VES Team End of Week Update | Spotlight on Partnerships
Dear wonderful VES team,
Hope you are well! As we reach the end of another very full week, I wanted to say a huge thank you once again - and to give a particular shout-out to the Monday team. For the third week in a row, they helped welcome over 120 people through the doors, with warmth, calm, flexibility, and good humour. That level of consistency at scale is no small thing, and it sets a great tone for everything else we do. Thank you!
Spotlight: Partnerships
I’ve been reflecting this week on just how fruitful partnerships have been for VES - and how many different kinds sit underneath what we’re building together:
Corporate - we’re grateful for the use of Centrale space, enabling four busy mornings a week in a safe, visible, central location.
Government / statutory - our work alongside the NHS continues to open up important conversations around health and access for our students.
Local government - Croydon council funding has significantly helped strengthen and expand our core provision.
Churches - so many of our volunteers come from a range of churches, bringing shared faith, generosity, and unity.
Third sector - particularly Bluetouch (Adil and Ian), whose collaboration widens and improves our impact significantly.
Two upcoming partnership moments to flag:
This Thursday 12th February, after class, a team from Lloyds Bank (who are opening a new branch downstairs in Centrale) will visit us to help students set up bank accounts and sign up for financial management courses - a huge practical step forward for some of our students.
Monday 2nd March, Orchards, a London based Christian charity, will deliver a lunchtime training session on "Understanding Sexual Exploitation". This is an important next step following our January general safeguarding training. Please do sign up if you’re able to come (a light lunch will be provided):
https://croydonvineyard.churchsuite.com/events/w1fh5mt9
Partnerships add capacity, expertise, and opportunity around our clear core ministry - welcome, good teaching, and careful signposting - and we are grateful for them!
VES Dashboard (week at a glance)
• 22 classes delivered across 4 days (plus 3 creche sessions and 1 youth drop-in)
• 266 student sessions enabled (our highest ever)
• 61 volunteer sessions given
• Weekly participation number: 352
• A +81% increase on the same week last year (and again - highest ever week outside of Christmas social week )
Dates reminder
• One more week, then February half-term: 16–20 February (no classes)
• Last session of term: Thursday 26 March (Easter Party)
Thank you again for all that you give - your time, patience, skill, and presence. What you’re part of really is making a difference, week by week.
Hope you have a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing many of you next week!
Much love,
Andy Brims
Safeguarding reminder — if in doubt, shout. The simplest route is via the concerns form here:
https://croydonvineyard.org.uk/safeguarding