Old Town Masterplan- Public Exhibition

Following up on the workshop held in March on The Old Town Masterplan, Croydon Council is inviting local residents to a public exhibition on initial ideas to help improve Croydon's Old Town.

At: Connected Croydon project Shop, 81 Church Street

On: Thursday 20th June, 5.30pm-9pm & Saturday 22nd June, 11am-3pm

I hope that many residents from Old Town and across Waddon attend as it provides an opportunity to view initial proposals for the area. Over the next 20 years, the master plan will guide the development of Old Town and guide how its historic places including Croydon Minster and Surrey Street and their setting can be preserved and enhanced. 

The master plan will also suggest how movement in, out and around the historic area could be better, for example by improving pedestrian and cyclist crossings over Roman Way.

The Old Town Masterplan will also guide £1.5m of investment from the Mayor of London for upgrading streets, buildings and public spaces in the area, as part of the wider Connected Croydon programme.

Waddon's Hidden Gem

Yesterday a long-standing friend from Waddon told me that he had never visited Waddon Ponds and had no idea where it was, when I described it as one of Waddon's hidden gems. I was very surprised by this as he lives close by in Old Town and takes his dog for daily walks at Duppas Hill. However, in case he isn't alone I have decided to write a post on Waddon Ponds as it is one of my favourite places to visit in Waddon.

The ponds are located between The Ridgeway, Waddon Court Road and Court Drive and are home to a variety of ducks that enjoy being fed with lots of bread! 

When Tony, Simon and myself re-stood for election in May 2010 we pledged to continue investing into Waddon's local parks, especially Waddon Ponds. I am delighted that we have achieved this and have improved Waddon Ponds under the Parks to be Proud of Project. 

Wandle Ponds has benefited from a number of improvements over the past few years, including:

• Major repairs to the pond bank
• Refurbished toilets
• New mature shrubs
• New benches, spring bulb and tree planting

A local resident described it as a "Home of extensive ponds centrally positioned in this hidden gem of a park- inhabited by a wide range of aquatic birds and surrounded by an ornamental garden."

Access to the park is from The Ridgeway, Waddon Court Road or Mill Lane. 

To view the variety of ducks, click here 

Croydon's Heritage Festival

On Monday 3rd June, Croydon's three-week Heritage Festival began.

The festival celebrates Croydon's past, present and future with activities taking place across the borough. This week, various exhibitions and tours took place that give an fascinating insight into Croydon's heritage. 

Next week, I am really looking forward to attending the evening tour of Old Town and also hear from historian Ray Wheeler on Waddon's history. As a local Waddon girl I already know that 'Waddon' is thought to be derived from wad-dun or woad hill and that the Domesday books mentions Waddon Ponds but would like to learn more about Waddon and Old Town. 

If you have a particular interest in a certain part of Croydon like myself then click here to view the programme of events for the next fortnight. 

Tomorrow, I will be heading to the main event in Croydon Town Centre as there will be a variety of activities and entertainment on offer, including:

• Street entertainers
• Heritage society displays & information
• Live music and performance
• A fancy dress competition for all ages at 2pm, with winners judging and announcement by the Mayor of Croydon at 2.25pm
• Historic tours
• Heritage challenge for Croydon's youngsters

The Mayor of Croydon attends Waddon's Street Party

The Mayor, her consort Natasha & Andrea Wallace

Yesterday, local residents in Vicarage Road got together and organised a street party, as part of the Big Lunch.

It was also the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation, which made it an extra special occasion for many residents in Waddon, who came together in their thousands last year to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Big Lunch began five years ago, from the Eden Project, with the aim of getting as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours once a year in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. 

Croydon Council has supported this project and covers the cost of a road closure and adequate signage. 

As well as partying, residents in Vicarage Road also had displays of kickboxing, zumba and a talent show! 

Funds were raised for Cancer Research UK and a big congratulations to Andrea Wallace for organising the day.

The Mayor and members of the kickboxing display team

Small grants fund round 5 announced - apply today

Croydon Council launched the Small Grants Fund in 2011, providing an opportunity for local people and communities to come together, get organised and get things done. It focuses on getting small and innovative projects off the ground where funding is available for new initiatives for a maximum of two years.

Under previous rounds, Waddon Phoenix Club obtained funding so that older people could participate in sport sessions improving their health, well-being and community spirit. 

If your organisation is based in Croydon, set up as a not-for-profit organisation, has an annual turnover of less than £30k and no more than two full-time equivalent paid staff and meets basic council requirements on governance, management and financial competence and equalities then apply today by clicking here 

Priority will be given to new activities and groups which have not previously received ongoing funding from the council and they are also encouraging applications from  'micro-projects' that now need support to help them develop further.

For more information, click here 

Come and try out Boccia

Vicky at Ames UK Sport Club

Waddon resident Vicky Panagiotidou was chosen as an Olympic Torchbearer last year and is inviting local residents to an opening day where they can play the sport of Boccia free of charge. 

Boccia is a well-known sport that requires both skill and strategy, with the emphasis being on accuracy  as opposed to strength. Currently governed by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA), Boccia was first granted entry to the Paralympics in 1984 and is one of three Paralympic sports that have no counterpart in the Olympic programme.

After the opening day Boccia will be available at Ames UK Sport Club, that Vicky owns, where she provides swimming for mainstream and special needs children and now Boccia for physically disabled children and adults.

The Boccia open day will be on: Wednesday 29th May, 4pm-6pm at: Croydon High School, CR2 8YB

Croydon Bakeoff has the recipe for our town's success

After meeting residents this morning and feeding the ducks at Waddon Ponds, I headed to Croydon Bake Off, a seasonal competition organised locally by Christo Matthews through the Croydon Eats Out (CEO) group, which aims to bring residents together for food-based events throughout the year. The event takes place in the vibrant town centre in the courtyard by Matthews Yard and is staffed and supported by a series of local volunteers from across the Borough. Entrants into the competition are judged by professional chefs and can serve up sweet or savoury dishes for the members of the public to taste and enjoy throughout the day.

Tasty treats on offer included lavender flavoured cupcakes, homemade sausage rolls and freshly made quiche. The event attracted several hundred people throughout the day and everyone I spoke with thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were very supportive of the competition.

Many entrants for the competition had heard about it on Twitter and Facebook through Croydon’s thriving social media scene. Today’s Bakeoff was another perfect example of key members of our community coming together to organise great events that promote and publicise our town by showcasing our community spirit. It is this community spirit that I saw during the opening of Waddon’s leisure centre earlier in the year, and it is this community spirit that we must all continue to support to give our town the national recognition it deserves.