Croydon residents urged to pop along to the new NHS pop-up shop
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust is setting up shop in the Whitgift Centre this month to meet with local people, provide information about its services – and even offer jobs to people on the spot.
The new shop opens on Wednesday June 20 and the Trust is urging people to stop by to find out more about how it 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 it is hoped that people will come along to find out more about joining the CHS team. The right candidates could even receive job offers on the same day.
People who come into the shop will be encouraged to give feedback on care they have received and meet members of staff from across the Trust including teams from maternity, volunteering and recruitment.
On Thursdays there also will be other teams from across the Trust in the shop to provide advice and information on a range of topics and on July 5 there will be a special NHS 70th birthday party taking place from 2pm until 4pm.
John Goulston, Chief Executive of the Trust, said: “We are so excited to have this opportunity to go out into the heart of Croydon and meet with local people. It is not just a chance for us to share information with them and tell them about how they could be part of our team, but also provides a wonderful opportunity to hear where we are getting things right and how we could improve further.
“We are very grateful that the owners of the Whitgift Centre have provided us with this venue as it means we can speak with people as they are going about their daily lives and we really hope lots of people will come along to see us.”
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. The core opening hours will be from 11am until 3pm on Wednesdays and Fridays and from 2pm until 6pm on Thursdays.
Steve Yewman, Development Director, Westfield, said: “We wholeheartedly support Croydon Health Services in this project to recruit and engage with the people of Croydon. The pop up shop gives people the opportunity to find out what it’s like to work for the NHS and about some of the key services they provide across the borough.”
Carolyn Kenney, Development Director, Hammerson, said: “This type of activity fully aligns with our commitment to ensure that the whole community benefits from the Croydon Partnership’s activities in the town. We are pleased to be able to offer space within Whitgift, and hope to see lots of people dropping in to speak to staff and find out more.