We should all treat London being on the Covid-19 watch list as a warning. Here in Hounslow, we all need to play our part, working together to protect ourselves and others, to keep our children in school and ensure Hounslow remains open for business.

It’s vital we don't drop our guard and that we all follow the rules.

We must remember to wash our hands whenever possible, wear a face covering on public transport, in shops, supermarkets or enclosed public spaces and stay 2m away from people we don’t live with.

We also need to follow the ‘rule of 6’. That means no gatherings of more than six people either indoors or outdoors. 

If you have symptoms, get tested and self-isolate.

We must all play our part to control the spread of the virus. Be mindful of your actions. Being reckless could do grave harm to older and vulnerable people in our communities.

Flu jabs

With winter coming, providers are preparing to vaccinate more than 30 million people. Millions more than last year. The free vaccine will be available to:

• People on the shielded patient list and their household members
• All school groups to year 7
• People over 65
• Pregnant women
• Those with some pre-existing conditions

Once these group vaccinations are underway, we will be able to open the programme to people aged 50 to 64. Further details about that will be announced. If you are eligible I encourage you to get your flu vaccine at your GP practice or local pharmacy.

Black History month

October is Black History Month. It's a fantastic chance for us to recognise the outstanding contributions made in Hounslow by people of African and Caribbean descent.  We'll be celebrating across the Council with a range of events and online engagement opportunities for both residents and colleagues.

Air pollution

Tackling air pollution to make Hounslow cleaner and greener is a top priority. Clean Air Day will be on 8 October and is a chance to raise awareness of both the damage air pollution does to our health and what action we can all take to improve air quality across the borough. Look out for more information on this campaign.

We are now offering residents the opportunity to sign up for our half year garden waste collection service. The half year service runs from 1 October 2020 until 31 March 2021.

The cost is £30 for the half year service, or £15 for residents in receipt of Council Tax Reduction. This is the last chance this year for residents to sign up for the Garden Waste collection service, subscriptions will close on 30 November 2020. More information here

It is important that children do not miss out on the wellbeing and development provided by early years providers. Protective measures are in place at our nurseries, childminders and preschools to make sure everyone is kept safe.

There is a wide range of financial support available from the Government for families with children aged 0-5 to help with childcare costs but please be aware that all three and four year-olds (regardless of their parents’ employment status) and some two-year-olds are able to access 15 hours a week of free/funded early education. Working parents of three and four-year-olds may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours per week of free/funded childcare. More information here. 

You can search for childcare places on Hounslow’s Family Services Directory.

If you need help finding a childcare place that is right for your child, please call or email Hounslow’s Family Information Service – 020 8583 3470 or fis@hounslow.gov.uk  

As part of Hounslow Adult and Community Education, the Learn Hounslow team deliver a range of adult courses to learn new skills or improve existing skills. You could even complete a course to earn a qualification. Here are some of the courses on offer: 

• Photography courses
• Complete an English to Speakers of Other Languages course (ESOL) 
• Dementia care during the Pandemic 
• Jewellery Making 

You may be eligible to join these courses for free. Click here for more information.

If you run a business in Hounslow, we're inviting you to sign-up to the ‘Cleaner Greener Hounslow campaign’ to keep our high streets and town centres litter-free and looking at their best. In return, you will receive FREE publicity. More information here. 

If you’re a homeowner or residential landlord you can apply for a Green Homes Grant voucher towards the cost of installing energy efficient improvements to your home.

Improvements could include insulating your home to reduce your energy use or installing low-carbon heating to lower the amount of carbon dioxide your home produces. More information here.

You can Adopt is a campaign to raise awareness of adoption and dispel some of the myths around who is eligible to adopt.

In the UK, there are almost 3,000 children that are in need of an adoptive family and the number of adoptions in England has fallen by a third in four years. 

To find out more click here. 

We all have a part to play to keep our air clean. Together let’s make 8 October 2020 the cleanest Clean Air Day yet and feel the difference.

During the COVID-19 lockdown we experienced cleaner air and saw massive shifts to low pollution behaviours. Let’s keep up the momentum by changing our habits day to day.

To help keep you, your family, friends and colleagues safe, we will be supporting this year's campaign with lots of online activity for you to be a part of. More to follow next week.

For more information on Clean Air Day, please visit here

Street tag is a family-friendly game that turns your local area into a virtual playground. Children and families compete as part of a school team and collect points for your school this term.

Top School teams will win fantastic prizes including vouchers for sports equipment as they compete to be the most active school!

It’s easy to sign up - sign up today! Schools Game Leaderboard is live now! 

SET UP A SCHOOL ON THE LEADERBOARD

1. Email Seun@streettag.co.uk or fill an online form at here. 
2. Once you get your School Team QR code, you can share the program with parents, children, teachers and staff to join the team. 
3. Start playing - collect virtual tags, move up on the leaderboard & win prizes!

Play Store: https://bit.ly/2EPufrY 

App Store: https://apple.co/31QaJ7b