News

Friday Classes
Triniti is recovering well unfortunately she is still unable to return to us for Friday classes, we are hoping to get temporary cover.

First Aid Course
We’re arranging a first aid course here at UNACC on Tuesday 22nd February at 1pm, please let the office know if you’d like to attend.

This is your Life: Jean Pietru (formally Parsons)
I was born Jean Parsons at the General Lying-In hospital, Waterloo in January 1930. As a child, I lived with my parents and brother in a two room property above a sweet shop. From the age of two and a half up until five I attended Joanna Junior School, our family then moved to a flat in Lambeth and I switched to Walnut Tree Walk School. I stayed at this school until I was evacuated to Exeter in 1939, I lived with two different foster families. When I returned to London I went to Vauxhall Junior School, I passed all my exams and moved to Vauxhall Central School, I left at the age of fourteen to work as a book keeper earning a guinea a week. That same year I joined a youth club where I met my future husband, Ted. We started off as friends because he was much older than me. When Ted was called upon for his national service in the RAF, he started to write to me. Things progressed, when I was nineteen we got engaged, married when I was twenty two, and we lived together in just two rooms. By now I was working in the office of the Eldorado Ice Cream Company, I stayed until I got pregnant with my first child. I could no longer work full time, so, I worked from home trimming lamp shades, and in the evenings I washed bottles in a factory. By 1957 I had my second child, we were still living in two rooms, in 1959 we moved to a flat in Stockwell. Ted and I wanted our own home, that’s why we worked so hard, Ted was a lift engineer working all the overtime hours available. When the children were old enough to go to school, I went back to full time work as a civil servant. I also worked as a receptionist at a foot clinic every Saturday morning and at a betting shop in the afternoon. We took the children on camping holidays abroad because it was cheaper, in 1970 we finally bought our house in Norbury. When our finances improved Ted and I enjoyed travelling abroad to many different counties, by this time we had three lovely healthy grandchildren, who are all doing very well. At the age of sixty three I retired from the civil service, Ted and I spent sixty five years together, before he passed away. Even though life was tough early on, we had a great life together.

Next months this is your life…

Our lunches are cooked freshly every day on site by our lovely chef Paige, we have vegetarian options available each day, please ask at the office. Our pricing structure remains the same, we have three rates, see below for details:

£10 Day Rate 1: includes two course lunch, activity, unlimited tea, coffee and a slice or cake or piece of fruit.

£5 Day Rate 2: includes activity, unlimited tea, coffee and a slice of cake or piece of fruit.

£3 Day Rate 3: includes unlimited tea, coffee and a slice of cake or piece of fruit or just the activity.

Happy New Year
Welcome back, we hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year. In order to keep us all safe we ask that you take a lateral flow test before coming to the centre, a maximum of two tests a week is enough. Please wear masks whilst walking about the centre, you don’t have to wear masks when sitting at your table.

Pat Reid
Some of you will know Pat Reid (Natalie’s Grandmother) she attended many of the events here at UNACC. Sadly on the 8^th October 2021 Pat passed away. Pat felt passionate about the work we do here, it was her wish that mourners donate to UNACC rather than send flowers or donate to a large charity, knowing the positive impact it would have. Donations to UNACC help us continue operating, so you, our lovely members can enjoy all that we have to offer. We would like to say a very, very big thank you to Pat’s family and friends for raising an amazing £1390, RIP Pat Reid.

Friday Classes
We have been in contact with Triniti, thankfully she is on the mend, her cast is off and she is now wearing a boot. Triniti is hoping to return to us next month, we’re really looking forward to having her back and will keep you posted on her progress.   

We Need Members
UNACC needs new members, please encourage friends, neighbours and acquaintances to come and try us out, we’re sure they’ll enjoy it. We do ask that you all make an extra special effort with new people, it’s very daunting joining a new place where groups are established, we must remember people want to join UNACC because they are very lonely, possibly through bereavement, it’s really important we make them feel welcome.

What Would You Like?
We really want you to enjoy a wide range of activities and meals here at UNACC, if you have any suggestions please let the office know.

This is your life
We would like to reintroduce our very popular ‘This is your Life’ section to newsletters each month, we really enjoy hearing about the lives you’ve led. If anyone is interested in taking part please let the office know.

People who’s lives have lives we’ve featured already are:

Sheila Graham
Kenneth French
Barry Hackett
Isoline Simon
Roger Whiting
Terry Brennan
Carol Whiting

UNACC Christmas Closing
UNACC will be closed from Monday 20^th December 2021, our last day will be Friday 17^th December 2021, we will be having a lovely roast lamb dinner with all the trimmings (vegetarian option available), scrumptious apple, pear and mincemeat crumble, mulled wine, a mince pie and showing the film ‘Meet me in St Louis’. We will open again on Tuesday 4^th January 2022.

Mildred Cammock
It’s with great sadness we inform you that our lovely Mildred Cammock passed away in the early hours of Tuesday 16^th November 2021. Those of you that attend UNACC on a Monday & Wednesday will know how warm and lovely she was. The funeral will take place on Tuesday 14th December 2021 at  12 o’clock St Alban’s Church Hall, 1 Whitehorse Lane, London SE25 6RD, followed by the burial at 2pm at Bandon Hill cemetery, Wallington and a reception back at St Alban’s Church Hall from 3pm – 5pm.

Friday Keep Fit Class
You may have heard that Triniti has fallen badly and is awaiting surgery at Croydon University Hospital, sadly this means our very popular Friday keep fit session has been cancelled until further notice. We will be showing a film on Friday 3^rd December and Friday 17^th December, hopefully Triniti can return in the New Year.

Christmas Party Dates
Please make sure you have your ticket & receipt for the Christmas Party on Wednesday 8^th & Friday 10^th December 2021. Tickets are £15, please make sure you get a receipt. Refunds will not be given. PLEASE NOTE: We will be closed on Monday 6^th December 2021, Tuesday 7^th will be a normal day.

Christmas Meal Menu

Starter
Winter Vegetable Soup

Or

Salmon & Prawn Cocktail

Main
Roast Turkey or Beef, roast potatoes, stuffing, honey glazed parsnips, Brussel sprouts, carrots,
spiced red cabbage pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce

Or

Nut roast, roast potatoes, stuffing, honey glazed parsnips, Brussel sprouts, carrots,
spiced red cabbage, veggie sausage

Dessert
Lynda’s trifle

Or

Christmas pudding with Custard

Daily Rates
Firstly we would like to say thank you for adapting so well to the introduction of the daily rates at UNACC, the decision to change the pricing structure was not made lightly, with the loss of £14,320.40 in revenue due to the closure of the centre and the need to comply with health and safety measures by reducing transactions to keep you and our volunteers safe we had little choice. We hope you feel, like we do, that the pricing structure has something for everyone and is very good value for money. We’re very lucky to have Kevin a restaurant standard chef, daily activities, exercise and refreshments, however all of this needs to be paid for. Our exercise classes have run at a loss for a considerable amount of time now but because they are enjoyed so much UNACC has paid the difference, the film licence is nearly £300 a year again UNACC covers most of the cost, this is no longer sustainable, it is for these reasons we ask you not to request a reduction on our rates as the answer will have to be no. We have worked very hard to re-open the centre safely and now we need to ensure UNACC can continue. If you would like to discuss anything, please come and see the staff in the office rather than asking volunteers. Thank you for your understanding.

Christmas at UNACC 2020
Christmas at UNACC 2020 will be very different from previous years due to ongoing social distancing regulations. After considering all the options we’ve decide on having a Christmas week instead of a one off event, this will take place in our usual room on Tuesday 15^th, Wednesday 16^th and Friday 18^th December (our last day), we will be closed on Monday 14^th December.

The cost for each day will be £15 which includes a small gift, bucks fizz and alcohol free fruit punch reception, a three course meal with wine and fruit juice followed by tea, coffee and a mince pie, Christmas based quiz or word game every day, prize for winner and music, the green room will be set up for those who would rather not have music, please let us know if you want to be in the green room in advance. There will be a selection of two meats available in case you would like to come more than once in the week.

Starter
Vegetable Soup
or
Prawn & smoked salmon cocktail

Main
Turkey or Beef or Seasonal Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Roast Potatoes, Parsnips, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots and
Yorkshire Pudding, Gravy

Pigs in Blankets for meat eaters

Dessert
Christmas Pudding with Custard
or
Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Please note UNACC Christmas closing times, Monday 21^st December through to Friday 1^st January, opening Monday 4^th January 2021

We’re back in the swing of things
Firstly we want to say thanks so much for being patient with us while we adapt to the new look UNACC. We hope you understand it is our responsibility to keep you and our volunteers safe and we have concerns over the safety of exchanging money throughout the day.  Originally we introduced a flat £10 a day fee to limit transactions, this was received with mixed feelings from members so we decided to revert back to the old pricing during the month of September while considering our options. We have looked at all the possibilities and believe the best and safest way is to adopt daily flat rates. We have decided on three options with something to suit everybody.  We ask that you bring the exact money for each day, below is the new pricing structure which will come into effect from Friday 2^nd October 2020, if you have any questions please come to the office to speak with us. 

£10 Day Rate 1: includes two course lunch, activity, unlimited tea, coffee and a slice or cake or piece of fruit.

£5 Day Rate 2: includes activity, unlimited tea, coffee and a slice of cake or piece of fruit.

£3 Day Rate 3: includes unlimited tea, coffee and a slice of cake or piece of fruit.

Test and trace
When you arrive we will take your temperature and record it along with your telephone number each day to make sure we know how to contact you if somebody should become ill and you need to self-isolate. Please do not travel to UNACC if you feel unwell or have any COVID-19 symptoms. Everyone will need to fill in a new membership form to ensure we have up to date information for everyone.

Booking
Booking is essential, UNACC is no longer a drop-in service as we need to adhere to maximum numbers to maintain social distancing – please do not just turn up as you may be turned away if we are at capacity. Please if you can, do this on the website www.unacc.org.uk/booking or call the office number 020 8771 6886, and wait for confirmation before making any travel plans. Please only use these methods of communication and do not use staff members’ personal mobile phones – we need to have one central booking system to make sure messages do not get missed. Once you are here we can write your name in the diary for any future days so you will not have to book on each week yourself.

Membership
We are taking payments for membership 20-21, and will only be charging £15 from now until April 2021 when the new-year will re-start. If you have already paid your membership for this year at the full £30 rate then we can either take £15 off from next year’s membership charge or refund you £15 now.

Welcome back everyone!
It’s lovely to go back to some sort of normality, though the new normal will look very different to what we have been used to.
We’re open as usual on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm.

Please do not arrive earlier than 9.30 as we will need to sanitise and set everything up each morning.
If possible please bring in the right money for lunches and activities. There will be a set price of £10 available to minimise money changing hands – the £10 will cover a 2-course lunch, one activity and unlimited tea and coffee and one day each week there will be a slice of cake included. This is great value and will save you money in the long run. Of course, if you only come for an activity or only for lunch, for example then you would only pay for that, we do not expect you to pay for services you have not received.

However, we are a lunch club first and foremost, so if we are at capacity then we will have to give priority to those who are having lunch.

We will be able to take card payments to make things easier.

Test and trace
When you arrive we will take your temperature and record it along with your telephone number each day to make sure we know how to contact you if somebody should become ill and you need to self-isolate. Please do not travel to UNACC if you feel unwell or have any COVID-19 symptoms. Everyone will need to fill in a new membership form to ensure we have up to date information for everyone.

Booking
Booking is essential, UNACC is no longer a drop-in service as we need to adhere to maximum numbers to maintain social distancing – please do not just turn up as you may be turned away if we are at capacity. Please if you can, do this on the website www.unacc.org.uk/booking or call the office number 020 8771 6886, and wait for confirmation before making any travel plans. Please only use these methods of communication and do not use staff members’ personal mobile phones – we need to have one central booking system to make sure messages do not get missed. Once you are here we can write your name in the diary for any future days so you will not have to book on each week yourself.

Activities will resume week beginning 7^th September, and may be subject to change so please look out for any announcements

Membership
We are taking payments for membership 20-21, and will only be charging £15 from now until April 2021 when the new year will re-start. If you have already paid your membership for this year at the full £30 rate then we can either take £15 off from next year’s membership charge or refund you £15 now.

Due to government guidlines UNACC is closed until further notice.

Centre Opening Times
We’re open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm. If possible please bring in the right money for lunches and activities. 

This is your life: Terry Brennan
Terry was born the youngest of 16 siblings in County Cork, Ireland on 18^th November 1943 to Mary and Thomas Brennan a newspaper printer for the Daily Post. The family lived together with their dog Rex and Terry attended the local grammar school after passing his 11+.

Terry came to London in the 1970s where he met and married an Irish girl, they had four boys but the marriage didn’t work and they divorced. Terry joined the RAF he was stationed in Cyprus where he saw active service during the Cyprus War, he was injured during a bombing raid, his left hand was badly damaged so after just ten and a half months he returned to the UK for treatment at Mayday Hospital. After his recovery Terry left for Ibiza where he started a bar which he ran for three and a half years, a man visiting from the UK was so impressed by Terry’s ability to run the establishment he offered Terry a job back in the UK. Terry returned and ran the Jolly Sailor in South Norwood for some years,

Later started another bar and hotel in Lewisham, in total he ran bars for 42 years, unfortunately illness struck and Terry was no longer able to work, he took a military pension and retired.

Valentine’s Day Banquet
Friday 14^th February we are hosting a Valentine’s Banquet with 3 courses, vegetable soup, Braised pork, roast potatoes, carrots & cauliflower cheese or vegetarian option, strawberry gateaux a glass of wine, beer or soft drink. Do let us know your favorite love song and we’ll make sure to play it, all this for only £7.

UNACC Film Club
Film club returns on Wednesday 26 February, showing ‘Some like it Hot’ with a delicious roast chicken, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, carrots and gravy lunch served at 12pm. In recent months we’ve had a big drop in the numbers attending film events, our license costs us £17 a month so please make the effort to come and enjoy a delicious meal and a great film.   

Centre Opening Times
We’re open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30am – 2.30pm. 

Christmas Party December 2019
We do hope you all enjoyed the Christmas party on Friday 13th December, we worked very hard from 7am to make it a party to remember! We’d like to say thank you to everyone that volunteered and helped make it a special day. Firstly an extra special thanks to Jean Tennent for meeting and greeting, serving and buying the prosecco for the bucks fizz, Jean P for assisting, Anne Dolan for teas and coffees, Lynda and Gary who were here very early and toiled till early evening. Luke, Sandra, Chris Wright, Gerald and Alan for helping in the kitchen, Sophia and Mia for decorating the tables, Daniel for doing the music, another very special thanks to Barry and Mike for providing the wine.

We must not forget those of you that volunteer throughout the year, Jean Tennent who works very hard raising money for all our events, Sir Ken French for all the work he does with the art class, Juliet Purkiss for the money she raises on the table, Maria for collecting money on Friday, Eve for her cards, Sandra for her help on a Monday, Yvonne for bingo, Jackie for her brilliant word games on a Wednesday, Barry for reminiscence, Chris, George, Jean P for help setting up and putting away. And a very warm thanks to Lynda and Luke for all their hard work assisting in the kitchen and the general running of the place, we couldn’t do it without you!

This is your life: Roger Whiting
Roger was born in Nelson Hospital Merton on the 12^th December 1942, He lived in Merton for a year until his house was bombed, he was evacuated to Littlehampton with his father and mother and older sister. His father worked as an engineer in Crawley, when Roger was six the family moved and took over a pig farm in Charlwood, a small village near Gatwick where they stayed until Roger was 12. The family then moved back to Mitcham. When Roger left school he had several jobs, finally he settled into an engineering apprenticeship, later becoming a toolmaker a profession he continued for the rest of his working life.

Roger met the lovely Carol in 1966 at Peggy Spencer’s dance hall in Penge, feelings grew quickly and Roger and Carol were engaged within six months, they married in 1970. They went on to have two lovely children Jenny and Tracy and four grandchildren, two girls and the two boys. On retirement Roger and Carol have enjoyed travelling, visiting Canada, Australia, America and the Caribbean, they also like to holiday In Turkey each year. Roger has a bit of a dare devil side just after Christmas 2019 he went on a zip wire adventure in Llandudno over a disused quarry at speeds reaching 100mph, go Rodger!

The happy couple have been married for 49 years and are looking forward to celebrating their golden wedding anniversary next year, congratulations.        

UNACC Film Club
Film club returns on Wednesday 15 January, showing ‘What’s Love got to do with it’ with a delicious roast beef, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, carrots and gravy lunch served at 12pm. In recent months we’ve had a big drop in the numbers attending film events, our license costs us £17 a month so please make the effort to come and enjoy a delicious meal and a great film.   

Christmas Party 2019

We’re delighted to announce the UNACC Christmas party is on Friday 13th December, please arrive at 9.45am for the bucks fizz reception and canapes. We’ll be kicking off the fun and games at 10.45am with Team the Price is Right, there’s a cash prize for the winners. We’ll make our way over to the hall where the entertainment continues at 11.30am with Swing Land. Our spectacular freshly cooked 3 course is served at midday with unlimited beer, wine and fruit juice, a Gin and tonic or tea and coffee to finish. Raffle prizes will be distributed to the winners during the meal.  After dinner we have ‘As seen at the London Palladium’ singer Aidan Kent! All this for a very reasonable £20, Jean Tennent is collecting money now, don’t miss out! If that’s not enough one lucky ticket will win a prize!   

Menu
Starter
Winter Veg soup or Prawn & Salmon cocktail

Main Meal
Roast Turkey, gammon all trimmings or Individual veggie wellington with all trimmings

Dessert
Xmas Pudding & Ferrero Rocher cheesecake

Drinks
Wine, beer, fruit juice, water, gin and tonic, tea and coffee

This is your life: Isoline Simon
Isoline was born in Jamaica on 5^th November 1931 she lived with her mother Ina a home maker and father Rueban a deep sea fisherman, two sisters Jasmine and Carmen, brother Beresford and three pet dogs. The family kept chickens, goats and had a large allotment growing fruit and vegetables. Isoline attended the large village school until her early teens, later she spent many years with her grandparents in Cuba having to learn Spanish to communicate with them.  When Isoline returned to Jamaica she met an old school friend Vivian, their relationship grew and they got engaged. The happy couple decided to come to England and were married in Nottingham in 1954, family members would pop in to see the newlyweds to give support and keep the coal fire going.

Isoline and Vivian had two lovely children, Sonia and Christopher, after a few years in Nottingham Isoline moved to London, she worked at the Midland bank for a number of years, later she found employment closer to home at Nestle in Croydon.  After working for 18 years Isoline retired and spent her time travelling to far off destinations including the Caribbean, Canada and North America.

UNACC Film Club
Film club returns on Wednesday 20 November, showing The Bucket List with delicious roast lamb, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, carrots and gravy lunch served at 12pm. In recent months we’ve had a big drop in the numbers attending film events, our license costs us £17 a month so please make the effort to come and enjoy a delicious and a great film.   

 Dates for diary
Triniti is away on holiday, she will return W/C Monday 18^th November. Our last day will be Friday 20^th December back on Monday 6th January.