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CROYDON LOCAL PULSE
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☀️ Morning Pulse
🎵 Croydon Music Charity Wins £297k Lottery Funding
Club Soda, the Croydon-based charity supporting autistic and learning-disabled musicians and DJs, has been awarded £297,322 from the National Lottery Community Fund. The money will grow their "Change the Scene" programme -- funding workshops, performances, club nights and creative projects across Croydon and beyond over the next four years. Their DJs are even performing at Mighty Hoopla this weekend.
🥦 Croydon Fruit & Veg Wholesaler Fined £107k Over Shocking Hygiene
K Veg Wholesale Ltd, based in Ullswater Crescent, Coulsdon, has been ordered to pay over £107,000 after inspectors found pigeon droppings, rat droppings and gnawed food in their warehouse. The company -- a large importer supplying retailers across the UK -- ignored multiple hygiene improvement notices before Croydon Council took them to court. Mayor Jason Perry said the borough is taking a "zero-tolerance approach."
🚋 Tram Disruption on Beckenham Lines
Services between Addiscombe and Beckenham Junction, and Addiscombe and Elmers End, have been suspended due to ongoing repair works near the Arena tram stop in South Norwood Country Park. TfL engineers are working around the clock -- check before you travel and allow extra time.
🏟️ Rogue Croydon Garage Shut Down
A rogue garage operating in Croydon has been closed as part of Mayor Jason Perry's antisocial behaviour crackdown. Perry confirmed the council is taking a zero-tolerance approach to businesses causing disruption in local communities.
🗓️ What's On This Week
Events across Croydon -- Friday 29 May to Thursday 4 June 2026
Saturday 30 May
Thank You For The Music -- Fairfield Halls. A celebration of ABBA's greatest hits. Book tickets
Walk Yourself Wonderful with Author Harriet Thomas -- 9:30am-10:30am, The Hut, Whitehorse Road Recreation Ground, CR0 2LG. Free. Join local author Harriet Thomas for a gentle morning walk exploring how daily walking brings joy and rest. Hosted by National Park City Ranger Catherine Pestano. Part of the London Walking Festival. Book a free place
Saturday 30 May -- Sunday 14 June
Commons 26 -- Open Call Performances -- Stanley Arts. A £3,000 commission opportunity for performers. Applications open. Find out more
Tuesday 2 June
Volunteer Open Day -- 12pm-2pm, Selsdon Community Clubhouse, 132 Addington Road, Selsdon, CR2 8LA. Free. Come along for tea, coffee, and cake and find out how you can get involved with this welcoming local charity. Facebook event
💛 The Heartbeat
👦 From SEND System Failure to Croydon Councillor
Tom Bowell, newly elected Labour councillor for Broad Green, has a story that's hard to forget. As a child, he was failed by Croydon's SEND system -- the very system he now sits in the council chamber to reform. Installed immediately into the shadow cabinet with responsibility for streets and environment, Bowell is calling out what he describes as a "public spending scandal" where profit-making companies charge over £100,000 per child per year while failing to deliver. A remarkable local story of resilience and purpose.
🌟 Hidden Gems Saturday
🧸 Pollock's Toy Museum -- Croydon's Magical Mini Museum
Tucked inside a beautiful historic market, Pollock's Toy Museum is one of London's most charming and least-known collections -- bears, dolls, toy theatres, games and more. The Croydon branch is open every Saturday 11am-4pm with regular events and activities. Free to browse, full of wonder. Perfect for a rainy-day family outing or a solo nostalgia trip.
🌿 The Wilderness Garden -- A Secret Sanctuary in Shirley
Hidden behind MHA Hall Grange care home on Shirley Church Road, The Wilderness is a heritage garden of Metropolitan Importance for Conservation. First established by the Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society over 100 years ago, it now offers wellbeing walks, seasonal green care activities and community events. Just 5 minutes from Sandilands tram stop -- most Croydon residents have never heard of it.
🌳 Bramley Bank Nature Reserve -- Croydon's Largest Woodland Pond
Nestled in the Addington Hills, Bramley Bank is an enchanting oak woodland with relic heathland, bluebells, dog violets and the largest woodland pond in Croydon. Stag beetles, woodpeckers and a public right of way along the London Outer Orbital Path make this a proper hidden gem. Five minutes from Coombe Lane tram stop.
⚡ Pulse Points
🎵 Club Soda at Mighty Hoopla -- Croydon's learning-disabled music collective performing at Mighty Hoopla this weekend. Go show them some love. Club Soda
🚋 Tram check -- Beckenham Junction and Elmers End lines still disrupted. Check TfL before travelling. Inside Croydon
🏟️ Commons 26 at Stanley Arts -- Open call for performances running 31 May-14 June with a £3,000 commission up for grabs. Artists, this one's for you. Apply
🌳 Old Coulsdon Village Fair -- Save the date: Saturday 4 July, Grange Park, from noon. Inside Croydon
💡 Did You Know?
🌿 Croydon Has a 100-Year-Old Secret Garden -- and Almost Nobody Knows It
The Wilderness Garden on Shirley Church Road was first established by the Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society over a century ago. Today it's managed by MHA as a nature sanctuary of Metropolitan Importance for Conservation -- home to rare fruit varieties, sheep, newts and bees. It runs wellbeing walks and community events year-round, yet most Croydon residents have never set foot inside. Five minutes from Sandilands tram stop. Worth a visit.
👋 Until Monday
That's your Saturday sorted, Croydon. Whether you're heading to Fairfield Halls, exploring a hidden gem, or just enjoying the weekend -- make it a good one. If you haven't already, subscribe and share at www.croydonlocalpulse.co.uk -- every new reader helps us keep the local journalism going.
See you tomorrow, Croydon. 🙌
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