Timeline: History of Children First Lewisham and Kaleidoscope, Lewisham Centre for Children & Young People

Date / Event
1988 / Priory Manor Child Development Centre (CDC) opened on site of the old adult chest clinic at 1 Blagdon Rd, Catford – the first base for Lewisham’s child development service
1989-1995 / Lewisham Child Development Service based at Priory Manorexpands services and resources, but outgrows the existing space
July 1995 / PrendergastSecondary School closes down Hawstead Rd site.
First discussions about a new Child Development Centre in Lewisham
September 1995 / PrendergastSecondary School opens on new site at Hillyfields, Ladywell
September 1996 / Portacabins installed on Priory Manor site (with 2 year planning permission initially) providing a much needed clinical examination suite
April 1999 / Community Health South London NHS Trust formed, joining the community health teams of Lewisham and Southwark (previously Optimum Health NHS Trust) with Lambeth.
February 2000 / Appointment offirst BoroughManager to lead Lewisham community child health service. 43 Albacore Crescent acquired for offices and meeting space.
June 2000 / Extension to Priory Manor CDC using 1 Albacore Crescent site, providing home for physiotherapy and occupational therapy teams and some additional clinical space
April 2002 / Lewisham Primary Care Trust formed out of previous Community Health South London NHS Trust, covering Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham
April 2002 / Children First Lewisham becomes registered company
October 2002 / Open design competition announced by Lewisham PCT, closelysupported by CABE and their “Enabler”, Mick Timpson
[Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment]
January 2003 / Charity CommissionapprovalforChildren First Lewisham
12th February 2003 / Consultation event with parent users of current services and voluntary sector. Informs project board and the competing architects
March 2003 / Final choice: winning design teamvan Heyningen Haward Architects
2003 / Laming Report on Death of Victoria Climbié leading to publication of Every Child Matters and other nationalpolicy developments
June 2003 / Architects and Project Board consult with parent users, voluntary sector and agency staff teams to finalise the brief
17thJuly 2003 / Outline Business Case (OBC) approved by the Board of Lewisham PCT, to be submitted to the Strategic Health Authority
Early 2004 / Behaviour & Educational Support Team (BEST) and Lewisham Information and Support team (LISA) to join services in new building
April 2004 / Planning permission agreed
10th June 2004 / Strategic Health Authority gives unconditional approval for the Full Business Case for the new Children and Young Peoples’ Centre
September 2004 /
  • Tendering for construction contract for the CYP Centre
  • Building work commences on Rushey Green Primary Care Centre, on the west third of the same site

September 2004 / National Service Framework for Children & Young People and Maternity Services
October 2004 / CPC appointed to lead project management and Miles Brown is appointed the project manager
December 2004 / Children Act 2004
December 2004 / William Verry appointed as constructor
February 2005 / Verry Constructioncommences building work on the Lewisham Children and Young People’s Centre
March 2005 / Commissioning and Project Manager appointed by PCT (Ben Maguire)
April 2005 / London Borough of Lewisham’s Directorate of Children & Young People formed
1st July 2005 / Public event marking launch of the build and to promote children First Lewisham at Lewisham Civic Suite. Speeches from Mayor, PCT Chair, families and the charity CFL
August 2005 / Tenders invited for the Art Project for the centre
September 2005 / Lord Jeff Rooker, Minister of State for Northern Ireland becomes president of the charity, Children First Lewisham.
Autumn 2005 / Lewisham Information Support and Assessment – LISA, and Inter-Agency Transition Team(IATT) for disabled school leavers will now join services in new building
14th July 2006 / The Mercury, south-east London weekly newspaper, launches Kids First, their campaign to support Children First Lewisham
11th August 2006 / Building handed over by Verry Construction to Lewisham PCT
22nd August 2006 / A name at last! Final approval for the name of the new centre: Kaleidoscope, Lewisham Centre for Children and Young People.
Postal address: 32, Rushey Green, London SE6 4JF
19th October 2006 / Channel Network Awards ceremony (prestigious ICT industry event) Logicalis win award for Best Integrated Security Solutionin recognition of its cutting edge ICT security solution for three agencies co-locating in Kaleidoscope
27th October 2006 / Lewisham PCT staff move out of Priory Manor Child Development Centre, and other sites
30th October 2006 / Lewisham PCT staff begin move in to Kaleidoscope, followed by Lewisham CAMHS team (SLAM) and London Borough of Lewisham’s staff from Education and Social Care
6th November 2006 / Kaleidoscope opens for services to children and young people
15th May 2007 / RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) London Regional Awards Ceremony: Kaleidoscope awarded Runner-Up prize - Community Benefit Category. (Emirates Stadium won first prize)
16th May 2007 / RIBA London Award 2007 (Royal Institute of British Architects) for van Heningen & Haward and Kaleidoscope
19th June 2007 / RIBA Health Forum held at Kaleidoscope
1st Augusts 2007 / The Mercury presents cheque for £200 to Children First Lewisham at Kaleidoscope
10th September 2007 / Presentation to mark Kaleidoscope being shortlisted for the 2007 Prime Minister’s Better Public Buildings Award. Kaleidoscope was also shortlisted for the BCI Awards 2007 (British Construction Industry)
2nd November 2007 / Official opening of Kaleidoscope by Stephen Wiltshire MBE and Lewisham children.
8th November 2007 / Kaleidoscope 'Highly Commended' in the Best Primary and Community Care Design Category at the Building Better Healthcare Awards. Giving award toNew ForestCommunityHospital in Hampshire,judges described this category as hotly contested. Kaleidoscope highly commended amongst8 finalists shortlisted from long list of 30
February 2008 / Civic Trust Award: Kaleidoscope is second place in this national award
25th April 2008 / Visit to centre by Sarah Brown, wife of Prime Minister Gordon Brown
June 2008 / Information and Resource Officer takes up post for first time in the Helene Dickson Resource Centre at Kaleidoscope
September 2008 / Integration Project commences at request of Lewisham’s CYP Joint Commissioning Group – looking at ways of improving service delivery to children and families at Kaleidoscope by closer working between agencies
Autumn 2008 / CFL and Frank Buttle Trust make an agreement on a small grants scheme for Lewisham children and families with disability and additional needs administered by Buttle on behalf of CFL