A place for fitness and health… A place for fun and learning… A place for everyone to enjoy!
- 020 8977 0549
We are Elleray Community Association (ECA), the charity that manages and runs the Elleray Centre. Our mission is to relieve social isolation and loneliness in the community, with an emphasis on older adults.
ECA is run by a board of volunteer trustees and employs a staff of four people who are responsible for both running the Elleray Social Club and the Elleray Centre. We are funded by a grant from the local authority and supported by a number of other local charities and philanthropic organisations.
The local authority has entrusted the management of the Elleray Centre to our charity and so, while our focus remains on providing services to Teddington’s older population, we are fully committed to making the Elleray Centre a place that has something to offer the entire local community.
To this end, we hire out space to all kinds of tutors, instructors, hobby groups and other local charities. All the income that this generates goes towards maintaining the building and providing the services at Elleray Community Association that so many older people rely on.
Under our direction, we are confident that the Elleray Centre will become a valuable community asset and will make a big contribution towards making Teddington an even better place in which to live!
T.O.P.W.C. (Teddington Old Peoples’ Welfare Committee) was formed in 1946 by a group of concerned local residents who were interested in the welfare of the elderly. At that time older people had no access to a welfare state, and the committee held jumble sales and other modest fundraising events to fund necessities such as fuel and food.
Built in 1911, Elleray Hall (named after a house which stood on the site) had been a parish hall connected with St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church. It was first used exclusively for the elderly through T.O.P.W.C. in 1950, when a distribution of off-ration sweets was made available to them. This was a most welcome concession in those luxury-starved days. Quite a few years later T.O.P.W.C. then became the Elleray Community Association but its mission of combating isolation in our neighbourhood continues to this day.
Now in 2025 we are looking forward to moving to our purpose-built new building on North Lane, just round the corner from the original Elleray Hall.
Our small enthusiastic team are:
Sam Vaughnley – Centre Manager
Anita Brackstone – Centre Administrator
Rebecca Hitt – Activities and Volunteer Coordinator
Majoly Keutchanso – Centre Cook
Joan Barnett, BEM – Chair
Steve Cochrane – Treasurer
Mary Bishop – Secretary
Rob Dollery
Frankie Gomez-Cuckson
Michael Hill
Maralyn Hutchinson
Katy Richards
David Sagar
After many years as our Chair of the Trustees, Joan Barnett, BEM will be retiring soon after we have moved into the new centre in October. Our new chair should have experience either as a trustee or in running committees or managing aspects of a service or business.
As well as acting as spokesperson and figurehead for the charity, they will be instrumental in providing our committee of trustees with the strategic leadership necessary to ensure that we maintain and expand our services and continue to meet the needs of our members.
The ability to engage with stakeholders and collaborate effectively with staff and volunteers as well as other charities, institutions and the local authority is vital.
Please contact ECA on 020 8977 0549 or chr@ellerayhall.org to arrange an informal discussion with our current chair or to receive full details of this volunteer role.
