sleigh?
6. Which country does the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square come from?
7. Which actor has NOT played Santa? A) Whoopi Goldberg, B) Leslie Nielson, or C) Dudley Moore.
8. Where does the UK Queen usually celebrate Christmas?
9. Why do some countries deliver gifts on the twelfth night (January) instead of Christmas Eve?
10. What should you do under mistletoe?
11. In which book did Scrooge appear?
12. In which city did the Miracle on 34^th Street occur?
13. The film ‘A Wonderful Life’, what special day is it set on?
14. When is Boxing Day?
15. How many days are there on an Advent Calendar?
16. What is advertised by the song ‘Holidays are Coming’?
17. How many days of Christmas are there?
18. I which film was ‘White Christmas’ first sung?
19. What is traditionally left out for Santa?
20. Who keeps a list of ‘Naughty and Nice’?
21. Where does Santa live?

Christmas Answers:

1 – Five.  2 – Cliff Richard. 3 – Prince Albert. 4 – Saint Nicholas. 5 – Rudolph. 6 – Norway. 7- C) Dudley Moore. 8 – Scotland. 9 – It’s when the Three Wise Men gave their gifts. 10 – Kiss. 11- A Christmas Carol 12 – New York. 13 – Christmas Eve. 14 – The day after Christmas. 15 – 25. 16- Coke-a-cola. 17 -12. 18 – Holiday Inn. 19 – Cookies and milk…or sherry! 20 – Santa Claus. 21 – North Pole.

December Dates For Your Diary

Please call Reception on 0208 688 2486 for further information

By Appointment Only Monday – Thursday	Resource Centre, IT Sessions Advice & Advocacy
By Appointment Only Monday – Friday	Outreach Home Visits – Please contact Reception to arrange a visit
Lunch Takeaways Tuesday & Thursday	Please contact reception 2 days in advance to place an order
Grocery Shopping & Prescription Collections Monday – Friday	Please contact reception 2 days in advance to place an order
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday	Talking Therapies (currently telephone)
Monday 14th   December	Macular Society Groups are meeting virtually via conference call. They meet every second Monday of the month at 1pm. To join the call please dial 0126 4560 225 and press number 1 when asked for your pin. You can call from your landline, charged at your local rate
Facebook Live Every Thursday at 4pm: ·       3rd December: Christmas card making and wrapping with Masha, our Art Tutor ·       10th December: Eve health discussion with special guest (surprise!) ·       17th December: Christmas cooking, quiz and music ·       24th December: Christmas celebrations. Join us to celebrate the festive season with fun treats! There will be a special schedule on this day as mentioned on page 13 ·       31st December: Technology workshop on all things voice activated! Check our website, Twitter alerts and Reception for further information and exciting updates on Facebook Live!

Menus

We continue to offer a Takeaway Food Service for those Members who would like to plan for food for later in the week.

Please place an order with Reception at least 24 hours in advance.

Eat Well, Live Well and Age Well

Lunches include choice of main course and dessert

Tuesday 1^st December

Meat: Chicken hot pot served with steamed vegetables
Vegetarian: Vegetable hot pot served with mixed salad
Fish: Baked haddock served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade rice pudding with strawberry jam or
fruit salad served with ice cream and yogurt

Thursday 3^rd December

Meat: Lamb stew served with rice or potatoes and steamed vegetables
Vegetarian: Diced Quorn, potato and leek bake served with steamed vegetables
Fish: Baked cod served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade chocolate brownies served with custard or
seasonal fruit salad with yogurt or ice cream

Tuesday 8^th December

Meat: Roast chicken served with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy
Vegetarian: Roast vegetarian sausages served with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy
Fish: Baked salmon served with roast potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade baked apples with custard or seasonal fruit salad with yogurt or ice cream

Thursday 10^th December

Meat: Chicken casserole served with mash and steamed vegetables
Vegetarian: Cauliflower cheese served with steamed vegetables
Fish: Baked cod served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade semolina pudding with berries or
fruit salad with ice-cream or yogurt

Tuesday 15^th December

Meat: Stew chicken served with rice or potatoes and steamed vegetables and mash
Vegetarian: Vegetable stew served with rice or potatoes and steamed vegetables
Fish: Baked haddock served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade plum crumble with custard or seasonal fruit salad with yogurt or ice cream

Thursday 17^th December

Meat: Cottage pie served with steamed vegetables
Vegetarian: Vegetable quiche served with salad
Fish: Baked cod served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade tiramisu or fruit salad with ice-cream or yogurt

Tuesday 22^nd December

Meat: Pasta Bolognese served with steamed vegetables
Vegetarian: Vegetable pasta Bolognese served with mixed salad
Fish: Baked salmon served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade pineapple upside down cake with custard or
summer fruit salad served with ice cream or yogurt

Thursday 24^th December

Christmas Lunch on Christmas Eve!
Mmmmm… Delicious!

Meat: Roast turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blanket, Brussels sprouts, roasted vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravy
Vegetarian: Linda McCartney vegetarian roast, roasted potatoes and vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravy
Fish: Pan fried seabass, roast potatoes and vegetables, Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce

Dessert: Homemade Christmas pudding with custard or
seasonal fruit salad with clotted cream

Tuesday 29^th December

Meat: Beef lasagne served with steamed vegetables
Vegetarian: Vegetable lasagne served with salad
Fish: Baked cod served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Homemade mixed berry crumble with custard or seasonal fruit salad with yogurt or ice cream

Thursday 31^st December

Meat: Roast chicken served with roast potatoes, Mediterranean vegetables and gravy
Vegetarian: Potato gratin with Mediterranean vegetables
Fish: Pan fried salmon served with roast potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables

Dessert: Homemade lemon and raspberry doughnut pudding with custard or fruit salad with ice-cream or yogurt

Isha, our wonderful Chef, shares her thoughts on cooking for our Members. She says:

“I love cooking for our Members, Volunteer and Staff. When I’m cooking, I have a big smile on my face and I’m doing my best to ensure everyone enjoys the food. I want to help others and I’m so pleased to know they are getting healthy, proper home-made food.

I look forward to receiving feedback on this month’s menu as would like to improve as much as possible next year. Thank you!”

Staff Team Details

As we have welcomed new members of Staff to our Croydon Vision Community, we thought it would be wise to share this contact list again.

Reception Main Number – 0208 688 2486

Susanette Mansour	CEO	Via Reception
Management
Katherine Turner	Resource Manager	Extension 5
Natasha T Campbell	Office Manager	Extension 9
Ines Canellas-Jager	Business Manager	Extension 4
Project Officers
Daniel Vethamony	Engagement & Well Being	020 8688 2486
Anna Smith	Outreach Officer	Mobile Phone
Glen Brazier	Advice & Advocacy	Extension 3
Mickella Hosannah	Children & Young People	Mobile Phone
Odette Batteral	Personal Development Officer	Extension 2
Ola Ogunyanwo	IT Facilitator (Outreach)	Extension 5
Nadine Thomas (Start Date TBC)	Volunteer & Community Officer	Extension 6
Core Staff
Nataliya Lavitskaya	Finance & Database Officer	Extension 7
Adekunle Ogunsanya	Facilities Officer, Hall Hire	Extension 8
Isha Koroma	Cook & Member Support	Via Reception
Dave Woodin	Driver & Member Support	Via Reception
Gyles Gordon (GG)	Driver & Member Support	Via Reception

Your Input Matters

“Please tell everyone at Croydon Vision that I don’t know how I would manage without you all. If I didn’t have Croydon Vision, there would be a large gap in my life.  I count the days to January 2021 so things are ‘back to normal’ ”

David Madell (Member and Volunteer)

We hope you enjoyed our Christmas Themed Newsletter and would love to receive your feedback.

Let’s continue to grow together! We would love to receive your submissions for the January 2021 ‘A Fresh New Year’ Special Edition by 12 noon on Monday 14^th December 2020: Newsletter@croydonvision.org.uk . We will celebrate new beginnings, the sense of renewal that we all feel in January and personal goals for 2021.

Contact us:
Croydon Vision (Charity Number: 1165086)
Bedford Hall
72-74 Wellesley Road, Croydon CR0 2AR

Our telephone opening times are:

Monday
8.30am – 1pm

Tuesday to Thursday
8.30am – 4pm      020 8688 2486 

 info@croydonvision.org.uk