We have been open since 7 March 1961. Ruth Winston and Edith Simpson started the Southgate Old Peoples Welfare Committee, the Centre was opened by HRH Princess Alexandra. The centre evolved over the years and soon became The Ruth Winston Centre.
You can pay by cash, cheque or credit card (excluding AMEX) for your class. Some clubs require you to pay them directly but any class we organise and run we will take payment. Please come to the office before your next 6 week course starts to pay and ensure your place is kept for you.
There are codes to the front door and back gate. We will tell you these once you join, they are printed on the back of your membership card in case you forget.
Yes. Some of our classes prove very popular and fill up quite quickly. If we have to start a waiting list we will always look into the viability of running another class in the week to accommodate those waiting. A volunteer will always call you when a place becomes available so be sure to put your name on the waiting lists.
No. We lease the house from the council but are an independent, small, local charity in our own right and overseen by the board of Trustees.
No. We haven’t had any day care activities here since the early 1970’s. We are now a community centre offering activities, clubs and classes.
There is always so much going on at the Centre we ask that you keep an eye out on the website’s Events Page and on the Home Page. If you have an email address please ensure the office has your address so Staff can send you up to date information as it is due or for future dates. And finally if you are ever in the centre we encourage you to read one of the eight notice boards, there are always posters on them telling you about the next one.
We run over 60 classes and clubs each week for your benefit. We offer exercise, crafts, skills, tutorials, modern languages, services and well-being.
Staff, several Volunteers and Tutors are qualified first aiders. There are many first aid kits around the building, please see the notice boards for their locations.
Yes you can. We have a gift aid system that allows us to take your information and keep tabs on your monetary donations as well as any items we sell on your behalf that you have donated to the centre. At present we can claim 25 pence back in every pound from HMRC. This can add up quickly and will go a long way to paying for core costs in the centre.
You can do this by paying direct to the centre, someone in the office will receive your donation and ask you if you pay tax, this will allow us to gift aid it and receive tax relief from HMRC. You can post us a cheque or you can pay directly into our CAF Bank account or now on Virgin Money Giving site, please call in for our bank account details.
Please click here to go direct to our Virgin Money Giving page.
Yes. We have been very lucky to receive legacies by past members or people associated with the centre. A legacy can save your family paying inheritance tax plus helps to fund the centre for others to enjoy.
Donna is in every Monday from 9.00 am – 11.00 am and Mark is in every two Wednesday’s of the month from 9.30 am – 3.00 pm plus one Thursday and Friday per month from 9.30 am – 12.30 pm. You will need to call the office for appointments with Mark but you can call Donna direct, all phone numbers will be given to you on joining the centre as a member.
Lucy is a trained barber and hairdresser. She is open from 9.30 am – 2.30 pm Tuesday to Friday, her prices vary and all appointments need to be made with her direct. You will be given her number and price list on joining the centre as a member.
You will need to wear comfortable clothing and shoes, a bottle of water and a yoga mat for some. We have a small stock of yoga mats for you to use but these must be returned at the end of class for others to use.
We offer a light and healthy lunch each day which consists of either a sandwich, soup or jacket potato all include a side salad, yoghurt or banana and a tea or coffee. We also serve a hot lunch every Thursday which is homemade, two courses and served with soft drink, tea and coffee. Lunch prices vary.
We currently charge 50 pence for a cup and 60 pence for a mug. A volunteer will make your tea and coffee for you on request in the morning drop-in.
Yes we do. We have a wheelchair ramp at the front of the building, a wheelchair lift in the middle of the centre to allow access to the lower floor and a lowered kerb from the rear of the building. All of our doorways have been widened to allow wheelchair access and we have a wheelchair ramp to allow access to the hairdressers. We have a disabled toilet.
No we don’t. We are not a day care centre and therefore don’t have any trained carers. If someone needs a carer we must insist they bring someone with them.
Yes we do. We have a group of volunteers that organise trips to seaside places, historical cities and local places of interest. A medical form is required to be filled in, on completion if we think you are not fit to take a trip alone you will be asked to bring a carer or family member, both of you must pay for your seats on the coach. If you are unable to bring a carer we must make the decision to allow you to carry on a trip unaided. Your safety and well-being is our first thought and unfortunately if we decide you are unable to go our decision is final.
We are open Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 4.30 pm each week. We are closed on Bank Holidays and over the Christmas period.
Yes. We encourage people to come along and observe a class or take part in the first class for free, our classes only other tutors may charge a trial fee. We will take you to the class, introduce you to the tutor and other members. If you like what you see and join in then you can sign up and become part of the class. If not don’t worry you can try another, there is no pressure from us.
Generally we like you to book in advance and let us know. This could be because we need to cater food or put out enough chairs for people and we like to prepare these things in advance. Also it might be a ticket only function, in which case we are unable to reserve seats. Your purchased ticket is your reservation.
Some of the classes we run ourselves do, like these:
Discover Art
Computer Courses
Tai Chi
Pilate’s
Yoga
Flower Arranging
Make N Mend
Latin American dance
Chinese painting
All of which require a six week advance payment.
However we do run other classes that are pay as you go, such as
I.T Club
Arm Chair exercises
Dressmaking
Ukulele lessons
Spanish Conversation
French Conversation
German Conversation
Italian Conversation
Table Tennis
Whist
Thursday Lunch Club
Memory Lane Café and Sing-a-Long
Our annual membership fee is £19.50 (2019/2020).. Membership starts 1st September through to 31st August each year.
Yes. The classes we run are all subsidised because you pay a membership fee but we still have to pay for the room hire, lighting, heating, equipment use and tutor.
As long as you are 50 years old or over and a resident of the London Borough of Enfield you can join.
There are many. You can come into the morning drop-in and read the paper, join any of the free classes like scrabble or the knitting circle and often a salsa class. You can use the subsidised services such as the hairdresser and chiropodist and you can join in the hot meals on a Thursday and other special celebration events. It also enables you to receive up to date information by email and a quarterly newsletter.
Unfortunately not. We are unable to give money back or carry over missed classes, unless the circumstances are such and we agree to it. Once you pay for a six week course up front you should try and attend all six weeks, the class is for your benefit, but we appreciate and understand this is not always possible.
We will look to pro-rata the cost for you.
