Claygate Centre for the Community
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| O X S H O T T | ||||||||
March 2025
COMMUNITY CENTRE IS FOR ALL - NOT JUST THE ELDERLY
A well-attended meeting at Claygate Centre in January on the provision of community support services in Elmbridge highlighted how invaluable the centre and the variety of activities that take place every week are for our village. Elmbridge Borough Council has appointed consultants to carry out a series of workshops to assess such services.
What also became clear at the meeting is that Claygate Centre in Elm Road is widely seen as just for older residents – which is not the case at all: anyone from the age of 18 can use the Centre.
Activities available include table tennis and entertainment, chair-based exercises, arts and crafts, plus footcare, hairdressing, reflexology and beauty services by appointment. The tea bar serves refreshments, including toasties, sandwiches, snacks and delicious cakes at extremely reasonable prices. And visitors don’t even have to be Centre members!
October 2024
CENTRE SERVICES ARE BACK UP AND RUNNING
Claygate Centre fully reopened in April from 10am to 3pm every weekday except Wednesday. Hot meals are now available to Centre members every day it’s open—a freshly cooked meal of up to three courses for £6 (or less if you skip one or more courses). These meals can be booked in advance by calling the Centre on 01372 463476.
Alternatively, the Tea Bar serves toasties, sandwiches and delicious cakes and is open to all residents at reasonable prices—you don’t have to be a Centre member to enjoy it.
Most activities and entertainment have also now been restored. Chair-based yoga and exercise classes are available on Monday and Thursday mornings; table tennis is available on Monday afternoons; entertainment is arranged for Thursday afternoons after lunch, and bingo and a quiz are available on Monday and Tuesday afternoons respectively.
On Fridays, art and craft sessions are now available again from 10.15am to 11.15am and “Knit and Sew” sessions are available in the afternoon from 1.15pm to 2.15pm. Footcare, hairdressing, reflexology and beauty services are also available by appointment. It’s a great place to find company and conversation or somewhere safe and warm to go to during the colder days. Anyone needing help getting to Claygate Centre can call it on 01372 463476 for more information about community transport or any of the activities mentioned above.
CHRISTMAS FAYRE
The Centre’s annual Christmas Fayre is scheduled for Saturday November 6. Among the many attractions will be the opportunity to buy Christmas presents and stocking-fillers, as well as the opportunity to win prizes at various stalls. There will even be a visit from Father Christmas.
DEMENTIA SERVICES GROUP
The Dementia Services Group has settled smoothly into Claygate Centre, providing a much needed service on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am until 3pm. It provides vital care and stimulation for those living with dementia, and invaluable respite for carers and family members. It achieves this by providing engaging activities and social interaction. The service also supports families and carers by offering advice and information.
Everyone is welcome to drop in on the “Musical Memories” sessions every second Tuesday of the month between 1.30pm and 2.30pm or the “Sing-a-long” afternoon tea sessions on the last Friday of the month between 1pm and 2pm, both of which are held in the main hall at Claygate Centre.
To learn more about Dementia Services email dementiaservices@elmbridge.gov.uk, call 01372 474547 or visit https://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/community-support/elmbridge-dementia-services.
Parish Council Achievements 2024
- PARISH COUNCIL ACHIEVEMENT 23RD MAY 2024: "Met with EBC representatives at the Claygate Centre to review progress towards re-opening four days a week & to make suggestions for joint activities between the two memberships."
- 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."
March 2024
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.
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
See also
- Parish Council's project to preserve Claygate Community Centre
