Libraries Consultation Update

Thank you to all who have participated in the Libraries Consultation process, and are keen to be involved with the proposed changes to our libraries.

To provide more time, we are extending the consultation deadline to 14 March 2021, and if you have any additional comments we are allowing multiple survey submissions.

The Libraries Consultation has had over 1400 responses to date, and many residents have questions which we would like to address in a series of Zoom webinars:

20 February Saturday
10.30am-11.30am
All Libraries service webinar: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141172349297

20 February Saturday
12noon-1.00pm
How to run a community library – with The Community Run Libraries National Peer Network: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141177717353

22 February Monday
6.00pm-7.00pm
South Norwood Library: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141178744425

23 February Tuesday
5.30pm-6.30pm
Broad Green Library: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141178832689

23 February Tuesday
6.45pm–7.45pm
Shirley Library: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141179013229

24 February Wednesday
5.30pm-6.30pm
Bradmore Green Library: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141181893845

24 February Wednesday
6.45pm-7.45pm
Sanderstead Library: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141182056331

These sessions will be recorded and available to access after the event.
Register on Eventbrite: bit.ly/CroyLibsEventbrite.

Submit your questions in advance (please note the relevant session) to librariesconsultation@croydon.gov.uk, or leave a message on 0207 884 5159.

For more details see the Libraries consultation website: www.croydon.gov.uk/library-consultation

Save Croydon Libraries Campaign Meeting – 9 Feb

Bradmore Green, Broad Green, Sanderstead, Shirley and South Norwood libraries have been earmarked for closure by Croydon Council.

Are YOU concerned about the five libraries under threat and the wider impact this will have on our much valued and well-used public library service in Croydon?

Join with others to discuss the consultation and what we can do to campaign to save our libraries.

Email SaveCroydonLibraries@gmail.com for login in details.

Have Your Say – Croydon Council Libraries Consultation

Why are we doing this?
The council is currently facing severe financial challenges, which means we will need to be clear about our priorities and make some tough decisions about what we will and won’t do over the next few years. Some services will stop and others, such as our library service, will have to change. But, by focussing on a smaller number of priorities for our residents, we will make sure that we are delivering good quality services, where they will have the biggest impact.

We are committed to delivering a comprehensive and efficient library service, which operates within the reduced resources available. This means that we are having to look at either closing some of our library buildings, or find an alternative that would not require any council funding.

The council currently runs 13 libraries in the borough, and we are proposing reducing this to eight. By doing this it will allow us to continue providing a comprehensive library service that meets the needs of our community.

When considering library buildings to include in our proposals we have looked at building operating and maintenance costs, how visitors use the service, and how close they are to other libraries – more details on this is provided on the Croydon Council Libraries Consultation website.

What do we want to know?
At this stage of our consultation we want to hear your views on the proposals, ideas for our library service and suggestions for alternative ways we could use library buildings. We will use this information to help us further develop our options and consult you again on these, before taking a proposal to cabinet for a decision in summer 2021.

To request this information and questionnaire in a different format, email: librariesconsultation@croydon.gov.uk or call 020 7884 5159.

Please complete the survey by 7 March.

Public consultation timetable:

Initial consultation on proposals begins 14 January 2021
Initial consultation ends (survey closes) 7 March 2021
Consultation outcome & options report April 2021
Consultation finishes May 2021
Final report June 2021
Final decision Summer 2021
Implementation September 2021 (expected)

Croydon University Centre welcomes new look and additional courses for 2021

Croydon College has unveiled a new look for their Higher Education provision as it celebrates ten successful years of being a university centre, alongside a new university partnership and additional courses to move into its next decade.

Now titled Croydon University Centre it has never been more important to have a higher education offering in Croydon for local people, with a drive for people to build further skills for the ‘new world’ and also with easy access.

Alongside the new name, the Croydon University Centre has announced it will be running new courses for local people to start from as early as January 2021. The HNC Business, a teacher training course, HNC Construction, and HNC in Art & Design, are just some of the courses it will provide as it looks to help local students to upskill or reskill.

It has also launched its new BSc Adult Nursing course, in partnership with the University of Roehampton, with applications now open on UCAS for a 2021 start. The partnership also allows students to be able to study University of Roehampton validated degrees, including Business and Management, Criminology, Psychology and Social Justice, Early Childhood Studies, Public Health and Social Care, from September 2021 on the Croydon College site.

Caireen Mitchell, CEO and Principal, Croydon College said: “We have been delivering higher education in our university centre for nearly ten years, which has been a remarkable achievement by all and with some amazing alumni. It seems fitting that as we move into a new decade, with all the changes this will bring following recent events, that we have a refresh of the name and offering we provide, allowing us to move forward and reach even more students across the borough and wider.”

The next open day for students to find out more will be taking place virtually on 7th January from 4.30pm – 6.30pm.

To find out more and view the new e-prospectus please visit www.croydonuniversitycentre.ac.uk

Croydon College/Croydon University Centre

Croydon College is one of the largest and most successful providers of Further (college) and Higher (university) Education courses in the South East, judged ‘Good’ at all levels in all areas by external inspections by Ofsted and the Quality Assurance Agency (for Higher Education).

Officially opened by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the University Centre Croydon – now Croydon University Centre, has built on the already successful educational offer at Croydon College which dates back nearly 150 years to the original Croydon School of Art. The College is the only further education college to have been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) and is currently graded “good” by Ofsted (2018).

With the ambition to ensure that all students can reach their full potential, the College offers a wide range of academic and vocational qualifications, including degrees, Apprenticeships, BTEC, City and Guilds and NVQs.

www.croydon.ac.uk or www.croydonuniversitycentre.ac.uk

University Centre Croydon and University of Roehampton partner to offer new BSc in Adult Nursing

University Centre Croydon and the University of Roehampton have announced their partnership to deliver a new BSc in Adult Nursing course for 2021, with applications now open.

With demand for nurses in the NHS increasing and University Centre Croydon, part of Croydon College, receiving a record number of applications for their Health and Social Care courses this year, both institutions have joined forces to offer this new degree course, developed and taught by the University of Roehampton at the College’s university site in Croydon*.

The BSc in Adult Nursing degree** will allow students to learn in a brand new £1 million new dedicated nursing suite – the Clinical Simulation Centre – which replicates realistic community and in-hospital settings. Here students will safely practice clinical skills with other students, service users, role players and hi-tech patient simulators under the guidance of experienced clinical and academic staff from the University of Roehampton. As part of the degree programme, students will take part in placements at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust and other local health providers.

As part of the partnership, which comes into full effect in September next year, with applications open now, students will also be able to study University of Roehampton validated degrees at Croydon College’s university centre, including Business and Management, Criminology, Psychology and Social Justice, Early Childhood Studies, Public Health and Social Care.

In recognition of the need for a safe, local place to learn during the current Covid-19 pandemic, a new University of Roehampton Study Centre has also been opened at Croydon College, enabling Croydon College graduates who are enrolled in degrees in the main University of Roehampton campus in south-west London the chance to have the option to study remotely in an educational setting close to home.

Caireen Mitchell, CEO and Principal, Croydon College, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with University of Roehampton, which is one of the top ten universities in London. We have a long-established relationship with them with many of our students moving to the university following their studies at Croydon College, so to now work in partnership with them is a great addition to our offer. Health and Social Care is a very important subject area for us and with a 25% increase on enrolments from last year we are very pleased to be able to expand our subjects to now include BSc in Adult Nursing, enabling our students to take the next steps in their career.”

Professor Jean-Noël Ezingeard, Vice-Chancellor, University of Roehampton said: “Our strategic partnership with Croydon College will allow us to harness our respective strengths to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals. The University of Roehampton has a thriving Adult Nursing programme, with a strong emphasis on community and primary care nursing, providing a wide range of career options for our graduates. We are excited to work in partnership with Croydon College and healthcare providers, including Croydon University Hospital, to offer this innovative programme to a wider audience.”

For further information please visit www.croydon.ac.uk

* Campus located at Croydon College (address: College Rd, London, CR9 1DX)

** Pending accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council