How To Help
Volunteer: We welcome individuals with diverse talents and skills. (read more)
Donate goods: Clothing and shoes, toiletries and household essentials are always needed. (read more)
Donate £££: Support us through sponsorship, or donate direct. (read more)
Volunteering opportunities
Volunteering is a great way to make a real difference in the community. It’s an opportunity to meet some amazing people, build new skills, and support vulnerable families and individuals when they need you most.
We welcome volunteers who can commit at least fortnightly on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
On Monday (9.00-2.30), we need volunteers to help sort and organise the charity’s donations.
On Tuesday (8.30-2.30), we need volunteers to help with registering people, giving advice on our help desk, serving refreshments or helping people find the clothing that’s right for them.
We also welcome volunteers who can come and help us set up before and tidy away after for an hour or so.
On Wednesday (9.00-12.30), we need volunteers who can provide language classes, activities and social opportunities, or who can help prepare and serve refreshments.
Can you offer us your time, experience and skills on one of these days? The first step is to fill in our volunteering form. We work in a highly sensitive sector so it’s quite a detailed form and will probably take up to ten minutes to complete. Our Coordinator will then contact you to provide more information and arrange a time to talk.
If you are not available Monday-Wednesday, but have a specific skill set to offer, please email us at admin@croydonrefugeedaycentre.co.uk to discuss other volunteering opportunities.
Interested? Click here or on the image below to start the process. We look forward to hearing from you!
Donate goods
We really appreciate your generosity! Below is a list of items we regularly need. We also post a weekly list of our most pressing current needs on our Facebook page here.
Clothing (good condition & clean please)
- Women’s, men’s and children’s clothing
- Jackets, coats, and waterproof outerwear
- Shoes and trainers for all ages
Toiletries (new and unopened only please!)
- Shampoo and conditioner, body wash, hand soap (liquid or bar)
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes
- Deodorant (men’s & women’s)
- Razors and shaving cream
- Hairbrushes and combs
- Toilet paper and wet wipes
Household cleaning essentials:
- Washing-up liquid
- Sponges and dishcloths
- Laundry capsules or powder
- Kitchen roll (paper towels) and bin bags
Kitchenware
- Pots and pans (various sizes)
- Baking trays and dishes
- Cooking utensils (spatulas, wooden spoons, tongs, ladles, whisks)
- Small electrical appliances: kettles, toasters, irons, vacuum cleaners
Preserved and dry food (new, unopened and in date only!)
- Canned food (especially fish, pulses and tinned tomatoes), cereals, long-life milk, and other non-perishable items
Bags and storage
- Suitcases and luggage, ideally with wheels
- Carrying bags and rucksacks
- Clothes hangers (wire and clip please as our rack space is limited)
Other essentials
- Small toys and books
- New underwear and socks
- Gloves, scarves, and hats
- Bedding
Due to limited storage space, we are unable to accept:
- Baby items, including buggies (strollers), prams, cots, Moses baskets or car seats
- Large electrical appliances
- Furniture
Please consider giving baby items and equipment to Growbaby or Little Village, which specialise in supporting families with young children.
Drop-off location: West Croydon Baptist Church, Whitehorse Road CR0 2JH
Opening hours: Every Monday, 9:00 am to 2:30 pm
How to access our car park
Limited parking is available at West Croydon Baptist Church. Enter from Hogarth Crescent via the second of two closely spaced right turns, which goes under the modern flats.
This takes you into the residents’ car park. Drive through and turn right up a ramp into our car park.
On arrival ring the Hall 2 buzzer, to the left of the glass front door.
If you have any questions regarding donations please email us at donations@croydonrefugeedaycentre.co.uk
Donate £££
Without the generosity of our supporters we could not provide a fraction of the help that our community members so desperately need.
Your donation will be used to support our most urgent needs. For example, in our Essentials Centre:
- £10 could buy a set of underwear for one adult
- £25 could buy a pair of shoes for a child starting school
- £50 could buy the essential toiletries provided each week
- £100 could buy over half the food parcels provided each week
You can donate securely online by clicking here or on the JustGiving logo. We will receive 100% of your donation – plus an extra 25% if you choose to add Gift Aid.
You have the option to make a one-off or regular donation. Regular donations, however small, are particularly helpful.
You could also set up your own appeal to fundraise for us, either by completing a sponsored challenge or holding an event. Follow the ‘Fundraise for us’ link at the top of our JustGiving page.
