Claygate Centre for the Community

PARISH COUNCIL ACHIEVEMENT 2ND APRIL 2024: "Represented Community Centre members at meetings with Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) to secure its future following the unplanned closures."

The Community Centre remains a big concern to people and is discussed in this edition by a local volunteer (see Page 7). The Parish Council has been lobbying Elmbridge Borough Council and is encouraged by its response, which has included the move of Dementia Services to Claygate, securing another 140 clients, and a stronger place for the Centre as part of the community. We look forward to collaborating with all parties concerned.

source: Claygate Courier, March 2024 issue, page 4

COMMUNITY CENTRE REOPENS WITH SERVICES RESTORED

There has been considerable disruption to the operation of Claygate Centre – and most of the other Community Centres run by Elmbridge Borough Council – since they were all closed in November for health and safety reasons, prompting understandable anger, as well as misunderstanding.

Elmbridge has recently been providing updates on its website and the measures announced are looking positive for the future of Claygate Centre. It is not under threat of closure and will become the venue for the local Dementia Group, which is moving from Thames Ditton Centre – £50,000 is being spent on refurbishment to make it more welcoming and to adapt it for the Dementia Service.

Claygate Centre is currently open on Mondays and Thursdays and hot meals are available again for Centre Members on these days. It will open on Tuesdays and Fridays later this year – currently scheduled for late April or early May. There are no plans for general opening on Wednesdays. It is open from 10am to 3pm – two and a half hours less than before. Podiatrist and hairdressing services have been available at Claygate Centre since January and activities and entertainment have substantially been restored. The tea bar is providing a wider range of snacks and drinks, including panini and toasted sandwiches at affordable prices – available to anyone. The Centre has also had solar panels and electric vehicle charging points installed.

The relocation of the Dementia Group to Claygate Centre is especially positive as it means all those involved, including family members, have more certainty about support for their loved ones. The volunteers that run this group do wonderful work. The Dementia Group will operate in dedicated parts of the Centre on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Author: John Bamford, Treasurer, Friends of Claygate Centre

source: Claygate Courier, March 2024 issue, page 7