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8 April 2020
Update video on the Hounslow Community Hub
Our Community Hub continues to ensure the borough’s most vulnerable and isolated residents get the vital food, supplies and other support they need so they can remain protected at home. In this video, Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, visits the Hub to help with the volunteer effort and talks about what it’s achieved so far.
Watch video by clicking image below:
Cllr Rajawat talks about support for business, individuals and community groups struggling financially
We know many businesses, individuals and community groups are struggling financially at the moment. There is a lot of support out there, and the Council is working hard to try to make sure funding and support reaches those in need as soon as possible.
In this video Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, explains what the Council has been doing and what support is available.
Local schools' community support on BBC News!
Reach Academy Feltham, Southville Primary and Crane Park Primary have been working together with Reach Academy’s caterers, JPL Catering, to provide free meals for local families in the area. Parent volunteers have also been delivering meal packs to self-isolating households.
Their excellent work has been showcased by BBC London in Monday’s broadcast. Well done to everyone involved for your amazing efforts. It’s wonderful to see the community coming together in such a positive way. Watch video HERE
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The Hounslow Community Foodbox is a support organisation founded by Hounslow Council and residents of the borough. Council Leader Steve Curran initiated the project in 2012, as welfare reforms were beginning to bite and Cllr Curran remains Patron of the charity today, with Ward Councillor Corinna Smart as Chair and fellow Cabinet Member, Cllr Guy Lambert as Vice-Chair. The charity has been regularly helping vulnerable families in the borough ever since and is staffed entirely by volunteers.
In response to the current crisis, HCF has taken on an extra 40-50 volunteers and has expanded from its base to a larger Community Hall in Brentford, enabling it to scale up its operation. Last week the charity received over 200 referrals, representing over 500 people needing help.
The charity is working closely with the Council’s Community Hub to identify any gaps and ensure that it can reach as many people as possible at a time of great need. Most of the food that the charity receives is donated by local retailers, such as Waitrose and Morrissons and local companies too. Donations have also been gratefully received from local residents, many of whom have also volunteered their time to help distribute to those in need.
Recycling and waste collection Easter schedule
We continue to provide a full recycling and waste collection service at present with slight changes to the collection schedules for the Easter period.
This coming Good Friday (10 April) will remain a regular collection day, so if your collection day is on a Friday, then please present your waste and recycling as usual.
There will be no collections on Monday 13 April (Easter Monday). If your household is due a collection on Monday 13 April (Easter Monday), then this will move to the next day, Tuesday 14 April and this adjustment will continue for the rest of the week. Please check your usual collection day and the revised collection day below.
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The normal waste and recycling service will resume on Monday 20 April.
Schools
If your child was born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017, they can start in the nursery class of one of our schools in September 2020.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 1 May 2020.
Feedback from a small number of schools suggests some parents are not able to complete the PDF nursery application form. A Word version of the application form has been added onto the Council’s website and can be accessed HERE.
Parents can email or post the completed form directly to the school.
Primary National Offer Day
We have had a number of queries regarding National Offer Day for Reception 2020 and would like to confirm that the Admissions are on track and we are proud to report it is business as usual, with offers being made on 16 April 2020. For more information see HERE
Do you have an old laptop or computer you can donate?
Local education charity, Hounslow’s Promise is working with local schools and MPs to help provide computers or laptops to local school pupils needing to study at home who don’t have access to a computer or the internet. We estimate around 1,000 children in Hounslow need support.
Do you have an old laptop or computer you can donate?
If so please email info@hounslowspromise.org include your name, address, telephone number and details of the computer e.g. a laptop, PC, Mac or Chromebook.
The charity will respond with information on how to back up your machine and make sure you delete any data before donating. Accessories e.g. charger cables, keyboards, mouse are also needed.
The computers can be collected from you or dropped off at drop-off points. Computers will be cleaned down, safety tested and re-imaged before schools pass on to children and families. The project is also being supported by local businesses.
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In response to the dire need for PPE amongst NHS staff a community led initiative (https://www.3dcrowd.uk/) is asking 3D printer owners to manufacture components which can be used to build face shields.
We are asking schools, colleges and universities in the UK to join this initiative and to help produce these components using their printers utilising the designs provided by 3D Crowd UK.
3D Crowd UK can also organise the collection of the produced components and distribute them to local hubs where the Face Shields can be put together and passed onto NHS Staff and other front line staff.
If your school, college or university has access to a 3D printer can they please volunteer to help at https://www.3dcrowd.uk/ where they will be given instructions on how to set up their printers and what to do with the finished components.
In addition we are asking any schools, colleges or universities who have A4 PVC binding covers or laminating pouches that are either 240, 250 or 300 Micron thick to donate them as visors for the face shields. If your school, college or university has any of these PVC binding covers or laminate pouches could you please send them to the following address urgently.
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Watermans’ free online events and activities
Our cultural delivery partners, Watermans', haven’t forgotten their local community at a time that you can’t visit them in Brentford.
They have curated a great programme of activities that you can enjoy from home over the Easter break. There’s a children's theatre show, called Butterflies – a Tangled Feet and Half Moon production for younger children, that explores themes of friendship and courage in a spellbinding way. There are craft activity projects for children and adults to get creative with – making bunting in paper or fabric. There’s also free streaming of a West End production of Wind in the Willows, recorded at the London Palladium.
To access these and other events, please subscribe to their newsletter:
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Online resources for health, education and wellbeing
OneYouHounslow provides a full list of activities to help you and your family stay active and healthy from home.
#10today offers short routines for healthy activity.If you like listening to the radio why not try listening online, tune in to join many others taking part.
Adaptive Yoga with Wheelpower designed for wheelchair users to help with exercises from the comfort of home.
MIND the Mental Health Charity has compiled a list resources and information to help you stay active and healthy, alongside information on mental health and wellbeing.
Useful links
Reporting coronavirus contraventions – If you are concerned about businesses or individuals not adhering to Government guidance, please report them by clicking HERE.
Accessible formats - advice on staying safe and helping to stop the spread of coronavirus is available in accessible formats and different languages, please click HERE.
Latest information and advice
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The Council has a coronavirus advice webpage which is updated daily with the latest local information for residents and businesses.
You can also follow us on social media using the links below.
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