WHAT PEOPLE SAY
“I didn’t know it was important until I saw it being restored!”
— Margaret E, East London
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
“I didn’t know it was important until I saw it being restored!”
— Margaret E, East London
RECENT PROJECTS
Surrey Street drinking fountain
Surrey Street Market in Croydon is one of the oldest known street markets in Britain, trading since 1276. The drinking fountain stands at the top of the market street and had been out of use for what is estimated to be over 50 years, until its restoration in summer 2025. The fountain and its positive environmental benefits in reducing plastic waste is a huge hit with local schools.
The young people were excited to meet the stonemasons during the restoration and learn more about the process behind it. They wrote poetry, and created drawings and miniature fountains from clay.
Pupils who attended the grand unveiling featured on BBC London News, sipping the first drops of free fresh drinking water for decades!
“My English started from Croydon; I studied here and went Croydon college and then moved to Southwark College. I didn’t want to come today because I thought I already knew, but I knew nothing about Surrey Street and it was great!”
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– Ali,17, Southwark College
“I’ve passed it a lot of times and I never knew about it.”
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– Samya,10, Park Hill Primary School
“I liked that that the government in the past wanted to help the people in Croydon by giving the fountain.”
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– Gabrielle, 10, Park Hill Primary School
“Now I know lots I can tell my mum. I can tell my mum why it’s a good reason to stay in Croydon.”
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– Elijah,10, Park Hill Primary School
Creative responses
