Creating a shared vision for the future

Supporting the regeneration of our town centre and districts is a key commitment for me as Croydon’s Executive Mayor. I’m working with residents, businesses, partners and developers to steer our postpandemic high street recovery, create our shared vision for future success and drive investment to our borough, so that together, we unleash Croydon’s economic potential.

South Norwood Regeneration

I strongly believe that if we want to regenerate our borough, we need to start by doing all we can to support grassroots enterprise and helping our local high streets to grow.

A great example of this is the work that Croydon has been doing with the creative, community-minded entrepreneurs behind the Clock Tower Market in South Norwood.

I was fortunate to meet committed individuals of the volunteer-led market, an all-women committee of residents who give their time to make the market a success and help new entrepreneurs to get their first footing.

We have been working with them through the South Norwood Regeneration programme, which is funded from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund and Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone. The programme was set up to revitalise high streets, celebrate the area’s rich heritage and culture and create a place where people and businesses can thrive. Croydon has been working with the Clock Tower Market committee to help them overcome challenges such as increasing power supply for traders selling hot food and supplying extra equipment.

In addition, fledgling entrepreneurs were invited to take part in a fully-funded business start-up course, the South Norwood Business Builder, and business launchpad competition, with the winners receiving a four-month market pitch, a marketing budget and mentoring sessions with an established trader.

The two winners were local businesses, Isifiso, purveyor of eco-friendly home accessories, and Glowpretty London, which creates vegan, organic and cruelty-free skincare and was also recipient of a national Vegan Choice Award 2022.

By supporting the organisations that provide the first step into face-to-face trading, the council is helping ensure they continue and in the case of South Norwood's Clock Tower Market, expand their potential to encourage new businesses. We’ve even seen market traders develop their business model from the marketplace to high street shop, helping to fill vacant spaces.

By supporting our local entrepreneurs to benefit from funding and development opportunities like these, we will help our local high streets to survive and thrive.

This Is Croydon

I was really proud to launch Croydon’s programme for our year as London Borough of Culture 2023 in March at Boxpark, with a fantastic range of performances providing a taster of the homegrown talent that everyone can look forward to.

Croydon’s sense of community spirit is one of our greatest strengths and what is really special about our year is that it has been curated and developed by the people of Croydon and will celebrate our communities in every corner of the borough.

This is Croydon will run from April 2023 until March 2024 and we can now reveal that the programme includes some fantastic largescale events such as Croydon PrideFest, Croydon Mela and the London Road Carnival and Croydon Food and Music Festival, as well as celebrations in our district centres such as Surrey Street Festival of Music and Food and Purley Community Festival.

Stanley Arts in South Norwood are hosting ‘Commons: A Dance Festival’, spanning two weeks of workshops, parties and performances throughout May, all celebrating the glorious diversity of dance, from vogue ballroom to Bharatanatyam.

Croydon’s young people will have the chance to lead new projects, such as a newly devised climate musical by students from The BRIT School – Why on Earth? – which will be touring schools across the borough to encourage environmental responsibility and creative engagement.

There is lots more coming up and we look forward to welcoming you throughout the year of London Borough of Culture 2023. See the full programme at www.culturecroydon.com and follow @CroydonCulture on social media.

This is Croydon is funded by grants from the GLA, Arts Council and other organisations and is an excellent opportunity to draw inward investment into the borough. The programme is being delivered through a unique collaboration between the cultural organisations and people of the borough in partnership with Croydon Council.

Jason Perry Executive Mayor of Croydon