Who we are

‘There really is nowhere quite like Southall Day Centre. For hundreds of people it is the beating heart of this community. Over the past three decades staff have made life easier and better for some of the most vulnerable members across West London – offering friendship and practical help for those who need it most.’ Chief Executive of Catalyst Housing Group, Rod Cahill.

We have 2 centres welcoming around 350 people every day. We support our members in so many ways, right in the centre of their community and in their homes. If there’s any way we can help, we will. There’s a broad range of drop-in facilities and loads of activities and services that help disadvantaged people in our community. And if they can’t come to us, we’ll go to them, with home visits. More than 2,000 people use our services each year.

We have strong partnerships with organisations that provide valuable services.  Many work from our centres, which are fast becoming a central hub for many aspects of community support.

We are a non-profit making company, limited by guarantee on charitable rules.  We’re independently managed. We’re associated with Catalyst Communities Trust (formerly Ealing Family Charitable Trust) and a member of Catalyst Housing Group.

Why we’re here

Traditional family patterns among the Asian communities have recently come under severe strain. A growing number of older Asian people are unsupported by their families. Some become lonely and depressed because they’ve lost that mainstay of support. To make things worse, they’re often unfamiliar with the welfare systems and help available to them.

Many women in the Asian community suffer additional isolation. If they’ve led domesticated lives without much interaction with British society and employment, they can be left unprepared for life without their spouses or children.

Our members have suffered social and economic disadvantages and exclusion caused by:

• language barriers
• lack of awareness
• poverty and low income
• racism
• changing values
• immigration status

We’re always extending our work to reach out to those who are vulnerable in different ways. We’re here to:

• be a place where people come to find companionship and mutual support
• provide information, advice, advocacy, counselling and support on a range of problems
• run recreational and cultural activities
• collate information on the needs of elderly Asian people
• liaise with other agencies over the creation of additional resources and facilities
• facilitate and support the development of traditional oral community history
• encourage and support members by the development and introduction of new services and facilities
• stimulate employment opportunities by providing IT skills training and English support

We believe that in order to provide meaningful help, we must focus on the all the needs of the individual. We use this approach while respecting the diversity of our members.

We work hard to create a welcoming atmosphere within a professional framework. And we make sure services run through partners are seamless with the centre’s values. We also promote positive attitudes that rise above traditional divisions to encourage interaction whilst retaining a culturally sensitive environment.

We respect and treat our members with dignity, in a fair and non-judgmental manner.

Contact us today to give us your comments or complaints.

What we’ve achieved

Our proudest achievements are our members’ smiles. We work hard to make a difference to their lives.

Last year, over 2,000 people registered as using the centre in some way.

We hold the Community Legal Service Quality Mark at the ‘general help with casework’ level, for providing much needed advice and casework to our community. Find out more about the advice and support we can offer. We’re proud to be the first BME organisation in the UK and, simultaneously, the first voluntary group in West London to achieve and retain the prestigious Investors in People award in 1997.

Running the centre

Santosh Kanwar, Head of the Southall Day Centre.
“Everyone here is an extension of our family.”

Sukhwant Sandher, Development Officer
“Other day centres are quiet and orderly, but we like things busy and lively.” Contact us.

Southall Day Centre Registered in England and Wales. Company number: 2633497 Charity number: 1025600