EU Settlement Scheme - Time running out to secure UK stay. Deadline on Wednesday
 If you're an EU, EEA or Swiss national you must apply online to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021.
Act now to maintain your right to live, work and study in the UK.
If you need help with your application, please contact the Hounslow EU settlement service, on 0808 278 7830 or email referrals@hounslowcabs.org.uk.
Have your say on proposals for new Parliamentary constituencies in Hounslow
The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has published its initial proposals for new parliamentary constituency boundaries which proposes Brentford and Isleworth constituency to include Whitton ward from London Borough of Richmond and for the new wards of Chiswick Gunnersbury, Chiswick Homefields and Chiswick Riverside to be removed from Brentford & Isleworth Constituency and be included in a new proposed Constituency (Hammersmith & Chiswick Constituency).
For residents of Whitton ward this means they will vote for their Member of Parliament (MP) for the Brentford and Isleworth Constituency and for residents of Chiswick Gunnersbury, Chiswick Homefields and Chiswick Riverside they will vote for their MP in Hammersmith and Chiswick Constituency. However, in all other areas including payment of Council Tax they will be part of London borough of Richmond Council and London borough of Hounslow, respectively.
Residents are now able to view and provide feedback on the proposed parliamentary constituencies as part of the consultation process that will end on 2 August 2021.
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Hounslow marks Refugee Week
Hounslow Council is supporting this year’s theme for Refugee Week - ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’.
In partnership with Refugees Welcome Hounslow, the Council has been helping families, who have fled some terrible traumas, re-settle in the borough and make it their new home. So far over ten families have benefitted.
The partnership has allowed the refugees to build interpersonal relationships within their communities, apply to universities, enrol on courses, develop their written and digital skills, apply for jobs and volunteer placements - and even learn how to drive.
The programme also helps them to apply for travel documents so that they can reunite with their family members in similar situations and access mentoring programmes to keep them positive and confident in the face of challenges.
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New project launched to help care leavers in Hounslow live independently
A new project has been launched to help support young people leaving care in Hounslow as they take their first steps to independence.
Young care leavers will be allocated a dedicated housing officer who will work with them to find a safe place to live, suited to their needs.
They will also be supported to learn new skills, such as budgeting and paying bills, to help them get ready for their own tenancy.
As part of the support package, the young people will also be assisted into further education and employment.
The Council will provide the majority of the homes, but will also work with other providers.
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‘We cannot walk alone’ – Fostering Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children
Over the past year (2020-21) the Council has helped 76 UASC into foster care or supported care. The children’s journey to a new country is perilous and scary as they have had to leave their homes, their parents and siblings. They have had to leave a familiar place called home, a place where their culture, their language and their social networks were part of their everyday experience.
Read more here
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More new Council homes approved in Hounslow
Hounslow Council has secured planning approval to build more than 100 new homes in the borough. This will contribute to the Council's pledge to secure 5,000 new homes by 2022 and its commitment to build 1,000 new council homes through its own building programme.
Read more here.
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Hounslow Heath car park improvement works begin
 Cllr Samia Chaudhary, Cabinet Member for Parks and Leisure Services visited Hounslow Heath Car Park this week, as improvement works begin. The new car park design which has pedestrian safety, the enhancement of green space and habitats at the heart of the design is expected to reopen week commencing 2 August 2021.
Help us stamp out fly-tipping
 Did you know that dumping bags of rubbish next to a public bin counts as fly-tipping?
Many incidents of fly-tipping across the borough are people illegally leaving bags full of domestic waste and potential recyclable materials next to a street litter bin which is primarily for small scale on-the-go litter such as drink cans and lunch wrappers.
Don't commit a crime and help do your bit to keep Hounslow clean and tidy by disposing of your household waste correctly.
Fly-tipping on our streets and green spaces, blights neighbourhoods, endangers wildlife and impacts on people's pride of place, while putting added strain on Council services.
In March, we launched a dedicated enforcement team, Special Waste Service, to crack down on those who are guilty of fly-tipping and since then we have issued over 200 Fixed Penalty Notices.
Residents can support us by reporting fly-tipping incidents via the Fix My Street app or via our website and can dispose of bulky waste by booking a slot at a local reuse and recycling centre or by arranging a bulky waste collection.
We know that some residents have not been provided proper provision for waste by their landlord and we encourage people who have this problem, or simply don’t know how to do the right thing to contact Recycling@hounslow.gov.uk for advice and to help arrange appropriate waste storage.
Not long left for SMEs to sign up to the Brexit Support Fund
 The SME Brexit Support Fund could give you up to £2,000 to help with training or professional advice, if your business has up to 500 employees and no more than £100 million annual turnover.
You can use the grant for professional advice and training on:
- how to complete customs declarations
- how to manage customs processes and use customs software and systems
- specific import and export related aspects including VAT, excise and rules of origin
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is administering the grants for HMRC.
Applications will close on 30 June 2021 or earlier if all funding is allocated before this date.
Wildcats sessions - Fun Football Centres for Girls 5-11 years
 Wildcats sessions are a great way for young girls aged 5-11yrs to get involved in football, especially as in less than one year the borough will host games during the Women's EURO 2022.
Hounslow has a number of popular Wildcats sessions that are available for local children in Hounslow.
Wildcats centres are available at;
- Nishcam School
- Beavers Community Primary School
- Springwest Academy
Wildcats help young girls by allowing them to get active, boost their confidence, meet new friends and get introduced to football.
Let's Make Heston Park Bloom!
 We are finally in the midst of summer, and what better way to celebrate than to plant some pretty wildflowers in Heston Park to make them bloom!
Hounslow Council has launched an initiative to engage local community groups in planting wildflowers at Heston Park, to help boost biodiversity and make the mounds look prettier!
Grab your watering can, gloves, and dibber and join us tomorrow at Heston Park!
Get a PCR test at a mobile or local test site near you!
 The sooner you get PCR tested and vaccinated the better. To find out where you can get a PCR test, locations and opening hours visit our website.
Get vaccinated this weekend!
 This Saturday you can get your vaccination in Hounslow with no appointment required at the following walk-in clinic locations:
Book an appointment via www.nhs.uk or call 119:
· One of Hounslow’s five community pharmacy sites www.hounslow.gov.uk/vaccine
· Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre- 658 Chiswick High Road, Brentford TW8 0HJ - Open 8.00am-8.00pm. No need to book!
18 or older? If you're eligible, find out how to get your vaccine
 If you are aged 18 or over, are clinically vulnerable, a frontline worker or a carer, you can now book your COVID-19 vaccination through the NHS website even if you haven’t yet received a letter. Appointments are available at sites across the borough and also Ealing, Wembley and Hammersmith.
We are aware of other scam messages circulating – please ignore them. The NHS will never ask you for money or your bank details for your vaccination – it is free.
You can book an appointment now if:
- you are aged 18 or over
- you are at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable)
- you are an eligible frontline health or social care worker
- you have a condition that puts you at higher risk (clinically vulnerable)
- you have a learning disability
- you are a main carer for someone at high risk from coronavirus
You can book appointments at a larger vaccination centres or a pharmacy that provides COVID-19 vaccinations.
Please make sure you plan your journey responsibly to allow for as much social distancing as possible.
And finally...
Hounslow resident learns to cycle aged 70!
 In case you missed it, this wonderful story brings us so much joy and inspiration, 70-year-old resident, Pritpal Kaur recently joined one of our free cycle training sessions.
Read more about Pritpal's experience learning to cycle again here.
In Hounslow, we want everyone to see the health and environmental benefits of cycling - whether it’s for fun, as a means of getting to work or school, a trip to the local shops or just to visit friends - cycling is for everyone, every day.
There are lots of opportunities for all ages and abilities to get involved including cycle training, all-ability cycling, Dr Bike cycle repairs and our Try Before you Bike scheme.
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