Coronavirus update: 6 May 2020

On Friday 8 May Britain will be commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the VE Day when the guns fell silent at the end of the war in Europe.

Everyone can get creative and make their own bunting, which can be displayed in the window at home in support of commemorating this special event.

You can access the toolkit which provides a range of ideas and posters you can download to mark the occasion.

You can decorate your bunting with pictures of whatever inspires you, whether it’s those who fought on the frontline or worked hard on the Homefront, or whether it’s a celebration of enduring peace or your own personal hero.

Find out more about VE Day preparations and how you can plan your very own VE Day party at home.

Don’t forget to hang your bunting over the weekend of the 8 -10 May in your window at home and you can share your pictures on your social media using the hashtag #VEDay75 and mention @LBofHounslow  on Twitter and/or Facebook and we will share your pictures on our social media channels.  

The National Army Museum is organising a VE Day festival with a variety of online activities you can join in with, such as Q+A's, musical performances, stories and more.

The festival starts tomorrow.

For more information and ways to celebrate, view what's available on the National Army Museum website

Our waste and recycling collection crews have been working incredibly hard in difficult circumstances to deliver a regular service to residents - thank you for your continued patience and remember you can still report missed collections here.

If you have symptoms, please make sure to double bag household waste and keep it separate for 72 hours before leaving out for collection. Please help us to keep residents safe and healthy by reporting fly-tipping wherever you see it.

Please note: There will be no waste and recycling collection on Friday 8 May (VE Day). If you are due a collection on Friday, then your household collection will move to the following day, Saturday 9 May

No one should be travelling on the roads unless you are a critical worker or making an absolutely essential journey. But if you must travel, watch your speed. 

Transport for London (TfL) and the emergency services are reminding you to watch your speed, after seeing average speeds increase by 50 per cent in some areas during lockdown, with a minority of motorists taking advantage of the quieter roads. Police are undertaking enforcement activity at locations which TfL have identified as having the greatest increase in speeds.

Read more driver safety information here. 

Bank holiday travel

With another long weekend around the corner, you may be tempted to take other non-permitted journeys. Please remember to stay home, don’t travel unless it is an essential journey and help our NHS save lives. TfL advises that public transport is for essential workers only and anyone travelling, can only do so if that journey is absolutely essential and fits in with the government guidelines.

Read more information about travel here.

St Paul's CE Primary School is working tremendously hard to produce free school meal parcels to families in Hounslow. They have successfully distributed a number of parcels to eligible families since lockdown started a few weeks ago.  

Their catering team have put together a varied range of nutritious ingredients with some useful cooking suggestions and guidance on how to prepare healthy meals. They are pleased with many families taking up the offer of free school meal parcels and fulfilling all the requests coming through to help families get through these difficult times.  

If you are helping anyone with dementia, whether it's a relative or a neighbour - by keeping in touch or delivering shopping and prescriptions, you are helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society. However because of the particular challenges associated with dementia, you may be struggling to communicate and build a relationship with someone suffering from the condition. 

Innovations in Dementia Community Interest Company (CIC) has produced four short videos to inform volunteers about supporting people with dementia and you can find lots of information on checklists, tips and videos for volunteers here.

Thank you to everyone supporting our communities and our most vulnerable residents during these challenging times.

Yesterday the Government published updated guidance for employers on social distancing in the workplace during the coronavirus pandemic. The guidance provides tailored advice for different scenarios as an example of how social distancing and other measures might be implemented by employers across England to help protect their staff and customers from the virus while still continuing to trade. Read the updated guidance here.

Work Hounslow is offering a range of free workshops to support small businesses in the borough. The latest workshop is Understanding Tax and VAT, delivered by The Real Business Club.

This workshop will help you learn the most up to date knowledge for your day-to-day finances to help make accurate long-term financial decisions, even in these testing times.

You will acquire a firm foundation for managing and planning money. Even if you already have a bookkeeper or accountant, these workshops will help you know more about your finances, change the way you view your finances and learn to make decisions with confidence.

This workshop will be delivered in two parts across two consecutive weeks. Your single booking will count towards both parts of the workshop

• Session 1: Thursday 14 May, 11am – 12.30pm
• Session 2: Thursday 21 May 11am – 12.30pm

Attendance to both sessions is required. Sign up to the free online course today!

Hounslow Chamber and the Hounslow Business Taskforce are hosting their next Business Task Force webinar on Thursday, 7 May at 10am, in conjunction with Chiswickbuzz, on their continuing commitment to support businesses across the borough and wider community during these challenging times.

Their expert panel will be ready to give you relevant advice to help you though these difficult times. 

Please sign up here for tomorrow’s free webinar.

Upcoming webinars:

14 May https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aitQKLwVQw-ByUvorP22Hg

21 May https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J0kosRnnTgWD7FsDmKEFfA

28 May https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2DNH3lMeQVig8eLdymNBfA

 If you have missed any of  their previous webinars, you can watch them here

The Mayor of London has launched a £2.3million Culture at Risk Business Support Fund to support London’s creative and cultural industries at risk due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic. Support will be given to grassroots music venues, LGBTQ+ venues, artist workspaces and independent cinemas across the capital. 

You can find out more here.

In line with government guidelines, our parking restrictions and controls currently remain in place and enforcement activity is continuing.  However, we recognise that the current situation requires flexibility on our part and have introduced the following changes to our normal arrangements. 

Additional temporary resident permits are available for purchase if permit holders have additional family members or carers temporarily living with them for extended periods. This is also available for those that didn’t previously require an annual parking permit but do at the current time. This is being priced pro-rata at £27/ 4 months.  This is cheaper then providing visitor permits over a longer period. The same rules apply for this permit as would for a normal residents permit, you have to be a resident in the borough and live in a CPZ. Proof of residency and vehicle ownership (further information HERE on what proofs are accepted ) should be emailed to permits@hounslow.gov.uk.  You will then be contacted to arrange payment.   

The number of visitor permits residents can purchase has been increased to 25 booklets.  

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 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. 

People who had to put their fertility treatment on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic will be able to continue their journey to start a family, following the fertility regulator’s decision to lift its suspension of all fertility services.

Fertility clinics across the UK can apply to reopen from next Monday, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has confirmed, if they ensure the safety and protection of staff and patients.  

All clinics will be required to set out a strategy to show they are meeting conditions to provide safe and effective treatment during the outbreak before they are given the green light to restart treatment.

Social distancing will be a requirement in waiting rooms and telephone appointments could be used where suitable. Appropriate personal protective equipment will also be provided where necessary.

You can find out more about the new government guidance here.