Dear friend,

I hope you had a lovely summer. Parliament was back for a short period of time before breaking up again for Conference Recess, and we are now back in full swing.

This week will mark 100 days since the election and we have been busy delivering on our promises. Introducing legislation to protect private renters, launching GB Energy which will bring bills down and make us more secure, and sorting out all the strikes so we get our NHS and schools running again.

As the new Minister for Industry, I am incredibly busy working with businesses and trade unions to grow our economy and create more jobs. I spend Monday-Thursday in London either in the two Departments I work in, or in the House of Commons, and then I spend Friday and the weekend working in Croydon. I’m so keen to make sure I see as many people as possible so if you have an organisation or a charity or a place you want me to visit, please do get in touch.

I am hosting my regular surgeries, but we are also going to hold some ‘Cost of Living’ events which will bring together agencies like citizens advice and Mind – to ensure people are accessing all the help and support they need. Do email me if you want more information.

Remembering Elianne one year on 

On the one-year anniversary of her death, the Croydon community came together to remember and celebrate the life of Elianne Andam who was murdered a year ago in Croydon. It was an honour to attend the deeply moving ceremony to unveil the mural in her memory. One year on from her death, her family remain extraordinary in their strength. Elianne’s life was full of joy and love, and her future was bright and full of promise. Her senseless murder shook the whole community and affected us all, and her death has left a hole which will never be filled. Thank you to everyone who helped make the mural possible. We stand together in Croydon and we will defeat violence.

Tackle London honours the life of Sargeant Matt Ratana 

Tackle London are doing inspiring work every day to support vulnerable children in Croydon, including those with Adverse Childhood Experiences through their educational rugby programmes and it was great to welcome them to Parliament recently. The foundation brings pride to Croydon and beyond every day as they carry out their vital work and honour Matt’s legacy. Born in New Zealand, Matt Ratana was a serving Metropolitan Police Officer in Croydon when he was killed in the line of duty in 2020. Last month marks four years since his death. Matt worked tirelessly as a rugby coach for all ages and mentor to young people, and his memory lives on through the work of the foundation and Tackle London. As a Croydon MP and as a mum with young children, Tackle London are perfectly placed in Croydon to support our young people and I am so proud to have such inspiring organisations like them in Croydon.

Thornton Heath Sappara Festival lights up the sky 

Thank you to friends old and new at the Sree Sakthy Ganapathy Temple in Thornton Heath for welcoming me once again to the Sappara festival. It was such a fantastic evening, especially the live music! We are so lucky to have such a rich and vibrant community in Croydon.

Enjoying cultural and culinary delights during Onam 

Croydon, the town that never sleeps! More amazing celebrations at The Real Taste of India on London Road celebrating the annual harvest festival of Onam. The Onam Sadya is an incredible vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf that typically includes around 24–28 dishes! The word “sadya” means “banquet” and the meal is a symbol of community, prosperity, and abundance.

There is no place for hatred in Croydon

Over the summer we witnessed appalling riots in parts of the UK. It was an extremely troubling time for us all and I know that many people were scared. It was good to meet with our mosques and faith leaders in Croydon to talk about the situation as it was happening and foster good lines of communication between faith groups, elected officials and the police. Despite rumours, I am relieved that there was no far-right presence in Croydon and I want to thank police officers in Croydon for their hard work to keep our community safe. The violence we witnessed has no place in our society, and we have seen those responsible have felt the full force of the law with over 1,000 people arrested across the country. Croydon is an inclusive and welcoming borough where we celebrate diversity and multiculturalism. There is no place for hatred, violence or racism in our town and I’m proud to call it my home.

Croydon Gurdwara Saturday school visit 

It was lovely to be back at Croydon Gurdwara for their Saturday school talking with the children and staff about my role as an MP and their visions for Croydon. It was fascinating to hear about a project about racism and the Heartstone Odyssey book they did recently and how we can help children foster positive and welcoming attitudes towards people from different faiths and backgrounds.

Go and check out the community projects in action at South Norwood Library 

What an amazing community initiative – Story Quilts is a free weekly community quilt group at South Norwood Library set up by friends Lynn and Fay and I joined them for the unveiling earlier this month. They wanted to encourage residents to get involved with their local library and before they knew it they had around 15 people quilting every week, from four years old to 70+. The quilt has been a year in the making and holds 100 story squares created by community members in SE25. Each square represents a memory, place or person from South Norwood. The entire project has been funded by the Arts Council of England and the installation into the library funded by the Culture Croydon programme. They plan to continue the weekly sessions with an ambition to create functional quilts for vulnerable women and children in Croydon through local based charities. You can see the history of the project here. Croydon really does have it all.

Croydon’s voluntary organisations support those most in need 

Age UK do great work to support and advise elderly people in Croydon West. They are a vibrant hub of activity from reading, knitting and crochet groups, choir classes, exercise classes and a Memory Tree Cafe for those with a diagnosis of dementia and their carers. They also have a lovely garden where you can spend time outdoors and even flex those green fingers. See their activity schedule here.

AYDA was set up by Lucy in 2007 to support children & families in Croydon – offering a safe space to talk, develop new skills & raise self-esteem. They used to operate a soup kitchen and different clubs for children and their families, but due to a lack of affordable venues they had to put their workshops on hold. I’m now working to help them find the new home they need to keep supporting our community. If you or your organisation want to support them, or you know of a space where they could use, please get in touch with me – [email protected]

Soup Kitchen on London Road 

AR Projects run a Soup Kitchen twice a week on London Road, a critical resource providing nourishment and support to the residents of Croydon, offering meals, food parcels and a safe space for individuals and families in need. The Soup Kitchen runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays (outside 89 London Road from 7PM), serving 450+ meals per week. They also provide hygiene essentials such as toothpaste, deodorant, soap and wet wipes, along with supermarket surplus which changes depending on availability. You can also request an emergency parcel through using this form. If you or anyone you know needs their support, please get in touch with me or you can contact them directly via their website.

Holding the council to account on Wandle Park issues 

I am in touch with constituents who are continuously frustrated with the state of Wandle Park, particularly the closure of the café which was a huge disappointment to residents. The council committed to reopening the café years ago and its derelict state has been a constant cause for crime and antisocial behaviour especially at night. The café’s closure has also meant there are no toilet facilities at the park. We need answers from the council on when we are going to see some progress. As well as the issue with the café there also needs to be bigger bins to sort out the overflowing waste, as well as the necessity for more playground provisions for under-fives. I am holding the Council to account on these issues and will keep you updated on any progress. I really hope that through working together we can see progress made for the Wandle Community.

The Salvation Army is helping to get people into work 

The number one issue people come to me for help with is housing and homelessness, but many people in Croydon need help not just finding housing but also accessing work and skills. Croydon’s Salvation Army recently held their Employability & Community Fair. Their Employment Plus service offers tailored support to help people find work and stay in work. They work with local employers and organisations to support people in finding work placements, training courses, as well as offering support with digital skills which are increasingly important in finding employment and using online services.

Croydon Drop-In has a new Chief Exec 

I’ve worked with Croydon Drop-In for years and it was lovely to meet with their new Chief Executive, Shaun Polley. Young people in Croydon are facing a myriad of issues, and as your local MP I will continue to work with local organisations and take the necessary steps take to help our young people. I look forward to continuing to work with CDI and wish Shaun all the best in his new role.

Crisis Skylight supports hundreds of Croydon residents 

Crisis Skylight is a wonderful charity supporting people who are experiencing homelessness. In 2023 alone they helped over 600 people. They have an IT room where they teach members digital skills, and a clinical room which provides health and wellness checks to those in need. Their members can also use the laundry room and showers that they have on site. Their supply of men’s clothing is in high demand and short supply, so please donate if you can. You can find more information via their website.

If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, you can self-refer to Crisis Skylight Croydon by calling them on 0203 848 1700 (lines are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 10 am to 4 pm and Wednesdays 10am to 2pm) or by emailing them at [email protected]. You can also drop into Crisis Skylight Croydon between the hours of 10 am to 4pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10 am to 2 pm on Wednesdays.

If you are rough sleeping, you can also do a StreetLink referral which you can do through this form. For urgent out-of-hours support, contact Streetlink on 0300 5000 914. However, Crisis and Streetlink are not an emergency service so if you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 now and ask for the police or an ambulance.

Casework update 

As you will know the boundary changes at the last election mean I am now the MP for the new constituency of Croydon West. Lots of you who are signed up to my newsletter might now live in the new constituency of Croydon East which is represented by Natasha Irons MP. If you’re not sure if I’m still your MP, you can ask me! Or you can use this website.

Since the election I have received 923 new pieces of casework. A third of enquiries were housing related, 15% local government enquiries and 12% immigration related. Some of the key themes were Universal Credit, education, fly-tipping, ASB and temporary accommodation. Despite this being a very busy time, I have already had some positive casework outcomes.

In August, I was contacted by a single dad who lost his partner to cancer a few years earlier, and he and his daughter have been forced to rent unsuitable accommodation due to the high cost of rent. Luckily, just two months after I raised this with the Council, they were able to locate them a suitable flat which they have now moved into. I wish them all the best settling into their new home. Recently I was contacted by a constituent who was due to have a friend visit from abroad. Unfortunately, their visitor visa was refused for no apparent reason. After my intervention, the Home Office acknowledged that a review was necessary, and the visitor visa was issued. I hope that my constituent’s friend has a wonderful visit to Croydon!

A wonderful family, seeking asylum in the UK whose son is a budding footballer were almost dispersed halfway across the country by the Home Office. I wrote to the Home Office requesting that they allow the family to remain within Croydon so their son can continue playing for his local team. I was glad to hear that they are now settling into their new home near the football club!

Finally, I was contacted by a gentleman whose communal door was repeatedly breaking. The broken door was leading to an increase in antisocial behaviour but had not been resolved. I chased this up with the Council asking them to permanently fix the issue and was glad to hear from my constituent that the door has now been fixed and has not broken since!

A huge thanks must go to my small team for all their hard work, and their continued ability to get results. If there is anything I can do as your MP to support you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. My team and I are always on hand to offer any advice and support that we can offer. If you think I can help, please email me at [email protected]