Join in Croydon’s celebrations for the NHS’ 70th birthday
The National Health Service turns 70 on 5 July and to mark the occasion a birthday party is being held in Croydon’s Whitgift shopping centre.
The party, which will take place at Croydon Health Services’ pop-up shop, is being jointly hosted by the borough’s NHS organisations and local partners including representatives from Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, Croydon Council, Healthwatch Croydon, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Croydon’s Voluntary Action and the One Croydon Alliance.
Shoppers and members of the public are invited to come along to be part of the celebrations from 2pm. There will be a selfie station where people can take photos to upload to social media, a massive birthday card for people to sign and some free giveaways.
People can also find out about the various organisations and services they offer. At the event Croydon’s Voluntary Action will be launching Connect Well Croydon.
www.connectwellcroydon.org.uk is an online tool to help 'signpost' people into activities of interest to them across the borough’s voluntary and community services. The site is kept up to date with a team volunteers who link with organisations and groups to add their activities and named contacts.
The NHS in Croydon will also be showcasing how services in the borough have changed over the last 70 years, and how ambitious plans to further transforming its services will improve the health and wellbeing of people in Croydon for decades to come.
John Goulston, Chief Executive of Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, said:
“We are very proud of the role we have played in looking after the people of Croydon for many generations.
“Over the past seven decades much has changed in the NHS, but the one thing that has stayed the same is the remarkable dedication and expertise of our staff and so we want to use the occasion of the 70th birthday to all come together to say a huge thank you to everyone who works in the NHS in Croydon for the great work they do.”
Dr Agnelo Fernandes, Clinical Chair of NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group and a GP in Croydon for 28 years said:
“I’m so pleased to be celebrating the NHS’ special birthday with our local partners. As we look to the next 70 years, we know that health and care organisations working together, and with local people, to help individuals to stay as healthy as they can be is the future in the borough. All health and care services in Croydon are now working in partnership to transform local health and care services and our NHS 70 celebrations are just one example of that.
“There is a lot local people can do to support the NHS. We would encourage everyone to give back to the NHS this year by making sure you use health services wisely and think about how you can best look after your own health and support your family, friends and neighbours.”
Councillor Jane Avis, Croydon Council’s cabinet member for families, health and social care, said:
“The NHS is the backbone of our society and we are proud to support this 70th birthday celebration in Croydon. The borough’s health and social care services are committed to improving how we work together better to deliver the best possible care for our residents and those who need NHS services while in the borough. We are already demonstrating this through our One Croydon partnership and the Dementia Action Alliance, which aim to provide wraparound care to help residents live comfortably at home and safely in their communities.”
The pop-up shop has been open in the Whitgift Shopping centre since 20 June so local people can find out more about how the Trust looks after local residents in hospital, in clinics and in their homes. The Trust also has a number of job vacancies at the moment and so people can find out more about joining the CHS team with the right candidates receiving job offers on the same day.
The pop-up shop is located in an empty unit and has been provided free of charge for the Trust to use for a month by the Croydon Partnership, the Westfield and Hammerson joint venture which owns and is planning to redevelop the Whitgift Centre.
If you would like to find out more about Connect Well Croydon contact Karen.Chillman@cvalive.org.uk.
NOTES:
- The core opening hours are from 11am until 3pm on Wednesdays and Fridays and from 2pm until 6pm on Thursdays. The shop is located opposite Superdrug and next to the Body Shop in the Whitgift Centre.
- The One Croydon Alliance is a partnership between the local NHS, Croydon Council and Age UK Croydon. Focused initially on improving the health and wellbeing of older people in the borough, from April 2018, the Alliance will be extending its remit to consider the health needs of people of all ages in the borough. The One Croydon Alliance partners are: Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, Croydon Council, the Croydon GP Collaborative, South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Age UK Croydon.
- For more information please contact the Croydon Health Services NHS Trust communications team on 020 8401 3606 or 3627 or by emailing chs.comms@nhs.net.