South London Turkish Elders Sydenham Association

South London Turkish Elders Sydenham AssociationOn Friday 27th March 2015, CTCA (UK) visited one of its members, the South London Turkish Elders Sydenham Association [SLTESA] (Guney Londra Sydenham Turk Yaslilar Dernegi) in South London. SLTESA is an elders club established over 11 years ago who, for two hours a day, twice a week, provides an important focal point for its members that also helps maintain integration within the community. We witnessed how the interaction of the members is much needed and vital to bringing friends and relatives together on a regular basis. SLTESA provide weekly exercise classes, snacks & drinks and bingo games as pass-times.

Like so many of our Turkish supplementary schools, women’s associations, cultural associations and other volunteer groups, it is run by volunteers without any external financial assistance. For generations they have struggled to provide the same level of service but due to lack of resources this has ultimately proved unsustainable.

As a community, our support for these invaluable services will help maintain our family values, history, culture, religion and language before these services disappear as, they generally disappear for good. We need to reach out to our business community to help in some way. Sponsorship, joint event initiatives or fund-raising activity would be welcome. SLTESA have had to request help from local businesses to meet debts obligations a result of Lewisham Council’s ever-decreasing and limited financial support.

In order to raise awareness of the plight of SLTESA, we invite you all to a bingo and music event on Friday 8th May 2015 from 11am until 3pm in order to help raise funds to ensure continued services for our elderly. The address is as follows:

8 Venner Road
Sydenham
London SE26 5EF

We look forward to seeing you there for full support

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