Our programmes
What’s on at the Hub, every single week
Four programmes, one open door. Everything below runs at The Brightside Hub, 4 Milton Lane – step-free, pram-friendly and five minutes’ walk from East Croydon station – unless we say otherwise. No programme ever has a waiting list for a first hello.
Food
Brightside Food Bank
Three days of good food, no judgement and no fuss. That’s been the promise since we opened the food bank in 2014, and it hasn’t changed. Every parcel is packed around your household – how many you’re feeding, what the kids will actually eat, whether you can cook or only have a kettle – and there’s always fresh fruit and veg on the shelves alongside the tins, thanks to Surrey Street’s traders and Whitgift Bakery.
Who it’s for
Anyone in the borough having a hard week – and a hard week can happen to anyone. Roughly half the people we feed are in work. You don’t need to be on benefits, you don’t need to explain yourself, and you don’t need to prove anything on your first visit. Just walk in.
How it runs each week
We’re open every Tuesday and Friday, 10am to 1pm. Come to the yellow door, take a numbered ticket and have a free cuppa while you wait – most people are in and out within half an hour. You’ll shop from the shelves with a volunteer rather than being handed a pre-packed box, so nothing you can’t use goes home with you. We can also quietly sort toiletries, nappies, period products and pet food.
What’s needed
Long-life essentials, donated at the Hub any day we’re open (Mon–Sat, 9am–5pm) or in the collection baskets at the big supermarkets on Purley Way. The honest truth: we always have enough baked beans. The list on the right is what actually runs out.
Referrals
No referral is needed for your first visit. For ongoing support we’ll help you set up a referral through one of our partner agencies – your GP surgery, school family worker, Citizens Advice Croydon or the council’s welfare team – while you’re here, over a cuppa. Professionals can refer someone directly via referrals@brightsidetrust.org.uk – see how to refer someone.
At a glance
- Tuesdays & Fridays, 10am–1pm
- The Brightside Hub, ground floor
- No referral needed for your first visit
- Three days of food per parcel, fresh produce included
- Delivery possible if you can’t get to us – just ring
Most-needed items this month
- UHT milk
- Tinned fish
- Rice (1kg bags)
- Cooking oil
- Tinned tomatoes
- Nappies (sizes 5–6)
- Washing-up liquid
- Instant coffee
Rather give money than tins? £6 a month keeps a family’s parcel stocked with fresh fruit and veg – see where your money goes.
Young people
Bright Sparks Youth Club
A proper youth club: music studio, homework corner, five-a-side in the sports hall, table tennis that gets far too competitive, and a hot dinner every single session. Bright Sparks is run by qualified youth workers who grew up round here, backed by DBS-checked volunteer mentors. Some evenings are loud; the quiet room never is.
Who it’s for
Anyone aged 11 to 17 who lives or goes to school in Croydon. Sessions cost £1 – and nobody is ever turned away over money; have a quiet word with any youth worker and it’s sorted, no fuss, no list on the wall. Around 60 young people come through the door in a typical week.
How it runs each week
Mondays and Thursdays, 6–9pm, term time and holidays alike. Dinner is served at 6.30 sharp (there’s always a halal and a veggie option). Mondays lean sporty – five-a-side league, basketball, and boxing fitness with a coach from Croydon ABC. Thursdays are studio nights: recording, mixing, podcasting and the homework corner with volunteer tutors before all that starts. School holidays add day trips – this summer it’s Thorpe Park and a residential in the Surrey Hills.
What’s needed
Volunteer mentors and five-a-side referees (one evening a week, DBS arranged and paid for by us), working musical instruments and studio kit in good condition, and sponsors for the £12-a-month membership fund that keeps trips and dinners free for families who need it.
Joining
No referral needed – turn up with a parent or carer on any session night to fill in a two-minute membership form (or download it from us by email). Schools and social workers can also refer a young person directly; we hold a few supported places each term – see how to refer someone.
At a glance
- Mondays & Thursdays, 6–9pm, all year
- Hub sports hall & first-floor studio
- Ages 11–17 · £1 a session
- Hot dinner included, halal & veggie always
- Staffed by qualified, DBS-checked youth workers
“The studio is honestly why I stayed in school.” – Jerome, 16, recorded his first track at Bright Sparks and now helps younger members run the mixing desk on Thursdays.
Fancy mentoring? One evening a week, full training, DBS paid. Read about the role.
Older neighbours
Golden Hours
Loneliness doesn’t make headlines, but it’s the thing our older neighbours tell us about most. Golden Hours is our answer: real company, every week, without fail. It has two halves – the famous Wednesday lunch club at the Hub, and one-to-one home visits for neighbours who can’t easily get out.
Who it’s for
Croydon residents aged 65 and over who’d like more company in their week. Some members come for the quiz, some for the roast, some because Wednesday used to be the day they did the shopping with someone who’s no longer here. All reasons are good reasons. There’s no means test and membership is free.
How it runs each week
The lunch club runs every Wednesday, 12–2pm: two home-cooked courses, tea in proper cups, a raffle and a quiz that Derek from Thornton Heath takes extremely seriously. Our free minibus – with a tail lift for wheelchairs – picks members up from their door across the borough from 11am and drops everyone home after. Home visits happen on a day that suits you: the same trained volunteer, around an hour a week, for a cuppa, a crossword, a walk to the postbox or a hand with small errands.
What’s needed
Volunteer visitors (an hour a week, matched with the same neighbour), a second minibus driver for Wednesdays, cake bakers for birthdays, and quizmasters brave enough to face the regulars. Fuel for the minibus costs about £150 a month – it’s one of our donation tiers for a reason.
Referrals
Members can join by ringing the Hub on 020 7946 0812, and plenty are signed up by a son, daughter or neighbour – with their blessing, of course. GPs, social prescribers and Age UK Croydon refer people to us every week; there’s usually a lunch club place within a fortnight. See how to refer someone.
At a glance
- Lunch club Wednesdays, 12–2pm
- Home visits weekly, arranged around you
- Hub main hall · visits across Croydon
- Free minibus with tail lift, door to door
- Free to join – no means test, ever
Worried about someone? If an older neighbour seems more isolated lately, ring us. A friendly, no-pressure hello from Eleanor, our coordinator, is often all it takes.
Got an hour a week? Becoming a visitor is the most personal volunteering we offer. Read about the role.
English classes
Brightside ESOL
Free English classes in small, friendly groups – never more than twelve to a class. Last year our learners spoke 26 languages between them and shared one goal: getting on with life in English, whether that’s a GP appointment, a parents’ evening or a job interview. Classes are taught by trained volunteer teachers, supported by classroom assistants, and there’s a free crèche on Saturday mornings so parents can learn too.
Who it’s for
Any adult in Croydon who wants better English. No immigration paperwork, no proof of address, no cost – ever. Complete beginners are especially welcome: our Level 1 class starts from the alphabet and everyday phrases, at whatever pace you need.
How it runs each week
Five levels run in parallel, from first words (Level 1) to job-ready English with CV and interview practice (Level 5). Choose Tuesday evenings, 6.30–8.30pm, or Saturday mornings, 10am–12pm – or both. Terms follow the school calendar, and everyone gets a workbook to keep, a progress chat every half term, and a certificate (plus cake) at the end of the year. Classrooms are on the Hub’s first floor; there’s a lift.
What’s needed
Classroom assistants (two hours a week – you don’t need a second language, just patience and a warm manner), crèche helpers for Saturdays, and funds for workbooks: £30 covers a learner’s materials for a full term. Employers: we’d love more mock interviewers for Level 5.
Joining
Come to any session and we’ll find your level with a relaxed ten-minute chat – no written test, no pressure. The next ESOL Taster Evening is Wednesday 13 August: meet the teachers, bring the family and enrol for autumn on the spot. Interpreters are on hand, and support workers can refer learners via our referral route.
At a glance
- Tuesdays 6.30–8.30pm & Saturdays 10am–12pm
- Hub classrooms, first floor (lift available)
- Always free · five levels · small groups
- Free crèche on Saturday mornings
- No paperwork or proof of anything needed
The five levels
- 1 · First words – alphabet, greetings, everyday basics
- 2 · Getting by – shops, buses, the school gate
- 3 · Everyday life – GP visits, forms, phone calls
- 4 · Confident – conversation, reading, writing
- 5 · Job-ready – CVs, interviews, workplace English
“Brightside gave me my voice back.” – Marta from New Addington came in knowing three words of English; she’s now a teaching assistant at her daughter’s school.
For professionals
Need to refer someone?
GPs, schools, social prescribers and support workers can refer into any programme by emailing referrals@brightsidetrust.org.uk or ringing 020 7946 0812. We reply within two working days – full details on our contact page.
Keep it all running
Every programme runs on people like you
Stack shelves on a Friday, visit a neighbour on a Tuesday, or cover a term of ESOL workbooks for £30. Pick whatever fits your week.