The Carroll Centre: a community sanctuary during the cost-of-living crisis for staff, customers and children

After a busy summer, The Carroll Centre in Stanmore is preparing to re-open its nursery and support the community with rising costs throughout the autumn and winter.

Since Jool Heller-Dixon took over the centre 14 years ago, and the facility in Somers Close now includes a nursery and garden, soft play, a community café, a food pantry, a sensory room and enclosed garden.

The centre head said: “I’m constantly seeing opportunities for developing. At the moment money is really tight and people wouldn’t get these opportunities otherwise whereas we’re tolerant and accepting of differences.

"The government is not stepping up and looking and things so its relying more and more on the voluntary sector. The voluntary sector is really feeling the pinch because we’re not getting funding to do enough.

"Our food pantry is a really good example, we could provide for more people but its how we fund that and keep that going so we’re chasing donations and organisations.

"It’s not happening at a government level enough yet, particularly going into the Autumn it is quite frightening."

The community centre uses its social enterprises, the café and soft play, to help alleviate the costs for families in other areas, like its play scheme and community pantry where customers can pay £5 for a £15 shop.

READ MORE: Community support available in Winchester throughout the cost of living crisis supported by Hampshire County Council

As well as being a space for families, the centre employs staff who would otherwise struggle to keep a job.

Kieran Hockin, who’s been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, started near the beginning of 2022 on a supported placement.

The 23-year-old said: “I originally came here to have something to do and not play on my x-box 24/7 so I started volunteering which turned into a paid position.

“Everyone is really nice, friendly and they push you to be better. It’s been extremely valuable to come here. I used to be homeless as my mum kicked me out, but I still came every day because what else would I be doing.”

Jool added: “Kieran is building a real-world understanding. The children love him- because adults don’t understand him, kids do.”

“What would be a sack worthy offence at other places, well we expect it here, so we’re prepared for it, and we work through it. Our staff get exposed to quite a range of people here.”

Employee, Kelly Best was reluctant to work with kids but since starting more than two year ago, the centre worker now has a level two nursery qualification and helps to train new staff. When the community food pantry opened in April, Kelly was entrusted to manage it.

Jool, 68 said: “We want people to have more skills when they leave compared to when they arrived. It’s about working out people’s people skills.”

“We had four weeks to set up and get the pantry running in order to qualify for the Hampshire County Council support, but we weren’t going to say no to a good opportunity.”

The centre uses a number of contacts to find its food donations including partnerships with the basics bank, Unit 12 in Winnall and Munch (a school surplice service) and using the online group ‘give a little’ as well as donations from more affluent families that come to the centre.

Pantry users fill out a membership form but aren’t questioned on their reason for using the service. Items are colour coded, with blue labels for more expensive food like meat and branded products. Many of the people using the pantry are frequent visitors.

Fiona Keel from Stanmore was the first to use the pantry after the area was opened the mayor of Winchester, Cllr Derek Green. Fiona said: “It’s been an absolute life saver, a little ray of sunshine. My husband is off work due to injury and we wouldn’t be able to buy what we get here in the supermarket.

“The whole centre is really proactive, and we’re learning how to cook healthy meals and not waste food. It’s excellent quality, good selection and they’re responsive to what people want like gluten free options.”

“It’s a really vital community service and more people need to use it, otherwise they won’t be able to prove they need the funding, but I think some people have too much pride.

“I was told about it by a lady from St Luke’s church and that’s how it gets around by people telling other people, we should all be helping each other especially as we go into the winter. Anybody could lose their home or job without warning. I don’t think anybody can predict the future.”

After closing for the summer, the new staff of Poppins Nursery are preparing for the start of term. Young mum, Naomi Walker suffers with anxiety and built herself up from volunteering in the café and washing up to working in the nursery full time, starting from September. Naomi has recently received her level two nursery qualification despite having no GCSE’s.

She said: “It feels great to actually achieve something and be more than just a mum. I feel 100 per cent comfortable here and it’s improved my anxiety and my mental health.”

Recruiting staff has proven difficult for the nursery, with the Ofsted accreditation requiring the right ratio of staff to children and staff costs exceeding what the centre had budgeted for. With more funding, Jool hopes to extend the nursery opening hours into the holidays.

Throughout the summer break, the Carroll Centre has been offering a play scheme, in association with the holiday activities and food programme to support children and their families when they’re not at school. The centre, oversubscribed with interest, has been offering 26 places including nine Ukrainian children.

SEE ALSO: Romsey hairdressers supports Ukrainian children with charity day for Save the Children

As well as having something to eat, the children can engage in activities and conversations they wouldn’t have at home. Specialist workshops ran by Play to the Crowd, who manage Hat Fair, saw the children make their own kites that show what kindness, hope, love and friendship mean to them.

Since the beginning of August, the centre has also taken on two Ukrainian refugee staff members who received nursery training at Itchen College via Winchester City Council’s support hub at the Guildhall. The new employees Ulia Dubouyk, a lawyer, and Natalia Makanova, a banker, are able to translate for the Ukrainian children within the playscheme whilst also improving on their own English.

Natalia said: “It’s very good, very safe and I can improve my English and learn from the children.”

As well as its own services, the Caroll Centre is also home to partners such as Community First and children’s counselling.

The centre is currently seeking donations to extend its cook and eat programme to the Autumn and provide families witha slow cooker as a more efficient way of cooking.

For more go to thecarrollcentre.org/.