We are delighted to announce that a new homelessness day centre service, located at CVA Resource Centre and delivered in partnership by CVA, CAYSH and Spires, is due to open 3 days a week from October 2026. Alongside this, supplementary outreach work in the community will be taking place 2 days a week. Some one-to-one and community events will also take place at West Croydon Baptist Church (WCBC). 

With existing Croydon day services at capacity and heavily oversubscribed, we saw an urgent need for an open-access space offering professional advice and support. Now more Croydon residents will have another safe and welcoming space to go during the day where they can access early help if rough-sleeping or facing homelessness; including younger residents and those in insecure housing who may not engage with traditional homelessness services.  

This innovative partnership aims to provide early interventions for homelessness and rough sleeping in Croydon, with a focus on early-intervention and prevention.  It combines assets-based community development (ABCD), youth homelessness expertise, and practical experience hosting and running homeless day and night centres.  

An ABCD approach recognises that the whole community has a role to play in ending rough sleeping. By focusing on people’s strengths and connecting them with local groups, activities, assets and support networks, participants will build a stronger community “net” and resilience. 

Alongside informal activities, a safe place to rest, laundry and showers, visitors will be able to access targeted housing and homelessness prevention support. Support will include:
Rapid needs assessments when people approach the service. 

• Housing advice and home-search support.  
• Tenancy sustainment coaching.  
• Debt advice and money-management support. 
• Employability advice and one-to-one coaching.  
• Mediation with families where relationship breakdown risks homelessness.  
• Support with accessing benefits, services and healthcare.  
• Strength-based support and volunteer befriending to increase people's networks, local connections and resilience.

“We are thrilled to be working with CVA and Spires, bringing help to homeless people in Croydon. We are excited to trial innovative approaches in reaching young people in the community who are at risk of homelessness, to help them secure good homes and avoid homelessness.” 
Chris Deacon – CEO, CAYSH 

"Spires is excited to partner with CVA and CAYSH to launch this new service in Croydon for people impacted by homelessness. We are looking forward to leveraging our expertise and experience in collaboration with CVA and CAYSH as we develop this day centre." 
Matt Wilson – CEO, Spires 

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to host a place where people experiencing homelessness can come, feel welcome and get the right information and support to help them start on a better journey. This is very much part of our heart as a church, and we’re so grateful for the support and for our partnership with CVA, CAYSH and Spires in making this possible.”  
Rev Denzil Larbi – Pastor of West Croydon Baptist Church  

“CVA is delighted to be supporting our frontline partners in taking coordinated action to end homelessness and rough-sleeping in Croydon.” 
Sarah Burns – CEO, CVA 

This vital new service has been made possible thanks to funding from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) under the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund. 

Contacts 

Croydon Voluntary Action: Email Sarah Burns, CEO.

CAYSH: Email Chris Deacon, CEO.

Spires: Email Matt Wilson, CEO.

WCBC  Email Rev. Denzil Larbi, Senior Pastor.