Two COVID-19 variants of concern (one first identified in India and the other first identified in South Africa) have been found in parts of Shoreditch and Dalston. 

If you live or work in these parts and are over the age of 16, please get a COVID-19 PCR test even if you do not have any symptoms.

The affected areas are parts of Shoreditch (around Old Street and Great Eastern Street) and parts of Dalston town centre, (around Dalston Lane and Kingsland High Street). Find out if you live in an affected area by clicking here.  

read more.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the membership organisation for nurses and midwives, has extended the deadline for the RCN Nursing Awards 2021.

The RCN Nursing Awards 2021 are your chance to help a nurse, midwife, health visitor, or nursing support worker get the recognition he/she deserves. 

You now have until the 24 May to nominate someone for the Patient's Choice award. Nominate here and see here for further details.

read more.

COVID-19 forced the closure of museums, galleries, cinemas, music venues, nightclubs, theatres, arts centres, archives and heritage sites from the 23 March 2020, with many not due to reopen until summer 2021. Even when they can reopen they are likely to have reduced visitor capacity. The Government’s answer to supporting these cultural institutions and businesses was the Culture Recovery Fund. This was a £1.57 billion fund of grants and loans designed to support only 75 per cent of these struggling businesses and organisations.

read more.

See this powerful film about mothers learning of their son's death.

Calling with information about knife crime may feel hard - but there are harder calls. If you ever have any information about knife crime, you can anonymously call Crimestoppers and help prevent further deaths.

See here for further information and to learn more about these mothers' stories. 

read more.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and the best way of protecting ourselves and our loved ones.

It is vital we all take the vaccine as soon as it is our turn to do so. I've recently had my first jab and it was quick, easy, and pain-free. 

Hackney Council has produced an excellent booklet with further information about the vaccines and Hackney's vaccination centres. Click the pdf link below to read it in full. 

read more.

Calling all young Hackney creatives aged 18 or under.

Newington Green Meeting House: Revolutionary Ideas project and Hackney Museum are still accepting entries for their Mary Wollstonecraft art project. They are asking students to create a piece of art inspired by Mary’s story and her time at Newington Green.

You have until the end of the month to submit. See here for further details.

read more.

Thanks Kazeem and the NHS for giving me my vaccine today. It was quick, painless, and easy.

Please take the vaccine when it is your turn to do so. It's the best way of protecting ourselves and our loved ones.

read more.

I remain concerned about the slow broadband in parts of Hackney. With more people working from home, I am pressing Openreach about the not-spots. The average download speed in London is 78.3 Mbps, however in Hackney Central it is as low as 47.4 Mbps, putting it in the worst 30 per cent of areas across the UK. Shoreditch is also in the worst 10 per cent of areas in the UK for people unable to receive good speeds.

read more.

Hackney Community Champions are doing excellent work communicating key public health messages to family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

 

Find out more and apply for grant funding here.

 

Deadline for this round of grants is tomorrow.

read more.

Pages