Our mission, aims and values

Our mission

St Hugh’s Community Centre is here to provide a social, educational and recreational hub, incorporating the whole community’s ideas, needs and welfare.

Our aims

Our aims for our future and success have been agreed in consultation with local people.

Aim 1: To involve and engage people from all sections of the local community and surrounding areas as active users of the Centre, and help them set up and sustain groups and contribute to other activities and events at the Centre, at the same time, maximizing the use of local volunteers to lead and support Centre based groups and activities.

Aim 2: To develop existing services and activities and ensure these are based on new and emerging local needs and ensuring and enabling the facilities to be continued to be used and to be of use by all sections of our diverse local community.

Aim 3: To develop and maintain a balanced and sustainable budget over the next 3 years that ensures stability and promotes growth in the organization and ensures contingency for unforeseen circumstances such as COVID 19 Pandemic business interruption and builds a reserve to enable further investment in upgrading and maintaining facilities at the Centre.

Aim 4: To provide quality facilities which commercial and community minded Organizations can hire to improve amenities and services for all local people and through partnership work including with Clarion Housing, LB Bromley and the Metropolitan Police.

Aim 5: To promote multi-cultural working, mutual benefit and understanding of different cultural, ethnic, faith, sexuality, disability, gender, age and racial groups across the area of benefit.

Aim 6: To provide facilities with our partners, which specifically address cost of living crisis and post covid 19 recovery needs and provide support to combat the social isolation and financial constraints of the local community.

Aim 7: To continue and develop recreational, healthy eating and educational services for local children and young people in partnership with other agencies.

Aim 8: To develop a social media strategy that helps promote activities and well-being opportunities at the Centre and contributes to local community cohesion and engagement.

Our values

Our approach is based on the following values:

  • Helping others to help themselves, become involved and empowered
  • Seeking full community participation and involvement
  • Friendly, inclusive and professional
  • Open to all, taking into account gender, age, race, ethnicity, faith, sexuality, disability, pregnancy and maternity, health and income.
  • Respect differences
  • Listen to and understand what local people want
  • Provide and host affordable activities and learning opportunities
  • Working with stakeholders and partners and others to achieve the best for local people

Our charitable purposes

Since 2007 we have been a charitable company limited by guarantee.  Our charitable purposes are:

  • To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the area of benefit without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, nationality, age, disability, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said inhabitants and the statutory authorities, voluntary and other organizations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants
  • To establish, or to secure the establishment, of a community Centre (hereinafter called “the Centre”) and to maintain and manage the same (whether alone or in co-operation with any statutory authority or other person or body) in furtherance of the above objects;
  • To promote such other charitable purposes as may from time to time be determined.
  • The Company shall be non-party in politics and non-sectarian in religion. The area of benefit shall be Anerley and Crystal Palace, London and the Neighborhood.

Our 2023-2025 Business Plan areas of work

Our vision focuses on addressing the social and economic needs of local people and on improving the environmental sustainability of the local community. Alongside this is a mission to make a significant contribution to the health and well-being of local community members.

The centre has developed a robust range of policies, procedures and monitoring arrangements to ensure it is run to the highest standards. These are reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to meet new government legislation and Health and Safety procedures.

Since 2012, a group of existing users from the previous building, were joined by many new groups, charities, social enterprises and sports and leisure groups thereby helping to promote develop and diversify the Centres operations and enhance its community value.

Since 2012 local stakeholders including the Police, Clarion Housing, LB Bromley and community businesses have helped directly run activities or indirectly through funding enabled the Centre to host activities.

The key consideration from 2012 was to lay the foundations for a successful and sustainable community facility and resource and begin to enhance its ability to independently manage and secure its own future. Post the Covid Pandemic, the priority has been to recover the Centres sense of purpose and mission and reengage with the local community but in the new post covid world. Additionally, the priority was to seek grant sources to extend centre staff resources thus enabling the centre to generate and sustain a higher level of income.

Over the next three years as the centre develops, using the skills of its professional staff, HLCA is hoping to secure its financial footing (including managing through unforeseen difficulties e.g. Covid 19, Cost of Living/Energy Crisis), and maximise and sustain occupancy of the centre facilities and resources and continue to ensure the Centre meets the needs of its ever changing and diversifying community.