Hello everyone,
We thought it was about time we shared a proper update with all our wonderful supporters, subscribers, volunteers and friends because the last few months at the Alice Cross Centre have been BUSY… in the very best way!
Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who continues to support us — whether that’s through volunteering, attending events, donating, spreading the word, buying lunches, hiring rooms, or simply popping in for a chat and a cup of tea. The Centre genuinely belongs to the community, and the support we receive means everything to us.
National Lottery Funding – Thank You!
We were absolutely delighted to receive the first payment of our National Lottery Community Fund grant in April. This funding provides some really important stability for the Centre and helps us continue supporting older and vulnerable people across our community.
The funding gives us the breathing space to continue building services, supporting volunteers, strengthening partnerships and planning properly for the future — something small charities don’t often get the chance to do.
Looking Ahead – Partnerships & Community Support
One thing we are especially excited about is developing more partnership work with other local organisations and community groups. We firmly believe communities work best when people work together, and we’re already building some brilliant relationships locally.
We are also currently working on plans around supporting people returning home from hospital. Too often, older people are discharged home without proper food provision or enough support during those vital early recovery days. Good nutrition is hugely important for recovery, strength and independence, so we are exploring how our meal delivery service and welfare support could potentially help fill some of those gaps in the future.
A Few Months Packed Full of Fun!
Spring has been absolutely full of activity at the Centre.
In March, we hosted our wonderful Come and Sing Opera Day, with 45 singers filling the hall with huge opera choruses. The atmosphere was electric — one of those truly joyful Alice Cross moments that people will be talking about for a long time.
We were also incredibly proud during the Mayor’s Awards this year. Several members of the Alice Cross family received well-deserved recognition:
• Will Davies received recognition for his Men’s Group work and also the Special Mayor’s Recognition Award
• The Alice Cross volunteers received a Community Award
• Sheila Malynn received a Community Award
• Pat Henchie, one of our brilliant Memory Café leaders, also received a Community Award
• Chris Kirk was recognised too
We honestly could not have been prouder of them all.
March also brought our hugely entertaining Magic Night, where guests enjoyed a fantastic three-course meal cooked by our wonderful chef Dave before being amazed by magician Gustav Kuhn. It was such a lovely evening full of laughter, surprise and community spirit.
At the end of March we launched our very first Community Litter Pick alongside local group The Guerrilla Gardeners. Around 20 people joined us and together we collected mountains of litter from around the town. It was such a success that we repeated it at the end of April — and we’re now planning to make these regular community events.
Curry, Quizzes & Science Cafés!
April continued at full speed with our bi-annual Curry and Quiz Night, where 50 people came together for delicious curry, questionable quiz answers and lots of laughter. We also held a very successful games night attended by lots of enthusiastic and curious people!
We also hosted two packed-out Science Cafés during April, both attracting around 60 attendees.
The first explored climate change and included a screening and community discussion afterwards. The second focused on sleep and wellbeing — proving that Teignmouth residents really do enjoy learning interesting things while eating cake and drinking tea!
These events continue to show how much people value spaces where they can come together socially, learn something new and feel connected.
Our Regular Groups Continue to Flourish
Our regular groups remain the beating heart of the Centre and continue to make such a difference to people’s lives.
Our Memory Café continues to thrive with around 15 regular attendees. Sadly, some members have moved on due to changing health needs, but new people continue to join and we now even have a short waiting list.
Our Bereavement Support Group has grown so much that it no longer fits in its original room. The group has now split into two, with longer-standing members meeting separately to allow more space for new people joining. While it’s wonderful that people feel supported there, it also highlights just how needed these safe spaces are.
The Men’s Group is nearly at capacity and has really grown in confidence. They’ve welcomed lots of visiting speakers recently and it’s been lovely seeing friendships forming outside the group too. Some members have even gone on to become volunteers at the Centre.
Meanwhile, our fantastic Ladies Chat Group continues to welcome around 20 members every week. The group is wonderfully self-managed, arranging games, outings and social activities together.
Our Music Monday sessions continue to bring joy every single week, attracting visitors from neighbouring care homes and supported by talented local musicians who generously donate their time.
And of course, our Friday Coffee Mornings remain as popular as ever — simple, friendly, welcoming spaces where people can pop in for company, conversation and cake.
Coming Up Next…
We’re now gearing up for what promises to be a very busy summer!
This Saturday is our wonderfully chaotic Eurovision Night.
We’re also launching our first lunchtime talk, featuring Age Concern discussing cybercrime and scams targeting older people.
On 27th May we’ll be taking over Teignmouth Triangle with Zumba, music, our famous Human Fruit Machine and plenty of silliness and fun.
Then on the 28th May, Tozers Solicitors are kindly hosting a Music Bingo Night with local musician Alex Dobson in aid of the Alice Cross Centre — local businesses supporting local charities, which we absolutely love to see.
We’ve also got more Science Cafés, litter picks, community projects, art activities, carnivals and festivals coming up over the summer months.
The Honest Bit…
Like most charities right now, things are still financially challenging at times. Costs continue to rise and demand for support keeps growing.
We’ve also had some unexpected building costs recently. Following storms earlier in the year, parts of the building suffered damage and we now need repairs to our flat roof. We also had to replace one of our boilers unexpectedly.
These things are never glamorous, but they are essential if we want to keep the building warm, safe and open for the community.
The good news is that thanks to careful budgeting, growing community support, increasing room bookings, fantastic volunteers and funding support, the Centre remains stable and positive overall.
Most importantly, the Centre remains full of life.
Every week we see friendships forming, confidence growing, volunteers stepping forward, and people finding connection and support when they need it most.
And that’s exactly why the Alice Cross Centre exists.
Thank you for continuing to be part of our community journey with us.
