Mayor Cllr Ruth Winston MBE.
The Ruth Winston Community Centre started life on 7 March 1961, and was opened by HRH Princess Alexandra, thanks to Mayor Cllr Ruth Winston MBE. She was the First Lady Mayor of Southgate Borough from 1958 to 1959 and during her mayoral year raised the funds to buy 190 Green Lanes.
Life started out as the Southgate Old People’s Welfare Committee and housed the WRVS, meals on wheels and some day care activities. In 1970 a terrible fire broke out in the kitchen and destroyed the top half of the house, this was rebuilt and in 1973 HRH Princess Alexandra returned to reopen the “Ruth Winston House”. In 2005 the Board of Trustees took over as an independent charity with some funding from local government.
Today we stand as an independent and self-funded local charity known as “Ruth Winston Community Centre”
HRH Princess Alexandra
In 2011 we celebrated our 50th Anniversary and in June of that year the Centre was honoured with a 3rd visit by HRH Princess Alexandra. She spoke to everyone who attended that day and was thrilled with the way the centre continues to grow and offer services to so many members and is constantly changing to meet the needs and trends of the local community.
We currently provide a wide range of activities and services to our member community, and also some to the wider local community. The Centre is a lively, friendly place to be thanks to our amazing staff and fantastic team of volunteers. We have promoted the Centre at numerous venues including the Palmer’s Green Festival and the Enfield Voluntary Action Volunteer Fair to spread the word and let more people join and benefit from our community.
In past years, we won many awards from Enfield in Bloom and this year we are back in contention as a result of the planning and hard work from our Volunteer Gardening Team and numerous volunteer plant waterers! The front of the building is a riot of summer colour and they created a beautiful, calm and restful space in our small garden area. As always, the plant stand at our Summer Bazaar helped us share that green goodness with others.
Centre Team
The Board of Trustees
The object of the Board of Trustees (Volunteers) is to be responsible for the running and developing the Centre, and make recommendations on overall policies for the benefit of Members and Volunteers. It is made up of individuals who have an interest in services for older people.
Tutors
Affiliates
We are working with other Voluntary Community Sector organisations like Good Things Foundation, Enfield Voluntary Action and Dementia Prevention UK to join forces, share projects and make better use of our facilities by offering advice talks, classes and events.
Here are some useful links to other websites:
Age UK – is the country’s largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. We believe in a world where everyone can love later life and we work every day to achieve this.
Carers Trust Lea Valley Crossroads Care Service – Since 1986 our charity has been delivering practical support in carers’ homes within Enfield and the surrounding areas.
Citizens Advice Enfield – Citizens Advice Enfield is a charity that offers free, accessible quality advice to anyone who lives in Enfield. We can help with all kinds of problems whether they are housing, employment, benefits, debts or immigration issues for example.
Enfield Disability Action – Whatever your issue or enquiry we will offer person centred support to access the services and community interests that you identify. If we cannot meet your need effectively, we will support you to identify another provider who can.
Enfield Voluntary Action – EVA provides services to local voluntary and community organisations in Enfield
Friends of Broomfield Park – We are a group of volunteers who work with Enfield Council to improve the Park’s appearance, facilities, conservation value and safety, so that it can be enjoyed by all.
Mind in Enfield – with a mission to promote and improve the psychological and social well-being of local people with mental health problems. We work in partnership with other statutory and voluntary organizations in pursuit of our mission.
Over 50’s Forum – Aims to influence the decision-makers nationally and locally on such matters as: health, educational and leisure activities, transport, social and community care, housing, age discrimination in employment, pensions and benefits.
Silverfit – Silverfit is a charity aimed at encouraging wellbeing and fitness for over 45s – promoting happier, healthier ageing.
Stroke Association – We are the UK’s leading stroke charity. With your support, together we can conquer stroke
Home Care Preferred – We are providers of homecare for a wide range of clients, ensuring that they can remain at home in an environment that is comfortable and familiar while receiving the highest standards of care.
Interested in Volunteering?
The centre is supported by a dedicated and loyal group of hard-working Volunteers, who take on a wide range of roles and activities. They are part of our Office, Marketing and Events teams, make the building look beautiful with their gardening skills, use their D.I.Y skills to improve our surroundings, and lead some of our clubs, workshops and services. Our Drop-In team set up rooms and provide tea, coffee and chat in the mornings. Every week volunteers pick up food from our generous donors and CIEH Level 2 trained volunteers cook and prepare fresh hot and cold daily lunches, and food for many of our special events.
Without our Trustees and Volunteers the centre simply couldn’t operate. We are very grateful for their most valuable contribution. Opportunities are always arising for new Volunteers. If you are interested in using your skills to help us please come in and talk to us.
As long as you are 18 years old or over and a resident of one of the London boroughs of Enfield, Haringey or Barnet you can join. While we do have younger members, the majority of our members are over 50.
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, credit card (excluding AMEX) or BACS by coming to the Centre office. If you request an invoice you can also pay online. Classes have limited space so to ensure you keep your place, you need to pay for a month at a time in advance.
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. One of our Office Team 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 the Office Team can up date you on any changes to events and let you know 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 events.
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. Please ask in the Office for a form or download one from our Donations page.
We greatly appreciate your support. Please take a look at our Donations page for different ways you can donate to us. These include easyfundraising (which costs you nothing), donating online or by BACS transfer, or donating directly in the Centre Office.
If you pay UK tax, please allow us to claim gift aid on your donation and receive tax relief from HMRC. That boosts your donation by 25% without any extra cost to you.
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.
Martin is the Chiropodist and visits once a month on a Wednesday. Appointments are usually half an hour and run between 10am and 4pm. Please drop into the Office or call 020 8886 5346 to book an appointment. For further information see our Services page.
Mandie is a trained barber and hairdresser. She is in the Centre on Thursdays and Fridays. All appointments need to be made directly with her. Please see our Services page for her Price List and contact details.
You will need to wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and for some classes you should bring a bottle of water and a yoga mat. We have a small stock of yoga mats for you to use but these must be returned at the end of class.
We offer a light and healthy lunch each day which consists of either a sandwich, soup or jacket potato. All lunches include a side salad, yoghurt or fruit and a tea or coffee. At least once a week we also offer a special hot lunch cooked by our volunteer Kitchen Team. See our Services Page for our current menu and prices.
We currently do not charge for tea and coffee for members but we are grateful for any donation you are able to make towards the cost. 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 hairdresser and chiropodist. 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.
We are open Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 4.00 pm each week. We are closed on Bank Holidays and over the Christmas period.
Yes. We encourage people to come along and take part in their first class without the need to join as a member. We will take you to the class, introduce you to the tutor and other members. If you like what you see then you can sign up and become a member of our community and part of the class.
Usually we need you to book in advance. Even if booking is not required, please phone the Office and let us know you are coming along. 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 event, in which case you need to purchase your ticket to ensure you have a place.
Most of the classes need to be paid for in advance for the month and this ensures you keep your place in the class.
There is a small number of classes that are pay as you go. For example, French conversation and table tennis.
Our Activities page lists all our classes and indicates which classes must be paid by the month.
Yes. Your membership fee allows us to offer you subsidised classes but we still have to pay for the building maintenance, lighting, heating, equipment use and for the tutor.
There are many.
You can come into the morning drop-in, have a cup of tea or coffee and a chat, and join any of the free activities like scrabble, knitting circle, quiz, prize bingo or special talks. See our Activities page.
You can book classes, workshops and special events. These are either members-only or are a reduced price for members. See our Activities page.
You can have lovely home-made, very reasonably priced, lunches in the Centre, including joining us for a curry on a Wednesday and other special celebration events. You can use the other subsidised services such as the hairdresser, chiropodist, bereavement support, online form filling and appointment companion. You get a reduced price for hiring rooms in the Centre and on our Wake Reception Package, should you need that. See our Services page.
It also enables you to receive up to date information by email and a quarterly newsletter. See our Home page for our latest newsletter.
Unfortunately not. We are unable to give money back or carry over missed classes, unless there are special circumstances and we agree to it. Please see our class booking policy. A copy of which is available from the Office.
We will pro-rata the cost for you.