Dear John,

Over the past week, Harrow has seen a rise in 468 cases. The below table shows Harrow’s current ranking among London boroughs. The current case rate locally stands at 195.5 cases per population of 100,000 – I understand that a high case rate particularly within the over 60 category is of growing concern and is being closely watched. This morning, newspapers are leading with an expected return to a three-tiered system from December 2nd. Plans are expected be announced tomorrow, with the expectation that more areas are set to be placed into the higher tiers and some tiers will be strengthened to safeguard lockdown progress. It is not yet clear exactly how restrictions could change - but it is understood the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants will be altered.

As a community, we are immensely grateful to all of our NHS staff, social care workers and all of our key workers that continue to keep us safe and keep our local services going. I hope readers continue to stay safe, socially distance and regularly check in on loved ones. The response to Coronavirus is being directed by Government centrally working with Public Health England, the Government’s advice is available here. Government assistance specifically for businesses is available here .  

As always, if you need to get in touch about the issues covered here – or anything else – please contact my office on 0207 219 4243 or e-mail me at [email protected]. Please bear with us, as we have received over 5 times our usual weekly amount of correspondence. My team and I are working hard to respond as promptly as possible. Although we have had to cancel face to face surgery appointments, we are now scheduling regular Zoom surgeries and phone calls with Harrow West constituents. 

Harrow Council

The council has a webpage covering their own response to the coronavirus pandemic, this is regularly being updated and is available here.  

Book a free test online or call 119

😷 Getting tested at a local testing centre: 🧪

·       South Harrow walk-through testing centre at Brigade Close Car Park, HA2 0LQ (opposite South Harrow Police Station) - open daily 8am to 8pm. No parking available at this site.

·       Mobile Testing Unit, Harrow Civic Centre - Car Park ‘A’, Milton Road, 10:30 – 15:30

·       Mobile testing site (cars only) on selected days, 10.30am to 3.30pm at Northwick Park Hospital (Rear car park).

Tests must be booked in advance. Only book a test if you have symptoms.

Local Restrictions Support Grants

Support grants and funding for businesses affected by the national coronavirus restrictions are currently being released through Harrow Council. Details on eligibility and application for the four grant schemes are  available through the Harrow Council website.

The four grant schemes available are:

·       Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open)  - for businesses subject to restrictions due to Harrow being placed in Local COVID Alert Level: High (Tier 2) from 17th October 2020 until 4th November 2020.

·       Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) also known as “National Lockdown Grant”  - for businesses required to close due to national lockdown restrictions from 5th November 2020 until 2nd December 2020.

·       Sector Specific Grant  - applies specifically to nightclubs, dance halls, discos, sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars which have been required to close since 23rd March 2020.

·       Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) - a discretionary scheme to be established by each Local Authority. It is anticipated that this scheme will be launched mid-December to provide support to a range of businesses such as sectors where the business may not pay Business Rates directly to the Council.

Harrow Go Green 2021

Harrow Council is working with the newly formed Harrow Biodiversity and Environment to deliver the Harrow Go Green competition,  an exciting new competition run for Harrow residents, schools, colleges and businesses. The application process is open from this month until the end of May 2021. Project ideas can be submitted in the following categories, with cash prizes available for each category:

Schools and Colleges

Best Front Space

Junior Projects

Best Garden Managed for Nature

Commercial Projects and Developers

Most Original Idea to Enhance Biodiversity

Further information about the competition can be found on the Harrow Go Green website .

Support for children and young people

Harrow Council, Harrow CCG, and Young Harrow Foundation have put together a joint document signposting residents to a collection of some of the most helpful and trusted sources of information and guidance for children and young people’s wellbeing.

For young people (high school and college age), the document ‘looking after ourselves’ can be found here – covering how to stay healthy, stay connected and learn new skills during this time.

Support and online resources for the family

Harrow Council have collected a range of online resources  for all members of the family to keep entertained while libraries are closed. You will be able to find resource to help with homework, eBooks, newspapers and magazines and keeping yourself healthy and motivated.

Counselling services and mental health support

·       Relate Family Mediation  - a service fully geared up to supporting families through the crisis. Tel: 0300 0032324 or email i[email protected].

·       DAWN  - provide a counselling service to the local community of Harrow and its neighbouring boroughs. Tel: 020 8427 6796 or email: [email protected]

·       Need To Talk  - offering 1 to 1 counselling supporting their clients or any client by telephone or webcam. Tel: call/ text on 07427548559 or email [email protected]

·       Ignite Trust   - During these challenging and uncertain times, Ignite Trust is working hard to ensure they continue to provide support to the boroughs most vulnerable and at-risk young people. Email [email protected].

·        Every Mind Matters - Expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

Coronavirus Hotline

The council continues to operate a hotline telephone number during weekends in order to provide support to those in need of assistance in Harrow - if you are in need of support due to Covid please give the hotline a call - 0208 901 2698

Crime and Anti-social Behaviour

Just before lockdown two, I held a road meeting with PS Miller and residents of Sussex Road following a rise in anti-social behaviour, car theft and catalytic converter theft in the area. I am looking into more road meetings with local police teams after lockdown, so please get in touch if you would like one on your road.

PS Miller informed residents that an uptick in crimes tend to follow the periods of lockdown, with a noticeable rise in burglaries and organised crime taking place. Over the past month, the Headstone South team has increased patrols in the area, adjusting their patrolling into the early hours of the morning. As catalytic converter theft has become a big issue nationwide, PC Miller recommends the use of motion sensitive lights and doorbell cameras to help capture criminals. Catalytic converter theft is most common with Toyota Yaris or Auris car models, for which a purchase of a manufacturer’s retaining device is also recommended.

I am informed the process for identifying and arresting criminals more generally can take up to six-months, PS Miller welcomes any footage or images that may be captured as all evidence can be utilised – ‘Ring’ doorbell footage, for example, is consistently used and such clips will remain within the Met police database. 

The Safer Neighbourhoods Team encourages local residents to register on owl.co.uk  in order to receive and respond to tailored crime alerts down to the postcode level.

Finding Support

Fresh Horizons Homeless Support

The Fresh Horizons CND charity based in Wembley has supported accommodation available for the single homeless in Harrow during the ongoing coronavirus restrictions. If you or someone you know is in need of supported accommodation, Fresh Horizons can be contacted by telephone at 0300 321 4702 or via email at [email protected]

Do you have a medical condition that makes you vulnerable? Please register. 

A reminder, if you think you fall into a category that makes you vulnerable to coronavirus – register with the Government here. For example, you’ll be able to ask for help getting deliveries of essential supplies like food. The council has just started to receive this information and are working with local organisations to provide support to those who apply.  

If you’re not sure whether your medical condition makes you extremely vulnerable, register anyway. This service is free. You can register yourself, or on behalf of someone else.  

Harrow Mencap

The Positive Steps Outreach project from the excellent team at Harrow Mencap is all about supporting adults with learning disabilities and their carers to stay healthy, happy and socially engaged. Every week the group will gather together online to do fun activities, connect socially and learn new ways to stay safe and healthy. 

Harrow Mencap will also run a separate session just for families and carers to come together and support one another as well as a weekly help hour for signposting, information and advice support. Support will be available to help users with Zoom, the digital platform that Harrow Mencap run their sessions on. 

Find out more information by contacting Hannah on the contact details above and try an introductory session on Thursday 26th November at 2pm. 

Can you provide support?

London's Community Kitchen (based at The Bridge, next to Harrow Leisure Centre) continue to put Harrow on the map. At the height of the pandemic, this incredible operation served over 10,000 people across Harrow and London and they are continuing to serve over 5,000 people per week. The Community Kitchen is working with Harrow Council and many other community groups to coordinate a Harrow wide response to the Coronavirus outbreak. Please consider donating or getting involved in any way that you can: https://www.londonscommunitykitchen.com/home-1

If you’re ever in need of their support, the Community Kitchen want to help - they wont ask you for any details, or anything in return, just turn up and they will provide you with food. If you would like to get involved with the Community Kitchen - register here: https://www.londonscommunitykitchen.com/get-involved-1  and if you can donate anything, they will make a little go a very long way: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/make-harrow-smile-fundraiser-2020-1

Help from me

I appreciate that whilst this outbreak of Covid-19 is currently dominating a lot of our thoughts, other concerns and problems do not disappear. However, to help reduce the spread of infection, I am asking members of the public who need to contact my office to do so by phone or email rather than in person and further, I will continue to hold surgery appointments exclusively by telephone and Zoom video conferencing. This is a temporary measure and a sensible precaution to protect vulnerable people.  Please be assured we continue to offer a full service of advice and support to members of the public who need it. 

As always, my office can be contacted on [email protected] or by telephone on 0207 219 4243 (Monday-Friday).

Stay safe

Best wishes,

Gareth