Tuesday 3 August 2021
 I am so pleased that so many young people have taken advantage of our free swimming offer.
In the first week of the scheme 95 per cent of the available swim slots were booked. If you haven't taken advantage of this offer yet, please do so.
Last week I was happy to help some great local volunteers and staff from Wates Residential, our estates regeneration joint-venture partner, in a litter pick-up in Rainham. You can read about this below.
We'll be doing more of these in the future and I hope you will be able to play your part in keeping Havering clean and tidy for all to enjoy.
Today our latest COVID-19 report is published.
Thankfully, the number of infections in the most recent week has fallen after some fairly alarming increases earlier in July.
To keep this awful coronavirus in check it does need all of us to do our bit to avoid spreading the infection.
Getting vaccinated is the single most important thing we can do. So please do reconsider getting vaccinated if you have turned down earlier opportunities - and make sure you get your second jab. If you are reluctant because you are pregnant please read the message at the end of this newsletter.
Lastly, if you haven't already done so, please back our campaign and sign our petition to get Highways England to rethink their plan to not offer a local discount for Havering residents using the future Lower Thames Crossing.
As always, if you want to contact me directly, you can email me.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
Children in care in Havering can now get free access to Council-run leisure facilities to help improve their wellbeing and fitness.
Working with Everyone Active, Havering Council has arranged for young people between the ages of 18 to 25 years to use the gym, swimming pool and all fitness facilities within its three leisure centres.
The Health and Beyond leisure pass is available to young people preparing to leave care, who are in foster care or living in residential care.
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Free swimming sessions for school-aged children are available during all the school holidays until summer 2022.
The free sessions can be booked in advance at Sapphire Ice and Leisure in Romford, Central Park Leisure Centre in Harold Hill, or Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre in Hornchurch.
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 Havering Council was joined by Wates Residential at a clean-up action day in Rainham village recently.
The Council’s street care teams were also there, sweeping streets, tackling weeds, and cleaning up graffiti that had been reported.
The action day included a litter pick throughout the village. Cllr Damian White, Leader of the Council, and staff from Wates Residential - the Council’s joint venture partner for the 12-estates development regeneration - went armed with bags and litter pickers, picking up discarded rubbish.
The action day is set to be a regular event across the borough, with the Council looking to invite local groups and residents, many of whom already help to keep their communities tidy and clean, to join them on future litter picks.
It's a statutory requirement for Havering Council to have a Local Plan and it ensures that any development in Havering is shaped by local residents, businesses and organisations.
It provides residents with certainty about the development strategy and future land uses within our borough.
A further consultation on Havering's Local Plan was requested by the Planning Inspector to take into account what are known as "Further Main Modifications" around parking and home-building.
This consultation is open until 26 August.
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 On Saturday 22 May, local club Hornchurch FC lifted the FA Trophy for the first time in the club's history after winning 3-1 against Hereford in the Wembley final.
To celebrate this amazing achievement, Havering Council has organised an open top bus victory tour.
The bus will be touring Hornchurch this Sunday, 8 August, starting at 2pm from the Hornchurch FC stadium.
Premier League striker and West Ham favourite Michail Antonio has recorded a short video promoting this parade.
Celebrate and congratulate the players on bringing the 2020/21 FA Trophy to Havering.
 Over the next few weeks our Havering's Hidden Gems feature will look at "hidden" business gems.
We got a #HiddenGem recommendation from Kirstie Allen, who took her pug Lola to the Reservoir Dogs Café, Berwick Ponds Farm, Rainham RM13 9EJ (pictured below).
The café provides treats for dogs and a play area to create a welcoming experience for dogs and owners alike.
We want to know about your favourite businesses...it could be a café, baker or candlestick maker.
Please email your submissions to the Communications Team with "Hidden Gems” as the subject line.
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 Every week Havering Council publishes a report on coronavirus in the borough on its website.
It includes data on infection rates and testing, as well as the vaccine roll-out. It also compares the success of the programme in Havering with other parts of London and the rest of the country.
The graph above is taken from the report. It shows the number of Havering residents testing positive for coronavirus each week since 6 March last year.
There were 663 cases reported in the last week, 276 less than the previous week.
This corresponds to an incidence rate on 30 July of 255 new cases per 100,000 population. This is slightly lower than the London (270/100,000) and the whole of England (287/100,000) figures.
Sadly, a total of 926 people in Havering have now died with COVID-19.
Vaccines
More than 78 per cent of all adults in Havering have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
63 per cent of the population in Havering have had their second dose of the vaccine which is higher than in East London (45 per cent) and London as a whole (49 per cent), and the same as the national average.
Hospitals
As of 30 July there were 50 inpatients admitted due to COVID-19 to our local hospitals.
The trust that runs those hospitals, BHRUT, also publishes weekly data on the number of patients it is treating.
The Government also provides daily COVID-19 data broken down by town or even postcode level. For example, you could check the data for the RM7 7EP part of Romford.
South Essex Crematorium's inter-denominational memorial service will be held on Sunday 31 October at 3pm in St. Edward the Confessor Church, Romford Market Place.
It's an opportunity to join in a shared act of remembrance. Anyone who has lost a loved one during the last 18 difficult months is welcome.
The service will be led by Fr. David Simpson and attended by the Mayor of Havering.
On arrival you will be offered a candle and during the service you will be invited to take part in the Act of Remembrance by bringing your candle to the front of the church where you can light it and place it with others.
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Havering Council’s tactical enforcement officers joined local police on a weapons sweep and drugs operation in Upminster, Rainham, Elm Park and Harold Hill recently.
Police with dogs who are specially trained to sniff out drugs went on patrol, as other officers went into communities in the different areas to track down any knives and weapons to get them off the streets.
The operation which is one of the many examples of partnership working between the Council and local police, saw two weapons recovered, plus a number of notices and warnings issued around possession of drugs and uninsured vehicles.
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 Havering Active's Summer Holiday Sport and Activities Programme offers a huge range of activities for people of all ages this summer, from athletics and football, to dance classes and para sports.
Bookings and registrations are open.
Visit the Havering Active website to view the events calendar and sign up.
Until this Friday, 6 August, between 10am and 4pm, you can take part in WRS Sliding Fitness Fun in the Liberty Shopping Centre in Romford.
Sliding on a specially designed mat, the aim is to get to the end of the course before your competitors and record your time, hoping that you’ll beat the rest.
The person, (child or adult), who achieves the fastest overall time will receive a £500 donation to their club or community group or charity of their choice.
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Next Wednesday, 11 August, at 2pm, Havering Libraries are hosting a webinar on penguins and polar Bears, presented by the World Wildlife Fund.
Take on the role of polar explorers and discover a world where temperatures fall far below freezing.
Find out how penguins and polar bears are perfectly adapted to their polar environments and learn about threats such as climate change and overfishing which are negatively impacting the polar regions.
You can join the event on Zoom. Email to book a free place.
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Public Health England's Better Health campaign, encourages adults to lose any excess weight, eat more healthily and get active this summer.
It offers free support and guidance to those working towards a healthier weight.
There are a variety of NHS endorsed apps that can help you eat better and get active this summer, including the newly updated NHS Weight Loss Plan app.
New research suggests that those who used and followed the NHS Weight Loss Plan app over 12 weeks, reported a loss on average of almost a stone (5.8kg).
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Havering Music School and Arts Development Team invite you to get creative this summer.
To enter this year’s competition, email your creations, inspired by the theme of instruments on holiday.
You could enter with a painting, a drawing, a photograph, a collage, or any other creative art form you enjoy.
Winning entries will be permanently installed in Havering. All ages are welcome to take part.
Please email a photograph (ideally at least 1MB in size) of just the artwork with the artist's name and age.
Terms & Conditions: Free entry. Only original designs and pieces allowed. Copyright laws apply. All submitted works may be shared on all of Havering Council’s social media accounts.
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Mental health charity Havering Mind is in the process of transforming an under-used garden behind its offices in Hornchurch into a large useable space.
The area will then be used to run services, groups and activities.
Thanks to Harold Hill based BTS Property Solutions the Mind Sensory Garden is due to open in September providing a sanctuary for the community in Havering to enjoy
and find a place to escape.
BTS Property Solutions have, over the course of three recent days, provided the
materials and labour and installed pathways (pictured) to ensure safety, as well as disabled access to all visitors to the garden.
The charity has been supported in creating this garden by service users, local businesses and members of the public including members of Hornchurch Round Table.
If you can help financially or physically visit the project's fundraising page.
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