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Thursday, 28 March 2024

Hounslow supports National Supported Internship Day 

This week we celebrated National Supported Internship Day (NSID).

DFN Project SEARCH is a great example of a collaborative partnership that benefits young people with a learning disability and autism spectrum conditions. Our partners Kaleidoscope, West Thames College, and local employers work in tandem with the Council and parents to provide important wrap-around support for interns.

Current cohorts are progressing through various ‘work rotations’ at local employers including Thorpe Park, Twickenham Stadium Hotel and Hounslow Council. Read about former graduate Chris Harving, who is now thriving as a full-time Play Centre Assistant at Snakes and Ladders in Syon Park, Isleworth by clicking the button below. Chris is also taking a further education course to support and train people with special needs. 

Litter By Little

The Council is supporting Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean national campaign to help ensure Hounslow is spruced up this spring.

The Pevensey Road Green Gym Rangers are this week’s litter heroes, having cleared almost 40 bags of rubbish and additional bulky waste from the Pevensey Road Nature Reserve during a recent litter pick. If you’d like to join the community group, you can email countryside@hounslow.gov.uk

There’s still time to get involved too, whether as an individual or as a community group. Click below to see what Council-led litter pick events are scheduled, as well as any being held by voluntary groups like the Rangers.

Deadline for voter registration and Statement of Persons Nominated

The candidates standing for election in the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections taking place on Thursday, 2 May 2024 have been announced. Find out who’s standing in your area by taking a look at the statement of persons nominated, on the Council website.

Londoners have until Tuesday, 16 April to register to vote, they can do so in five minutes, on the government website.

Closing on 31 March – apply for childcare support for your two-year-old

Eligible working parents with two-year-old children can apply for up to 15 hours of childcare per week, starting from April 2024. To access childcare from this date, parents should apply by Sunday, 31 March.

Parents can check their eligibility and apply for their hours via the Childcare Choices website.

Family Hub’s fun day for families over Easter

On Monday, 8 April, Hounslow Family Hub will host its first fun day for families and children aged 0-19 and up to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Feltham Assembly Hall, TW14 9N, 12pm-3pm. Refreshments will be provided.

No booking is required so come along to enjoy free activities, including a petting zoo, soft archery, soft play, face painting, arts and crafts to music and movement and much more. Family Hub staff will be onsite to share information about the service and support available from the three hubs located in Lampton, Brentford and Feltham.

Contact Family Hub by emailing familyhub@hounslow.gov.uk if families need support to access the event.

Brentford West By-Election

A vacancy has arisen in the office of Councillor for the Brentford West ward. A by-election to fill the vacancy will take place in the ward on Thursday, 2 May. The Notice of Election has been published on the Council's website. 

Free lung checks can save your life

If you’re a smoker, it’s easy to bury your head in the sand when it comes to lung cancer and other conditions. But if caught early, even lung cancer is treatable, so it’s always better to know.

If you’re aged between 55 and 74 and smoke or have previously smoked, you may be eligible for a free NHS lung check. The checks are quick and simple, and may spot any potential lung issues early, even if you haven’t experienced any symptoms.

Check your eligibility and book your check via the button below.

Ghanaian Community supports young people’s mental wellbeing

L/R - West Thames College students with Jessica Bondzie, Co-founder of Ghanaian Community Forum (GCF), Samantha Obeng, GCF Co-founder and Henry Owusu Mensah, GCF Supporter and Founder of Positivi-Tees

On Thursday, 21 March, the Ghanaian Community Forum (GCF), in collaboration with the Council invited 15 students from West Thames College Skills Centre in Feltham to a community trip to the Garrick Theatre. They watched a production called ‘For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy’.

The trip has been part of the GCF’s support for young people from the African and Caribbean communities in Hounslow, helping them build a strong sense of identity and belonging to their residing borough.

Local charities, voluntary and community groups can apply for financial support to run projects and activities via the Council’s Thriving Communities Fund. For enquiries on applications, please email: community.development@hounslow.gov.uk.