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Wednesday 3 February 2021 (Update #176)
 For many months now I have been urging you to do your bit to help us beat this awful coronavirus pandemic.
Someone who embodied that message was the late Captain Sir Tom Moore. He inspired the very best in all of us and our condolences go out to his family. He also successfully raised an amazing sum of money for our NHS which encouraged many others to replicate this. Flags at the Town Hall were flown at half-mast today in his honour and I hope you will join in the national clap for him at 6pm this evening.
Please do continue to do your bit to follow the rules and encourage everyone to take up a vaccination when it is offered, as that will reduce the pressure on the NHS.
Rapid community testing is a key tool in our fight against COVID-19. With one in three people with this coronavirus not showing any symptoms, it is vital that people who are still leaving the house for work get tested regularly. As I found out last week when I visited one of our local rapid testing centres the whole thing takes a maximum of ten minutes if you book in advance, so there’s no reason for those who cannot work from home to not get a rapid test.
Havering is regularly in the top ten of London boroughs carrying out enforcement action against fly tippers. Yet fly tipping still costs the Council approximately £1m each year to deal with.
In December 2020, the Council received 19 reports relating to fly-tipping and littering in the Brooklands ward alone. Of these reports, 11 resulted in various enforcement action being taken. You can read about one such enforcement action below. Later this month, the Council working in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, will be launching a campaign to tackle the issues of fly-tipping in this ward.
If you want to contact me directly, email me. However, please be patient as there may be a delay of a day or two in getting back to you due to the volume of messages I am receiving.
Stay safe.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
A fly-tipper has been given a £400 fine after being tracked down by Havering Council’s enforcement team.
The dumped rubbish was found at the foot tunnel near Jutsums Lane and Nursery Walk, Romford, earlier this month and traced back to a nearby address.
The resident at the address was served a Fixed Penalty Notice totalling £400.
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 Every Wednesday Havering Council publishes a report on coronavirus in the borough on its website.
The graph above is taken from the report and shows the number of Havering residents testing positive for coronavirus each week since 6 March. Until 2 July the figures did not include widespread testing in the community.
There were 732 cases reported in the last week, 439 less than the previous week. This equates to an incidence rate of 282 new cases per 100,000 population which is lower than the London average (302/100,000) but higher than that for the whole of England (266/100,000).
However, underscoring how dangerous this coronavirus pandemic remains, deaths in Havering remain high with 53 COVID-19 related deaths in the week ending 22 January, as the graph below shows.
 As of 1 February there were 249 inpatients admitted due to COVID-19 occupying beds at our local hospitals. The trust that runs those hospitals, BHRUT, also publishes weekly data on the number of patients it is treating.
 If you run, or work, in an organisation that provides services for any of the nine priority groups for vaccination, as defined by the Government following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, you may have employees or regular volunteers eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
If you think there may be people in your organisation who work in a role that meets the definition of a social care worker, please review the NHS and Local Government Association's standard operating procedure first, and then please email vaccinations@havering.gov.uk. The Council will work with you in deciding if your staff may be eligible.
The NHS's East London Health and Care Partnership also have a website with information on the coronavirus vaccine, including answers to many frequently asked questions.
If you are in any of the first four priority groups for receiving the vaccine, but have not yet been contacted by the NHS, please remember that contact from the NHS for COVID-19 vaccination may come by phone call, letter or text but will definitely NOT be by email. COVID-19 vaccination is free.
Any unsolicited email you receive offering you a vaccine is a scam.
If you missed our public health meeting about vaccinations last week you can watch a recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel.
February is LGBT+ History Month.
Throughout the month, residents will be able to learn about pivotal moments and icons in LGBT+ history.
We will be sharing these stories via our Facebook and Twitter channels.
In conjunction with the NHS, Havering Police are hosting several lunch and learn sessions throughout LGBT+ History month.
These sessions will give you the opportunity to listen to experts and ask questions that may have been difficult to raise in the past. Topics covered will range from cancer screening, and STD testing to combatting hate crime.
To find out more, or register, click below.
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If you, or someone you know, has concerns around care, urgent issues with their health and wellbeing or lack of access to supplies, including food, please call our free to use helpline: 0800 368 5201.
It is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and between 11am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays for emergencies only.
You can also email us if you, or someone you know, needs help.
See a short video recorded by a member of the hotline team.
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 One in three people get COVID-19 and have no symptoms, passing it on to others without realising.
That could be you. You can now find out if you are risking spreading the virus to your family, work colleagues, or customers, by taking advantage of free, local, rapid testing available at five local sites.
To make it easier for busy tradespeople, supermarket workers, those working in estate agents, banks, corner shops, in offices, and taxi or delivery drivers to get tested, these rapid, Lateral Flow Testing (LFT) centres are now open from 7am to 7pm on weekdays and 10am to 7pm on weekends.
See our short video that explains the simple process.
If you’re working in a volunteering role that brings you into contact with other people, we encourage you to get tested twice a week with one of these rapid tests. You can book a test, or turn up without an appointment at any of the five LFT test sites across the borough. If you do turn up without an appointment, please be prepared to wait.
Of course, it also remains vitally important to book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
Click for details of all types of local testing locations, booking procedures, and opening hours.
This week is Children's Mental Health Week.
The COVID pandemic has been extremely difficult for young people, and it's important we support their mental health.
Please spread the word of our live webinar taking place tomorrow (Thursday 4 February) to any teenagers and young adults in your life who may be silently suffering.
Experiencing mental health issues can feel isolating, but it's important to reach out if you feel like you or your children are struggling.
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 Next week is National Apprenticeship Week and throughout the week a series of events will be held to allow young people to consider becoming an apprentice.
From 8 to 12 February, the events will help young people to build the skills they need for a rewarding career.
You’ll need to pre-register for these events that include a UCAS Apprenticeship Fair on Tuesday, 9 February, from 10am - 4pm, a Big Assembly, also on Tuesday, live-streamed to thousands of students, and an online National Apprenticeship Fair, on Wednesday, 10 February, from 11am - 6pm.
Havering Council is currently running a parenting programme in partnership with LifeLine Projects.
This programme has been developed to support parents and carers of teenagers who may be worried or concerned about the risks of exploitation, youth violence or gangs.
The project aims to bring neighbourhoods and communities together to create a support network to share experiences, knowledge and guidance.
If you would like to register for the programme, send an email to LifeLine Projects.
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Could you foster a child?
If you think the answer is yes join our online event tommorrow, Thursday, 4 February, at 6pm and find out what’s involved.
You’ll be able to speak to our staff and have your questions answered.
You can register in advance.
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Need a break from home schooling?
Recycle for Your Community have launched their free virtual classroom timetable to help make life a little easier at home this lockdown.
Join any of the 15 different sessions suitable for 4 – 11 year olds throughout February, there are a range of dates and times available including during half term week.
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If you’ve ever wondered what the census has done for you, look around. From healthcare to transport, schools to charities, all have used the census to inform how they provide the services you and your community needs.
The Census provides vital data that helps Havering Council support its residents.
Make sure you take part on 21 March.
This time it will be easier than ever to take part in the census online. You can fill it in on any device.
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The Youth Justice Service in Havering is continuing to recruit volunteers for Referral Order Panels.
Panel members take part in children’s hearings and are there to ensure the young person is at the heart of every decision made.
As a volunteer, panel members will receive training and one to one support.
If you think you have what it takes, and this sounds like a role you or someone you know would be interested in, email Mark Gadsden and he will contact you for a chat.
The next set of training dates for volunteers is scheduled for next month.
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Outstanding and inspirational students from New City College were honoured at the annual Student Achievement Awards ceremony held last week.
Former professional footballer and now TV personality, Alex Scott MBE, was the special guest at the virtual presentation which was streamed live from the TV studios at the College's Ardleigh Green campus in Hornchurch, and was watched on the night by hundreds of people.
One of the highlights of the evening was a session with ex-England footballer Alex Scott, who answered questions put to her by students Eve Pearson and Esha Bhullar, pictured, who are studying on the Tottenham Hotspur Football Development Programme run at the college.
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