The CrossLinks Centre, Lakes Estate, Bletchley, Milton Keynes

We are a community based charity, motivated by a desire to help in the regeneration of our local area community in South Bletchley. The origins of the CrossLinks Centre were in the members and congregations of the Water Eaton Church Centre.

Here Spurgeon Baptist Church recognised the needs of their neighbouring estate, and supported by both congregations of the Water Eaton Church Centre (Spurgeon Baptist Church and St. Frideswide Anglican Church) created a new independent Registered Charity number 1101272.

So born out of this Christian ethos the CrossLinks Centre opened in January 2003. Although it maintains its original strong Christian ethos, the Centre is open to all the community and welcomes all, regardless of age, culture or ethnic background and its aims are firmly in Community Regeneration.

We are based in the heart of the Lakes Estate on Serpentine Court. From here we reach out across the community linking with many other larger national charities and community service providers, aiming to maximise a holistic, coordinated service delivery for locally identified needs.

The CrossLinks Centre is at the heart of the local community and is part of that same community. This local partnership ensures that we concentrate on the major local requirements, rather than a centrally driven national or regional agenda.

We currently run a number of residents' activities. There is a daily morning community drop in where there is a chance to sit and meet with other residents, including Mums and Tots, have refreshments and use any of the Centre’s office services for letters, telephone and general help and advice. With the support of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation the opening times for assistance have been extended to 4 pm every weekday.

There is also a senior residents over 55 Lunch Club on Mondays where a reasonably priced quality two course meal is provided.

In 2005 the Milton Keynes Physically Disabled Club became a fully integrated part of the CrossLinks service provision. The main activities are run at the Water Eaton Church Centre.

At the end of 2005 Crosslinks started The Friday Club at the Water Eaton Church Centre. This is a weekly provision (during Term time) for young people between 13 to 25 with learning difficulties.

CrossLinks became a collection centre for the Milton Keynes Credit Union. The provision of simple and cheap credit facilities will become a valuable addition to the CrossLinks Centre portfolio.

The CrossLinks Centre aims to continue its development as a multi facility provision focusing its resources locally “Across the Community”