are celebrating the power of music to support wellbeing and reduce stress Music plays a big part in life at the Home They have recently held special recitals for Burns Night and St Patrick’s Day The choir also tours the Home so that residents who can’t get to the main event still get to enjoy the music Another powerful initiative is the Sing-A-round where a small group of residents sing to those who are living in bed where residents wear headphones and enjoy music in their own way This creates a calming and personal experience for everyone involved from opera singers and violinists to pop and rock performers so there’s always something for everyone!” adds Activities Coordinator Susie “There is also a monthly music and movement session run by the McCauleys a couple who bring energy and fun to the group.” along with highlights of the latest sector news and more from The Carer delivered directly to your inbox twice a week The Carer is published by RBC Publishing Ltd Contributions are welcome for consideration no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised Never see this message again. The relocation of a gambling shop in South Croydon has been questioned after a drive-by shooting nearby, a licensing meeting heard this week Three teenagers have been charged following the incident outside the branch of Merkur Slots South Croydon on February 10 when a 17-year-old suffered serious injuries Merkur Slots has applied to relocate their store from 12 High Street to 41 George Street Patsy Cummings, chair of Croydon Council licensing sub-committee, said at the licensing meeting this week: “I am concerned about what could happen at this particular type of premises A local business owner who was not named told the meeting: “With yet another gambling outlet destined for 41 George Street Our staff and clients have witnessed first-hand begging and delinquent behaviour right outside places like Paddy Power and Ladbrokes We fear that customers will avoid the lower George Street to go up to Central London rather than be subjected to anti-social behaviour around murk’ areas.”   Ali Wardak, Game On shop employee, told MyLondon: “Every other day All the benches are full of young people using drugs and alcohol on the street It’s quite scary for family people.”  George Street has previously seen multiple reports of stabbings and unlawful behavior.   who represented Merkur Slots told the meeting: “I respectfully suggest that if were it not for that incident this would be a very straightforward application What needs to be done now to prevent retaliation on the High Street doesn’t need to be done on George Street.”   Gouriet assured in the meeting: “Nothing that comes within a mile of what happened at Croydon” has occurred at any Merkur location.   The casino will also be required to have an automatic locking device which can be activated in the case that something dangerous happens outside the property.   Two teenagers and a 19-year old man have been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with the shooting and all three will appear at the Old Bailey on March 13 According to a Merkur’s staff member who attended the meeting: “the individuals involved directly had not been in our premises.”   A decision about Merkur’s application for the license to be moved to the new address will be announced at a later date Executive Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry will be in South Croydon for the next Mayor’s Question Time where local residents and businesses can ask questions about local issues and hear about the Mayor’s priorities for the borough It is the seventh in the series of Mayor’s Question Time events that have been held across the borough as part of Mayor Perry’s priority to listen to residents “I’m looking forward to hosting the next Mayor’s Question Time in South Croydon listening to our residents and discussing the key local issues “These events are about delivering on my promise to listen to the people of Croydon and working together to make Croydon a cleaner safer and healthier place to live and work.” The shop has become a focal point for concerns over anti-social behaviour in the area News | London A controversial Croydon vape shop owner will be taken to court for continually blocking the pavement with stacks of cargo This long-anticipated move comes as part of Croydon Council’s ‘crackdown’ on anti-social behaviour in the borough Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry revealed that the owner of Vape and Mobile on Selsdon Road will face prosecution following multiple complaints from residents “We’re cracking down on antisocial behaviour in Croydon,” Mr Perry stated in his post. “This includes prosecuting the owner of Vape and Mobile after residents complained about antisocial behaviour, including deliveries blocking the pavement for long periods The case will be in court later this month.” The issue surrounding Vape and Mobile was highlighted earlier this year in an exclusive report by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) which had seen numerous deliveries obstructing the pavement causing an eyesore and leaving pedestrians with little space to navigate One elderly South Croydon resident named Mary said: “It just looks ugly strongly defended the shop’s operations in response to the complaints and we contribute more revenue than all of these shops have done in their lifetime He also said how his business was a ‘success story’ while other shops were closing up throughout Croydon. He added: “I bought all these businesses when they were closed we are paying business rates and VAT on our goods They only see our boxes just because it’s in sight We only put the pallets out two hours before they come We don’t have a choice; it’s out of necessity.” the shop has become a focal point for concerns over anti-social behaviour in the area The public has responded positively to the council’s action with many feeling that the crackdown is long overdue Outrage as supermarket builds 'conservatory' around Cheam residents' front door London businesses 'most concerned' about fallout from global financial chaos Businesses braced for ‘nosedive’ in consumer confidence amid Trump’s new tariffs Enter the AXA Startup Angel competition to win £25,000 South Croydon’s Conservative councillors have led the drive for this action and were praised online following yesterday’s announcement the start of getting a decent local shopping street back.” The case against the shop owner will be heard in court later this month Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications worst and wackiest looks on the red carpet — Rihanna worst and wackiest looks on the red carpet arrested after five people injured at distribution centre on south London industrial estate A man has described how he fought and fended off a knife-wielding attacker with a fire extinguisher after barricading himself and others inside an office of a warehouse where five people were injured during a mass stabbing Police arrested a 30-year-old man after the attack at a warehouse close to a supermarket in Croydon who described how he used the fire extinguisher to fend off the knifeman at a Sainsbury’s and Argos distribution centre on the Beddington trading estate One of those injured was taken to a major trauma centre in London and four other people were taken to hospital I think someone [was stabbed] in the side as well Then we heard shouting and stuff so we opened the door because it sounded like they were getting murdered I couldn’t shut it in time so he got halfway through the door and he was stabbing at my neck and chest like this and I was deflecting it I managed to grab his wrist and that was when he sliced my finger open I pushed him out the door and squashed his ankle with the door I picked up a fire extinguisher and hit him around the head with it,” said Denton “There was women in the room behind us so if I wasn’t there he would have got through to them.” The Metropolitan police said officers first responded at 10.15am and that five people – a man in his 50s two men in their 30s and two men in their 20s – were taken to hospital with stab wounds Their conditions were assessed as not life-threatening The man who was arrested nearby on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon was also taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening the local policing commander for south London said: “Officers responded quickly and arrested the suspect within an hour we believe all those involved knew each other Therefore we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public.” Police were said to have been called on Sunday at about 6pm after a man turned up at the centre and told staff at the reception area he wanted to speak to a manager He was said to have become aggressive but was then chased out of the building and police were called A Hindu organisation has promised to expand local educational and communal efforts at its newly purchased Croydon school site, which claims to have a “classroom that was once Queen Elizabeth I’s bedroom“ BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) one of the UK’s largest Hindu organisations bought the Old Palace nursery and prep school for £7.5m from the John Whitgift Foundation confirmed the sale last week and said they were pleased the new buyer would be putting the site to “educational and community use” The Old Palace’s senior school will also be up for sale and is scheduled to close its doors at the end of the summer term whose UK headquarters is in the Neasden Temple in north-west London ran a private day school with a focus on Hinduism for nearly 20 years BAPS has said its takeover of the Old Palace nursery and prep school site will expand local educational and communal efforts and provide “much needed facilities for residents” It has promised that a significant chunk of the area will be used for schooling especially for the children who require special needs education and classrooms will be reused for communal efforts and will be available for hire by local schools and organisations BAPS trustee Dr Mayank Shah said: “We are excited to invest in and secure the future of this site restoring its role as a place of learning and community spirit we have supported our members and local communities through our programs and this new space allows us to expand our services and create an inclusive It began life as a manor house in the 12th century at least (the undercroft but it was during the 15th century that the core of today’s palace was built now a library – dates from the time of Archbishop Thomas Arundel (1396-1414) and is one of the earliest uses of brick in Britain The Old Palace site is said to have a history that goes back to the ninth century Queen Elizabeth I’s bed “was set down in what is now known as Queen Elizabeth’s room” Hassan Sentamu jailed for at least 23 years for fatal stabbing of Elianne A teenager has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a 15-year-old girl after a row over a teddy bear in south London Hassan Sentamu was 17 when he killed Elianne Andam by stabbing her in the neck outside the Whitgift Centre in Croydon Sentamu admitted manslaughter but denied murder claiming his autism spectrum disorder had caused him to lose control during a meeting with Elianne sentenced Sentamu to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years as he had taken a knife to the scene Elianne Andam Photograph: Metropolitan police/PAAddressing Sentamu she said: “Elianne was 15 when you murdered her she will never realise the potential of her life The pain of her loss to her parents and younger brother is indescribable.” Cheema-Grubb noted that a mural had been painted for Elianne near where she was killed She said: “Its presence marks the determination of the community as forcefully as they can – put the knives down.” Sentamu had a history of attacking girls and had been cautioned about taking a knife to school He had been the boyfriend of Elianne’s friend Elianne accompanied her friend to meet Sentamu to swap personal possessions When he failed to hand over the possessions that he held in a bag a row broke out that ended in Sentamu fatally attacking Elianne as she tried to run away Sentamu’s ex-girlfriend told the court that during the row Elianne had grabbed the bag as a joke Sentamu then chased her and stabbed her on the ground despite her pleas for him to stop At this sentencing hearing it was also revealed that he attacked a child at Oakhill secure training centre while on remand The prosecutor Ben Lloyd said Sentamu punched the victim in the face the defence barrister Pavlos Panayi KC said: “A crime as horrific as this leaves no real room for advocacy There are no words that can possibly minimise justify or excuse anything Hassan Sentamu did.” They come from his lived experiences from when he was a little boy.” Panayi added: “He has enough good in himself to recognise and hate himself for it.” He cited suicide notes at the time of the murder urged the judge to impose the “strongest possible sentence” In a victim impact statement read to the court by Lloyd Elianne’s mother said Sentamu was motivated by “greed and selfishness” and showed disregard for her daughter’s life Instead you tried to make excuses and cover your act with evil lies said his daughter taught him “how to love” and “how to be a dad” His statement added: “No parent should ever have to bury their child let alone [one who has died] in such a violent manner.” He added: “I could not protect her; that guilt will weigh on my heart for the rest of my life.” Police are investigating the cause of the fire A man has died following a house fire in South Croydon Firefighters were called shortly before midday to a home in Chelsham Road on Saturday Part of the ground floor of an end-of-terrace house had been damaged by the fire Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus found a man inside the home The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service, the London Fire Brigade confirmed Six further people had left a neighbouring property before the Brigade arrived Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Croydon Woodside and Norbury fire stations attended the scene A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Police were called at approximately 12:15hrs on Saturday 31 August to reports of a fire at a residential address in Chelsham Road “London Fire Brigade attended and dealt with the blaze “Enquiries into the cause of the fire remain ongoing Network Rail engineers will use the closure of the line to carry out essential maintenance to track Vital engineering work is taking place this Sunday 12 January between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon meaning that there will be no trains running between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport or stations in between South Croydon and Gatwick Airport Network Rail’s engineers and maintenance teams will use the line closure to carry out essential maintenance to track power supply systems and structures at more than 50 worksites remove litter and undertake routine inspections The work means that customers travelling between London and Gatwick Airport are being asked to travel either between London Victoria and East Grinstead for rail replacement bus connections to the airport or from London Victoria for a direct train service which will take a slightly longer but direct route Rail replacement bus services will also be available for local journeys Customers travelling between London and the South Coast are recommended to travel via East Grinstead using rail replacement services to connect between East Grinstead and Three Bridges Rail replacement buses will operate between East Grinstead and Three Bridges/Gatwick Airport with other rail replacement routes operating Train services will be amended to ensure customers from London Victoria maintain a service between the City and Gatwick Airport with a train every 30 mins via Horsham calling at Gatwick Airport said: “The lines between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport are among the busiest in the country We don’t close them very often and when we do we look to make best use of that access to do as much work as possible to improve passenger journeys “This Sunday our teams will be working at more than 50 worksites delivering a massive amount of work to ensure that trains continue to run safely and reliably on this crucial section of the Brighton Main Line “I’d like to thank customers for bearing with us while our teams work hard to improve this integral part of our rail network” Customer Service director for Govia Thameslink Railway said: “If you’re looking to travel between London and the south coast this weekend please plan ahead and check before you leave for the station “Essential engineering works between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport will close the Brighton Main Line all day on Sunday “See how your route will be affected by visiting the Southern to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Police were called at approximately 12:15hrs on Saturday London Fire Brigade attended and dealt with the blaze Enquiries into the cause of the fire remain ongoing Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a house on Chelsham Road in South Croydon Part of the ground floor was damaged by the fire A person was sadly pronounced dead at the scene The Brigade was called at 1156 and the incident was over for firefighters at 1301 The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters raced to the inferno just before 12pm and the incident was over by 1pm for the fire crews. "A person was sadly pronounced dead at the scene," a LFB spokesperson said READ MORE: The 7 Croydon car parks where you can now park for free for 13 hours every day The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire brigade, alongside police officers. A Met Police spokesperson said the man's family had been informed of his death and there had been no arrests "Enquiries into the cause of the fire remain ongoing," they added You can follow our live blog here for the latest updates on the fatal incident Get the biggest Croydon news, breaking updates and features straight to your inbox. Sign up to our Croydon Central newsletter here. These are the first photos from the scene of the fatal fire in South Croydon. Comments13:23Callum CuddefordNo arrests - Met PoliceA Met Police spokesperson said: Police were called at approximately 12:15hrs on Saturday, 31 August to reports of a fire at a residential address in Chelsham Road, Croydon. London Fire Brigade attended and dealt with the blaze. A man was pronounced dead at the scene. His family have been informed. Enquiries into the cause of the fire remain ongoing. Comments13:23Callum CuddefordFour fire engines and 25 firefighters - LFBAn LFB spokesperson said: Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a house on Chelsham Road in South Croydon. Part of the ground floor was damaged by the fire. A person was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The Brigade was called at 1156 and the incident was over for firefighters at 1301. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service. Comments13:21Callum CuddefordWelcome to our live blogWelcome to our live coverage of a deadly fire in South London Sadly a man died after the ground floor blaze in South Croydon on Saturday morning Police and firefighters are still investigating the cause You can follow our blog here for the latest updates The John Whitgift Foundation has completed a £7.5m sale of its Old Palace pre-school and primary school site to a Neasden-based Hindu organisation The religious organisation promised to invest in the South Croydon school after it closed its doors last summer The prep and primary school on South Croydon’s Melville Avenue closed last July after serving many years as a high-performing girls’ school The John Whitgift Foundation (JWF) cited long-running financial concerns for its closure The Old Palace’s senior school in historic Old Croydon is also up for sale and due to close its doors at the end of the summer term The Old Palace of John Whitgift School has a history arching back 130 years in the area as a private girls’ school While the announcement of both schools’ closure in September 2023 sparked concern the recent purchase of the lower-year schools has provided some relief Buyers BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is one of the biggest Hindu communities in the country It has provided education and outreach programs for over 40 years and is headquartered in the iconic Neasden Temple in north-west London BAPS has insisted its takeover of the site will expand local educational and community initiatives and offer ‘much-needed facilities for residents.’ BAPS has promised that a significant portion of the space will be dedicated to schooling and outdoor areas will be revitalised for community use and available for hire by local schools and organisations The Hindu organisation also plans to improve parking facilities and ensure reduced congestion in the area compared to the previous school’s operations BAPS Trustee Dr Mayank Shah said: “We are excited to invest in and secure the future of this site Newly appointed chief executive of the JWF said: “We are very pleased to confirm the sale of the former site of Old Palace prep school to BAPS The decision to close Old Palace senior and prep schools was an exceptionally difficult one but we are pleased that the new buyer will be using the site for educational and community use “BAPS already have a presence in Croydon and we wish them the very best in their new base in Melville Avenue.” Pictured top: The Old Palace of John Whitgift School which had a history arching back 130 years (Picture: Google Street View) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Evening Standard analysis of key seats in London for the July 4 General Election News | Politics Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Millions of voters across London went to the polls on July 4 to elect the new Government The Standard looked at key battleground seats in the capital and published an interactive map of the results WINNER: CHRIS PHILP Top five candidates (in alphabetical order): Richard Michael Howard - Liberal Democrats (4,384 votes) Chris Philp - Conservatives (19,757 votes) Ben Taylor - Labour (17,444 votes) Area: The constituency includes the wards of Coulsdon Town I’m not sure if I’m in this constituency: Here’s how you can check Boundary changes impact (Thrasher and Rawlings analysis): Boundary changes slightly favour the Conservatives. At the 2019, election they won with 52.2 per cent of the vote, compared to 31.4 per cent for Labour, and 12.6 per cent for the Lib Dems. Under the new boundaries, it would have been 54.5 per cent Tory, 28.1 per cent Labour and 13.5 per cent Lib Dem. MP held on to constituency despite an exit poll suggesting he had only a one per cent chance of doing so A London Tory MP who held his seat in a shock result has hinted that he may run to replace Rishi Sunak as leader of his party According to the BBC’s exit poll, policing minister Chris Philp had only a one per cent chance of holding his constituency of Croydon South Mr Philp held the seat by a majority of 2,313 votes Asked whether he will run for the Conservative leadership he said: “I haven’t even thought about that yet In comments to the Standard moments after his surprise win I’ll be concentrating on holding the incoming Government to account and making the case for lower taxes and a regulatory environment that lets businesses prosper and thrive to let people keep more of their own money “Those are the kind of things which I’ll be working for in Parliament.” which has only ever elected Tories since its creation in 1974 In a sign of how worried the Conservatives were about losing it Rishi Sunak had made a campaign visit on Tuesday The re-elected MP said: "All of the MRP polls "We have bucked the trend - the result here was a lot better than many other places around the country." He said he wanted to bring a new swimming pool to Purley a new medical centre and banking hub to Coulsdon and to get more police deployed in Croydon town centre to boost safety The full set of results for London are here. You can follow the drama from the general election results and get all the latest updates on our live blog. Baroness Owen to introduce law change aimed at criminalising deepfake creation £8.3 billion GB Energy plan will shield consumers from shocks Fact check: PMQs and MP breakfast expenses Make education a priority with help from these acclaimed resources Mr Philp said: “Fourteen years in power is quite a long time I think there were frustrations on issues like tax “All of those I think weighed on voters’ minds and I think we need to take that on board and respond to it.” Looking to the borough’s other constituencies the Labour MP Steve Reed was re-elected in his re-drawn Streatham and Croydon North seat and is now set to become Environment Secretary re-elected in the new constituency of Croydon West is expected to become Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation former Merton councillor Natasha Irons was elected for Labour She told supporters that the party’s landslide victory was an opportunity it “must not squander” Commuters faced major disruption in the rush hour after trains were unable to stop at East Croydon due to a suspect package Police dealt with the incident at the station and carried out a controlled explosion Gatwick Express and Thameslink services have all faced disrupted in the East Croydon area Trains were able to stop again at the station shortly before 6.30pm Meanwhile Motorists have faced delays of up to three hours after a lorry fire on the M25 sparked huge traffic jams stretching for 11 miles At around 1.30am on Friday a lorry carrying a load of metal sheeting caught fire on the M25 clockwise. 5 units and a specialised water carrier from Kent Fire and Rescue Service responded with the blaze being extinguished at around 3am Although the fire had been extinguished the lorry's cargo remained extremely hot and lane restrictions remained in place Two lanes on the clockwise carriageway between junction five, near Sevenoaks in Kent, and junction six, near Godstone in Surrey Traffic monitoring site Inrix said two lanes were still closed as of 11:38 a trespass incident was reported between Hurst Green and East Grinstead “All trains were stopped in the affected area “Teams are working hard to get back to a normal timetable but there have been delays of around 30-60 minutes and will only complete parts of their normal journeys or will be revised to stop at fewer stations en route.” National Rail said: “A trespass incident has been reported between Hurst Green and East Grinstead “All trains have been stopped in the immediate area and staff don't have an exact estimate for any delays at the moment “To avoid the affected part of the network trains which are still heading towards East Grinstead will be diverted away from the route staff are currently unable to confirm any direct onward transport from Oxted Dormans and East Grinstead are not being served.” Transport for London is reporting a circuit failure is causing severe delays and cancellations on all London Overground trains to Richmond Scotland Yard said: “At about 4.07pm on Friday police were made aware of a suspicious package in Addiscombe Road “Members of the public were evacuated and safety cordons were put in place while specialist officers assessed the item specialist teams have conducted a controlled explosion at the location “This incident has now been stood down and enquiries remain ongoing.“ formerly Twitter: “Looks to have all blown over now in East Croydon suspicious package… there was an absolute almighty bang though at some point Police have carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect package at East Croydon station in south London The incident caused widespread disruption for commuters travelling to and from London Victoria Trains are now able to stop again at East Croydon station again police have said Disruption is still expected to services as timetables are restored National Rail have released a statement and advice on travel involving East Croydon station It has said: “The police are dealing with an incident in the East Croydon area and are advising people to remain clear of the station the station has been closed which means trains are currently unable to call or depart “Passengers are advised DO NOT TRAVEL to East Croydon station Gatwick Express and Thameslink services will be disrupted in the East Croydon area “Southern and Thameslink services will not be able to call at this station at short notice There could also be some other service changes “We recommend you do not travel to or from this station until it reopens.” Southern Rail have said trains are unable to stop at the station due to a police incident When we have more detail on the incident we will bring it to you Southern trains are reporting disruption at East Croydon station due to a police incident. Local residents have expressed their horror as Croydon’s largest landowner sells off one of its assets Homes & Property | Property News A girl’s school in South Croydon has been put on the market for offers over £7.5 million as the school year ends The Old Palace of John Whitgift Pre-school & Preparatory School comprising 11 buildings set over 1.9 hectares is available for sale as a whole or in parts a gym and a library still full of equipment and children’s toys would be shuttering the fee-paying school broke last year “The school has struggled financially for many years and the foundation has supported the school from its general reserves in the expectation that the financial situation would improve at some point,” wrote the chair of The Whitgift Foundation citing a £19.9 million loss in the charity’s finances in 2022 Parents have accused the Whitgift Foundation of sexism in closing the girl’s school, and reported it to the Charities Commission in May “The Whitgift Foundation tries to promote itself as a caring organisation fighting for the interests of Croydon’s residents but the way it has acted over the closure of Old Palace has been shocking,” said Aaron Strutt local resident and parent of a child who until recently attended the school “Many parents and local residents are struggling to understand how it can be right to knock down a loved and valued school with an outstanding reputation for educating girls,” he added “It is such a shame that it will probably be flattened and turned into flats unless someone with deep pockets saves it.” which occupies several Grade-listed buildings in Croydon Old Town presents a rare opportunity of scale that spans across 4.5 acres of grounds and is set in a very well-connected location,” said Emma Cleugh head of the education & charities team at Knight Frank “Potential buyers have the option to continue the current use or redevelop the site for alternative mixed or residential uses The Whitgift Foundation was founded in 1596 by the Archbishop of Canterbury to provide education for the young and care for the elderly operating three (soon to be two) independent schools and three care homes The Whitgift Foundation’s financial troubles may be larger than simply one school The charity also owns the freehold and 25 per cent of the leasehold of The Whitfield Centre a beleaguered shopping mall in the middle of Croydon In 2012 plans — brokered by the then Mayor of London Boris Johnson — were afoot to have Australian developer Westfield redevelop the shopping centre in a £1.4 billion regeneration scheme The vision to create a new “retail destination” was scrapped in 2021 and twelve years later the shopping- and town centre remains un-regenerated Westfield has indicated a revised masterplan for the site would include “thousands” of flats but will not be delivered until 2025, local news organisation Inside Croydon reports Chelsea convent could be knocked down for flats as £50 million sale sought Croydon Westfield of the south plan on hold Our Country in Crisis by Kwajo Tweneboa: Social housing in Britain is broken — this book shows the human cost South Croydon’s Premier Division women’s team were crowned premiers in 2024 whilst all other senior teams made finals – a feat they’ll look to repeat in 2025 South Croydon are looking to build on an already strong foundation to go a couple of steps further in 2025 Finishing fifth in 2024 and falling to Rowville in the Semi Final the Bulldogs showed great improvement following an 0-2 start where the side lost by a combined 110 points Head coach Brendan Allen was pleased with the progress his side showed throughout the season South Croydon has retained much of its strong core of players whilst also managing to add some big names to the list Among these is Jett Latchford (son of former club great who trades the Outer East League for the EFNL “We had a mid-year forward planning strategy meeting,” said Allen “We had a few holes we needed to fill so it was a targeted off-season of recruiting” The biggest new name to call Cheong Park home is three-time AFL premiership player Liam Shiels With over 285 appearances at the top level Coach Allen has already seen the lift that Shiels has given the side “He’s starting to really speak up at training and help a lot of the young kids Everyone lifts around someone like that on the track… everything seems to go up a notch.” The Bulldogs will look to start 2025 off on the right foot as they travel to East Ringwood Reserve to take on last season’s minor premiers After finishing second in the home-and-away season South Croydon Blue were crowned premiers of the Premier Division preventing an Eastern Devils three-peat in the Grand Final Head coach Simon Hammersley remembers the joy of the success “We had a great year and Grand Final day… it was an amazing day,” said Hammersley Named as the head coach in the 2024 Premier Division Women’s Team of the Year Hammersley has done well to retain the core talent in his side Among those committing to another season at Cheong Park is Taylah Black who reached EFNL Legend status after winning her third league Best and Fairest award “[Taylah Black] is 1 of 1 in the legend arena for the women’s game,” Hammersley said “Obviously there’s always a little bit of turnover… for the most part it’s all pretty stable” Hammersley is still set on making improvements to his South Croydon Blue side “There’s a few tweaks that we want to make with the way that we play the game so that we can keep building and keep doing things different – add some more layers to what we are doing,” Coach Hammersley said “Last year was a great chapter for the club… but obviously that chapter is now done” The Bulldogs will travel to Vermont Recreation Reserve to take on Vermont in their season opener South Croydon won both meetings last season by a combined 94 points South Croydon’s development squad also put together a strong home-and-away season in 2024 but fell short in September the Bulldogs boasted the league’s second-best offense and defence The side would ultimately fall to Heathmont by six points in Semi Final 1 There is good reason to be excited about what the side will produce in 2025 as they were one of the only teams to defeat eventual premiers Mooroolbark South Croydon Red will look to go one step further and extend their post-season push in 2025 Match Footage EFNL Board Staff Junior Committee Senior Clubs Junior Clubs Safeguarding Children & Young People Annual Reports (VIEW MAP) Email: enquiries@efnl.org.au Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy