Happy New Year!

Dear Members,

It’s Susanette, wishing you all a Happy and Blessed New Year!
I hope you had a good Christmas and thank you so much for the beautiful cards and touching messages sent during Christmas!

2020 in Review – What a year!

In many ways, 2020 reminds me of the opening paragraph from Charles Dickens ‘A Tale of Two Cities’:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the season of Darkness, it was the season of Light”. Thank you for your patience and support as we adapted services, failed, and re-learned. We appreciate your kindness and resilience.

2021 – New Year, New Possibilities:

There are challenges ahead, as well as new hope, possibilities, and opportunities. Transformation will continue and with your support we will thrive.

Latest News:

• Isolation is on the rise! Therefore, we plan to re-open our doors 4^th January 2021 for two days per week whilst our Adapted Services continue until the end of the month. As a support service, we are exempted from some of Tier 4 restrictions (See page 3).
• Natasha’s role has evolved to Operations Manager. She will oversee service development, quality assurance and performance. Many congratulations to Natasha. Well done!
• Moorfields Low Vision (LV) Clinic is coming to CV from mid-January 2021 every Wednesday. We are really excited about this collaboration and will be delighted to show you our revamped LV room when you are back in our building (Information on page 6).

Looking to the future:

• We are hoping to undertake the lift project from July to the middle of September.
• To further develop of our hybrid model (‘bricks & clicks’), making sure we continually improve service delivery.
• To reach more residents in Croydon and support life transformation.

Some wise words from Winston Churchill: “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Keep safe – this too shall pass.

Susanette Mansour, CEO

A further update from Natasha, our Operations Manager:

CV will not fully reopen from 4^th January 2021 due to Tier 4 restrictions. Limited services will be provided internally as well as Adapted Services.

We appreciate that some of our Members are quite isolated and requesting a comeback, therefore, we will open on Mondays and Wednesdays (including transport).

• From January 2021, we plan to serve lunch at Croydon Vision on Mondays and Wednesdays assuming we secure a minimum order from 10 Members. Costs per lunch are £5 and we will require 24 hours’ notice. Services on Mondays and Wednesdays will include onsite befriending, and social groups and transport (£8 return).
• Lunch can also be delivered to Members homes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We truly welcome donations of a minimum of £5 per lunch (main and dessert) in order to cover our basic costs. For those who are not contributing to these costs, please speak to us so we can support your management of finances. Please give us 48 hours’ notice to pre-book home delivery.
• We will operate in line with UK Government Guidelines (Tier 4) which enable support groups to be delivered in person for up to 15 participants (including provision of mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support) at a premise other than a private home. This includes, but is not limited to, support to those who are vulnerable, those who have suffered bereavement, and vulnerable young people.

Pause & Reflect: 2020 In Your Own Words

Thank you to Members, Volunteers, Partners and Supporters for comments and messages of gratitude, and for strengthening our purpose, drive and commitment day by day.

Members Beryl and Graham Pipe wish everyone a Merry Christmas and say: “To everyone at the amazing, wonderful Croydon Vision. This organisation just keeps on getting better and better. Thank you for all you do and are.  We hope you all have a lovely Christmas and that 2021 gives opportunity for meeting in person”.

Sue Ardley (Member and Volunteer) has stated: “Well done for all your hard work over this difficult year. Also for keeping open over Christmas. Amazing! Wishing you peace and joy at Christmas, and let’s hope and pray that 2021 will be easier”.

Mike Close (Member) shared his moving thoughts after receiving our Christmas card: “I have this morning just received your talking Christmas card. What a wonderful surprise! Absolutely brilliant idea with Susanette reading out a description of the card and your Christmas greetings.  I hope you have a very merry but safe Christmas, and hope to see you in the New Year (depending on restrictions)”.

Frances Cullen (Chair of the Board of Trustees) wrote to us as a follow up response to our interactive Creative Writing exercise. When she hears Croydon Vision, two key words come to mind: INNOVATIVE and ADAPTABLE. “The Team have certainly been both of these during the unprecedented problems faced during 2020. They ensured our Members were kept informed and provided all essential items/services”.

Tina Edwin from Capital Space Ltd (one of our kind supporters) expressed her inner thoughts: “Thanks so much for being proactive as a charity – something that we don’t typically experience but which demonstrates your commitment and dedication. We hope you – and the amazing people you support – all have a wonderful, safe Christmas and New Year”.

And many other cards and calls in recent weeks! Thank you, All!

Taking 2020 Learnings To 2021

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” Brian Tracy (Motivational Speaker)

The Christmas break has given us the chance to pause, reflect, re-set and move forward:

• The year ahead offers us the chance to reinvent ourselves, set new challenges and learn different skills. We also hope to see how everyone plays a role, ‘gives back’ and embraces accountability.
• Ask yourself, what will you do to improve the community around you? What role do you wish to play as a global citizen? As Benjamin Franklin said: “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let each New Year find you a better person”.

Jim Smith (a loyal Member and Volunteer) is encouraging us: “To start the year off, why not come along to our Musical Appreciation Group every fortnight starting 4^th January, 10.30am -12.30pm. We would love to hear your kind of music. Come along with your choices and let us all hear them. Call Reception as we have 4-6 places (as per guidelines)”.

Odette Battarel (Personal Development Officer) thrives on challenges and learning, and reminds us of these sessions (via Zoom or USB stick):

• French on Wednesdays:30pm to 2.30 pm. Claire (Member) says: “Thank you for organising the French sessions. I really enjoy them”.
• Fit and Fab (Exercise for ladies): Thursdays, 2pm to 3 pm.

Odette is also leading on a number of Croydon Vision projects including internal sight loss training for new Staff amongst others!

What challenges will you take on in 2021? We would love to hear your goals and ideas: Newsletter@croydonvision.org.uk

 

Moorfields Update – Exciting Developments

We are very much looking forward to working even closer with Moorfields Eye Hospital by welcoming Low Vision Clinic patients at our offices in Croydon Vision from mid January 2021. We are confident this familiar, friendly, warm and community-centred setting will encourage patients and their families to engage further with healthcare professionals.

Hussain Khambati (Lead Optometrist, Moorfields South Division) has kindly taken the time to share an update with us:

“The pandemic means that the NHS and Moorfields Eye Hospital are facing a significant challenge, having had to postpone appointments in 2020. In response, we are changing the way we do some things so that we can offer the eye care you need in the safest way. Where possible, we offer phone/video appointments, saving you travel time.

We are arranging face to face appointments for those patients with eye conditions that put them at the highest risk of sight loss first. We have done this following careful review of all patients’ records by our doctors and their teams.  The Low Vision Clinic service at Croydon has also changed the way it delivers care, primarily through the use of telephone consultation, but we will arrange a face-to-face appointment for those patients who need one. 

Moorfields at Croydon remains open for patients in all four tiers. If we have asked you to come in for a consultation, treatment or surgery, do not delay and attend your appointment. Moorfields will continue to respond to the latest government guidance and will keep patients/staff informed. We know some patients are anxious at this time, but we’d like to reassure you that we have put a number of measures in place to help keep patients and staff safe. For more information, please visit:

https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/coronavirus . Thank you! ”

 

Welcome 2021 With Creativity

Daniel Vethamony, our previous Engagement & Well-being Officer, left Croydon Vision on Friday 11^th December 2020  to pursue his passion for education and the arts. Before his departure, Daniel wrote a New Year poem for our Members, Volunteers and Staff. Enjoy!

“Croydon my home and my community

Welcome and celebrate the year in unity.

The warmth of a New Year and a number

Awake from 2020’s COVID’s slumber.

Engage in a toast to your own destiny

Add a sprinkle of wellness and joy to your recipe.

Comfort finds you on the long road

Guided by your dreams to the next episode.

Arriving at the height of your journey’s peak

The self-realisation of clarity is healthy to speak.

Admiring your life’s work coated in this landscape

Rest is now assured in this peaceful earnest space.”

Daniel also shared these words before his departure:

“I was grateful to have connected with you as Members both at the centre and over the phone. I reflect fondly about helping our Members with lunches, transport or engaging with you once a week with our Facebook Live events.

Wishing all the team at Croydon Vision all the best. You are all doing remarkable work and will continue to do so. I am grateful to have formed some lasting bonds and learned a lot from you all. Best wishes for 2021”.

We also wish Daniel all the best in his future creative and educational endeavours. Why don’t you follow Daniel’s steps and share your poetry or articles with us in 2021?

Aspire To Tech Innovation In 2021

Welcome to a new world full of possibilities!

Accessing technology no longer requires touching and typing.

There are many ways you can access the main phone features by voice alone which presents great benefits to the visually impaired community.

• Apple offers Siri, Android provides Google Assistant (also available on Apple), and specifically on some Samsung phones we can have
  These allow you to make phone calls, ask questions, find your location, get directions, send emails and text messages. Each system has slightly different ways of asking for things.
• If you want something that sits in the corner of your room, there is Alexa or Google Nest. These allow you to ask questions, set reminders, play radio stations, and much more. These require you to have Wi-Fi, and a device to set them up. If you have linked them with a smart phone, you can also make calls through them.
• Computers can also do some things by voice – Siri on Apple Mac and Cortana/dictation on Windows PCs.

Ola is currently supporting Lauren (Member) who has had his internet down for a while and can’t wait to have it back! He misses Alexa and loves having full control of what he listens/responds to.

Other Members have expressed their immense gratitude for our holistic IT help. Steve says: “It’s fantastic having someone coming out to help me. I can now keep in contact with my family”. Ann mentioned: “Thanks for coming to my house and helping me get back onto the internet”.

We are here if you need us so reach out for any IT/Tech queries.

Katherine Turner and Ola Ogunyanwo, IT Department 

Community Engagement & Civic Participation

As we pause and reflect about last year’s compelling learnings and key insights, we renew our commitment and determination to driving a proactive approach to civic life through engagement in employment, volunteering, education and/or civic participation.  

What is your role in your community? What are you personally doing to move things forward as a citizen of the world?

Every voice counts so let’s make sure yours is heard.

In recent months Croydon Vision has taken part in a number of consultations and surveys to help shape the future. Our voice is helping Croydon and the UK become a better place for VI residents:

• We were invited to take part in a major consultation on the Highway Code. An interactive workshop at Bedford Hall helped us unlock feedback from a small group of Members on how this code should be designed to be as accessible and inclusive as possible.
• The second consultation was related to the National Standard of Accessible Homes. This nation-wide online exercise was a slightly more complex yet interesting project. We deep-dived on all aspects of access within the built environment including financial considerations from the point of view of VI residents.
• The third consultation tackled inclusive transport policies with a keen focus on cycling used as a platform to discuss equality (‘Paving the Road to Accessibility’ – Transport for London).

If you wish to move forward and share experiences, we have a very exciting and free workshop coming up on Friday 5^th February 2021 (10am -12 noon) at Croydon Vision in partnership with the Education Development Trust:  “Increasing Diversity in your Workplace – Spotlight on Enabling the Visually Impaired & Blind”: https://t.co/083MY4A3Aj?amp=1 (Via Eventbrite).

Please contact Odette Battarel, Personal Development Manager to book a place and discuss further. Thank you!

Croydon Wants To Hear Your Voice

Croydon Council is inviting residents to share their views on savings proposals. This is an excellent opportunity for you to get proactively involved in shaping the community around you.

Following Croydon Council’s Cabinet approval on 25^th November 2020, residents are encouraged to feedback on the savings included in Croydon’s Renewal Plans to ensure the Council becomes financially sustainable over the next three years.

You can access past Cabinet papers here as a point of reference: https://www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/dande/minutes

A survey to capture residents’ views is now live at www.croydon.gov.uk/savingsproposals as shared by Councillor Hamida Ali, Leader of the Council. She says: “I would greatly appreciate your help in sharing the survey with your community networks and encouraging them to take part”, so please cascade across your families, friends and colleagues.

This public engagement exercise will run until 24^th January 2021, and can be easily accessed and completed online. Anyone who does not have access to the internet can call 020 8604 7114, between 10am – 4pm, Monday to Friday (working days) for help submitting their views.

The outcome of this consultation will be brought to February 2021 Cabinet Meeting. Councillor Hamida Ali shares these words with us:

“My priority is rebuilding a financially sustainable organisation, which provides the high quality services and the value for money that our communities deserve. I am absolutely committed to keeping you all informed and involved, and to be open with you about the changes we will have to make. We will have to make savings and we will need to do some things differently so that we can start to live within our means. It’s important to me to hear from you, to understand the impact from your perspective, and any ideas you might have about how we could do things differently. This public engagement is just the start of an ongoing conversation which I very much hope you will join”.

 

The Carers Information Service

Croydon Council has commissioned The Carers Information Service to provide a free, fully funded home-based respite service for carers in Croydon who need a break from their caring role (funding subject to availability – please share your thoughts as discussed on page 10). Although they are not a respite service provider, you can choose who provides the service from a list. They will then pay for up to 50 hours in total within a period of six months.

To apply to use the service, you must be an adult and caring for another adult aged 18 and over, and the cared for person must be resident in the London Borough of Croydon. As the aim is to support carers who are not getting a break, the person you care for cannot currently be receiving a Croydon Council funded care package, such as a direct payment, domiciliary care, day service or sitting service.

Some examples of how people have used their break include:

• A weekly meet-up with a friend for a walk or an online course.
• Doing a weekly dance or singing class on Zoom.
• Catching up on some rest and relaxation at
• Shopping, doing errands or a weekend away.

The Carers Information Service is part of John Whitgift Foundation and is supported by Croydon Council:

• They run the Carers Support Centre in 24 George Street, Croydon CR0 1PB, a one stop shop for carers in Croydon.
• They offer a wide range of services for carers, including advice, health and well-being activities, workshops and support groups. More information on their activities can be found at carersinfo.org.uk

The Carers Respite Service is coordinated by Tanya Fitzgerald. Please email Tara for further information and any queries you may have: tanyafitzgerald@carersinfo.org.uk.

Christmas Fun For C&YP

Our Children and Young People were able to enjoy a virtual Christmas party using Zoom, a tool we have all become familiar with in 2020.

As Christmas is a wonderful opportunity for children to get creative, we incorporated an entertainer Christmas Elf, ‘Lizzy Loony’ into our session to add magic and fun to the festivities!

The virtual Christmas party included:

• Dancing: Our Christmas Elf curated an upbeat holiday playlist that the children danced to.
• A treasure hunt: This was exciting as the children were prompted to find something in their home, such as ‘something red’, and whoever brought the item back first got a point.
• Virtual games dialed up the fun and craziness with challenges such as Christmas charades!
• Quizzes: We used the ‘raise the hand’ Zoom function so that everyone got a chance to speak. The children were asked questions such as ‘name all of Santa’s reindeers’. It was awesome!

Some participants won prizes for being so good at the activities, and everyone took home a Christmas gift from the generous elves.

To keep the Christmas spirit alive, the children also got a chance to meet Santa in his ‘Virtual Grotto’ all the way in the North Pole and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. It was the best moment of the party!

“Thanks so much, the children are super excited now! Really appreciate the effort made by CV and yourself” – Cat Kelleher (Mum)

“Thanks for organising Mickella, they had lots of fun.” – Yemisi (Mum)

We look forward to having more sessions (fun and developmental) in 2021! Watch this space for further news.

Mickella Hosannah, Children & Young People’s Officer

 

Secure Employment In The New Year

Are you visually impaired or blind? Have you not applied for a job because you didn’t think you would be able to do it? Do you know that you can apply to have a Support Worker through Access to Work?

A Support Worker can help a disabled employee to complete the tasks necessary to meet the requirements of their role or for a self-employed person to be able to run their business.

My Support Worker, Lorraine, provides me with invaluable support and enables me to fulfil my role as the Outreach and Progression Officer.

• As a severely sight impaired person, I require support to visit Before we visit a Member, Lorraine works out the best route using Google maps. She then acts as a guide, accompanying me to the Member’s home. While there, she helps me to manage the paperwork before we head back to Croydon Vision.
• Support Workers can do a whole range of tasks, such as driving someone to an appointment, helping an employee to complete IT tasks, photocopying or writing notes during a meeting.
• A visually impaired or blind person may be able to perform a repeating task independently but not at the required speed to fulfil their role. The Support Worker can step in and add invaluable support to increase the employee’s output.

One question that is regularly asked, ‘If the Support Worker is doing the work, why don’t we just employ the Support Worker’?

• A Support Worker will rarely have the qualifications and experience to perform the role carried out by the disabled person. It is the disabled person who directs and manages the work of the Support Worker.

Get in touch to discuss Access to Work and/or Support Workers. Be courageous, get a job and live your dream in 2021!

Anna Smith, Outreach & Progression Officer

 

Tech For Success Moving Forward

At our last Newsletter we pressed PLAY. We were so thrilled to announce the opening of our new Technology Studio, a modern tech hub that allows us to create high quality video and audio recording to engage with Members and the wider community.

We are now pressing FORWARD. As we continue our journey of innovation and digital transformation, we welcome your feedback and comments at all times. We are stronger together hence our willingness to listen and learn about all your tech queries and needs.

You may recall that Visionary kindly invited us to run a webinar in November 2020. We facilitated an interactive session on “Tech for Success – How we transformed our services to ‘bricks and clicks’. They said:  “Many thanks for giving up your time to host this online session, and for sharing your experience and knowledge. We had a great turnout and I’m sure everyone benefitted greatly from your session and the wisdom you shared!”.

On another tech note, Jim Smith, a loyal Member and Volunteer, contacted our IT Department recently. Jim needed help to get his printer working online and contacted our IT Department: “I knew that it could print copies, but only offline. Katherine was able to help by taking over my computer from a distance, and then knowing the printer model I was able type my Wi-Fi router and its passport number into my printer thus connecting it to my computer. I was able to print immediately. I felt great relief and was most thankful for the IT service”.

Alongside our Tech Studio we are developing our SEE Hub, a digital library of videos, podcasts, practical resources and compelling stories. As we evolve and grow 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

What can we do to take our tech work and services from GOOD to GREAT?  Have you had a chance to check our recordings on the SEE Hub? What do you think? Share at Newsletter@croydonvision.org.uk . Thank you!

Purpose, Meaning & Gratitude

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

By the time this Newsletter goes to print, the team at Croydon Vision will be fully immersed in delivering the core of our ‘No one left behind’ Christmas 2020 Campaign. As we have mentioned in the past, Christmas springs love and togetherness, yet for many people in our community, isolation is on the rise.

On Christmas Eve 2020, we delivered 140+ freshly cooked hot Christmas dinners to our most vulnerable members. Furthermore, we organised small gifts and entertainment via Facebook Live. The latter was done both online and saved on memory sticks to reach out to as many people as possible and ensure everybody felt included.

We would like to use this opportunity to thank those who kindly contributed to this very special campaign with financial donations and with their time. We couldn’t have done it without you!

• A big thanks to the Ros Harding Trust, COS Croydon, Home Office, Capital Space Ltd., Coversure Business Insurance, Day Lewis Group, Lola & Hilton, Gordon Bull, Michael Barbour, Heather Bailey, Sue Clark, and many others.
• We are currently processing further donations and will make sure these are recorded as soon as possible.
• We are also humbled by the time and effort of our Volunteers and Staff helping in the kitchen, driving around Croydon to deliver food, and designing an entertainment package to keep Members healthy, happy and connected over Christmas.

Thank you, All! We are extremely grateful.

 

Advice & Advocacy

Driving Access & Equality

Following on the theme of gratitude, here is a wonderful and moving story. 2020 was a tough year for a Croydon resident called Natasha. For several months, she was having difficulty obtaining her official payslips, P45 and final wages from her former employer.  Her phone calls and emails were ignored on many occasions causing great distress and frustration.

Natasha was extremely worried about how she was being treated when a member of Croydon Vision suggested she should contact Glen Brazier, the Advice & Advocacy Officer at Croydon Vision. At first, Natasha was a little hesitant about contacting Glen as she isn’t visually impaired nor a member of Croydon Vision. However, she was pleasantly surprised and encouraged to hear a warm, friendly and reassuring voice at the end of the phone. She was also very impressed by Glen’s in-depth knowledge of UK Employment Law which came as an added bonus.

Glen informed Natasha of her rights and exceeded her expectations by writing an assertive letter on her behalf to her former employer. Glen outlined the employer’s legal obligations and responsibilities towards former employees under the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Within hours of receiving this letter, Natasha sent us an update:

“My former employer emailed me with all the documents and wages I had been requesting for months.”

Additionally, Natasha shared her deepest gratitude:

“I am beyond pleased and extremely grateful to Glen for his helpfulness, singleness of mind, and professional writing skills. Thanks to Glen advocating on my behalf, I can now draw a line under this unpleasant chapter in my life and move on to bigger and better things.

I can highly recommend Croydon Vision Advice and Advocacy Service to others as I received a first-class service that delivered a positive result”.

New Year Quiz

We are welcoming the New Year with a very special quiz on beginnings. Enjoy and best of luck!

1. When did New Year’s Day become a bank holiday? 1974, 1978, or 1982.
2. What is a fawn the young of?
3. What sign in nature shows new life?
4. What word is missing? _____   Tadpole    frog
5. Where would you find people ‘first footing’?
6. What should a first footer bring?
7. What’s the difference between Hogmanay and New Year?
8. In which month does the UK tax year start?
9. What is the first flower of the year?
10. What is the average time for a person to keep their New Year’s resolution? 7 days, 24 days or 90 days.
11. What would you put in a new purse or wallet when you give it to someone?
12. When did Croydon Vision’s Facebook Live events start?
13. Who created the first chocolate bar?
14. What tree begins as an acorn?
15. Do the clocks go forward or back in the spring?
16. What would Google suggest you offer someone for their new home?
17. What new challenges will you take on in the New Year?

 

Answers: 1. 24 days. 2: A deer. 3: Buds or new shoots. 4:  Frogspawn. 5: Scotland. 6: Coin, bread, salt, lump of coal and whisky. 7: None! 8: April. 9: Crocus / snowdrop. 10: 24 days. 11. A coin. 12: April 2020. 13: Frys. 14: Oak. 15: Spring forward/Autumn back. 16: Potted plant, flowers in a vase, food containers, gift voucher or fire extinguisher.

17: New challenges are entirely up to you!

Please share at Newsletter@croydonvision.org.uk. We would love to hear about them.

 

January 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
Chiropodist	Tuesday 19th January – 9am – 1pm. Please book via Reception
Low Vision Clinic, Wednesdays from mid-Jan	Please express an interest and book appointments via Reception
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 11th January, 1 pm MSGs meet every second Monday of the month. Call from your landline, charged at your local rate	Macular Society Groups (MSGs) are meeting virtually via conference call. To join the call please dial 0126 4560 225 and press number 1 when asked for your pin
Check our website, Twitter and Reception for further information and exciting updates on Facebook Live sessions – Thursdays at 4pm: ·       7th January: Keeping Fit & Healthy with Frances Cullen, our Chair of the Board of Trustees ·       14th January: Vision Works & Transforming Lives with Michael Spooner ·       21st January: Accessing Travel in Croydon with Karen Underwood from the Sensory Impairment Team/SIT (Council) ·       28th January: Health & Well-being with Vanessa Gordon, our Talking Therapies Counsellor   Feedback from previous Facebook Live – Anna (Member): “The life coaching session was very helpful”.

Croydon Vision Services 2021

There is nothing more rewarding than being in full control of your life.

Great news! Our special, large print 2021 diaries and calendars are here! They look lovely and will help you to plan ahead and be super well organized in 2021. Please call Reception if you wish to find out more:

• A4 Desk Diary: £10.50
• Pocket Diary: £6.50
• Calendar: £7.50

As we embark on our 2021 journey, we are carefully reflecting about the “Stronger Charities for a Stronger Society” report published in 2017.

Charities are the eyes, ears and conscience of society. They mobilise, provide, inspire, advocate and unite. We are conscious that we have a duty to manage service capacity and demand wisely and efficiently, and to secure long term sustainability whilst building resilience with a clear commercial focus.

This inevitably means we will be making some changes to the way we operate in order to ensure 2021 injects further strength into our financial framework. We will soon start a dialogue with our Members in relation to our Newsletter and Talking News, including:

• Content, presentation and
• Introduction of minor fees to cover basic operational costs.

We are very much looking forward to this dialogue and would like to thank you in advance for your feedback. We are keen to work closely with our Members as we build a more sustainable, self-driven and resilient organisation.

Menus

Lunch on Mondays and Wednesdays will be served at Croydon Vision for those who wish to visit. Please note, we require a minimum order of 10 to serve lunch on these days.

Eat Well, Live Well and Age Well

Lunches include choice of main course and dessert

Monday 4^th and Tuesday 5^th January

Meat: Pasta Bolognese served with steamed vegetables  

Vegetarian: Vegetable pasta Bolognese served with steamed vegetables 

Fish: Baked cod served with steamed vegetables and potatoes

Dessert: Fresh fruit salad

Wednesday 6^th and Thursday 7^th January

Meat: Sausage and mash served with baked beans

Vegetarian: Meat-free sausages and mash served baked beans

Fish: Baked cod served with potatoes and beans   

Dessert: Homemade chocolate brownies or seasonal fruit salad

Monday 11^th and Tuesday 12^th January

Meat: Chicken fried rice served with mixed salad

Vegetarian: Vegetable fried rice served with mixed salad

Fish: Baked cod served with roast potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Seasonal fruit salad or homemade sponge cake served with custard

Wednesday 13^th and Thursday 14^th January

Meat: Chicken in breadcrumbs served with chips and beans

Vegetarian: Quorn fillets in breadcrumbs served with chips and beans

Fish: Cod in breadcrumbs served with chips and beans  

Dessert: Fruit salad or lemon and raspberry doughnut custard pudding

Monday 18^th and Tuesday 19^th January

Meat: Beef lasagne served with mixed salad

Vegetarians: Vegetable lasagne served with mixed salad 

Fish: Baked salmon served with potatoes and mixed salad

Dessert: Seasonal fruit salad

Wednesday 20^th and Thursday 21^st January

Main: Jacket potatoes served with tuna, cheese or bake beans

Dessert: Pineapple upside down cake or fresh fruit salad

Monday 25^th and Tuesday 26^th January

Meat: Chili con carne served with rice or potatoes and steamed vegetables

Vegetarian: Vegetarian chili con carne served with rice or potatoes and steamed vegetables  

Fish: Baked haddock served with potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Mixed berry crumble with custard or fresh fruit salad

Wednesday 27^th and Thursday 28^th January

Meat: Roast chicken served with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy

Vegetarians: Vegetarian roast served with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy 

Fish: Baked salmon served with roast potatoes and steamed vegetables

Dessert: Strawberry angel delight or seasonal fruit salad

Our Members share their feedback on our lunch service:

“It’s such a great service. Thanks for supporting my needs” (Vee)

“Croydon Vision have been able to cater to my dietary requirements, providing me with a selection of wonderful, hot tasty food. I no longer need to worry about arranging food” (Pauline)

“I can’t thank you enough for the lunches. Eating hot fresh meals every week has helped me a lot” (Jenny)

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
Natalie Appiah	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 (starts on 4th Jan)	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

We love receiving your feedback and comments. Thank you!

Buddying/ Door step – Lloyd (Member):

“I looked forward to Croydon Vision speaking to me. I felt joyful”.

Keep Fit – Mary (Member):

“A big thank you to CV and Frances Cullen who, every Thursday morning, has been running our Keep Fit and Tai Chi exercises via conference call.  This has helped our physical well-being and mental health. I also enjoyed her Keep Fit via Facebook Live”. 

Personal Development – Natalie (Past Volunteer and now Staff!):

“I’ve enhanced my telecommunications skills, and feel more confident speaking over the phone and relaying the right information. When participating in online mystery shopping, it’s made me more aware of how shops could be more accessible”.

We welcome your submissions for the February 2021 ‘Reset & Go!’ Edition by 12 noon on Monday 18^th January 2021: Newsletter@croydonvision.org.uk . After our Christmas pause and opportunity to reflect, we will reset our energies and focus to think forward and continue growing.