The Croydon Playcare Company

The Croydon Playcare Company was the first Latchkey scheme in England set up in 1976 and was then called Croydon Gingerbread Charities. It's main aim was to provide quality childcare for single parents of children aged between 5 -11 during school holidays and after school. Now almost 30 years later Playcare has grown and now caters for children between the ages of 0 -16 and includes school pick up and drop off, a nursery and 11 Plus youth club.

If you need more information or would like to chat with one of our staff, please click contact us.

Our reunion on Saturday 10th May went really well, and we were delighted to welcome current and past clients and a number of our neighbours on the day.
We were also delighted that lots of ex-staff came - including both the first Playleader and the first Day Nursery Manager - from far and wide.
Thanks to everyone who worked on this and who gave us support by coming along.

We are holding an Information Meeting for our Parents on Thursday 21st August at 6 p.m. at which our new Project/Site Manager, Simon Cathcart, will give a short presentation about the new building and also offer our clients the opportunity to ask questions. He may even be able to show us around the site.
We will be displaying the 3D model that our children created, as well as the artist’s impressions of what the new Gingerbread Corner will look like. We will also have a display of photographs that have been taken during the demolition works.
We are running a “Hard Hat Design Competition” for all the children aged 11 or under. The winning designs (in each of the eight age groups) will be used to create Safety Helmets for senior Site Managers and staff, and the winning designers will receive a small prize We intend to announce the winners of the competition at the Special Parents’ Meeting.

BUILDING SITE/PROGRESS PICTURES COMING SOON

Out of School – Summer Holidays
As we now have less space in our building, we hope to increase the number of outings we will do during the summer holiday.We will aim to get most outings back to Gingerbread Corner by 4.30. If you intend to collect your child earlier than that on a particular day, please let us know so that they can stay in the building on that day.
If you are unexpectedly intending to collect your children earlier than 4.30, it would be a good idea to give us a call first to make sure that they will be here.

Please let us know if you have an email address to which we can send future newsletters, which will save us paper and ink - and save trees!

Blackfords Solicitors have offered to provide family law advice pro bono to Playcare parents.
Please give Sue a call or drop her an email if you would be interested in arranging a free session - which would be at Gingerbread Corner.

Our Baby Room Returns!
We will be having a Baby Room again from the Autumn. It will take up to nine babies, and will operate from what is currently Pooh Bear Room. All the Pooh Bears of course will be Owls & Kangas from September.

We are always fundraising at Playcare and would be very appreciative of any fundraising ideas, gifts in kind or donations. Please contact us if you can help.

PLAYWEB provides great website links to sites that children(and adults) can enjoy, both for fun and education.

We do not endorse any of the products or profit, they are just for fun.

Would you like to help raise money for The Croydon Playcare Company, just by voting for us on The Wisdom Trust website?

Click here to find out more.