Tuesday 25 May 2021
Well done to Hornchurch Football Club.
The club did Havering proud on Saturday afternoon at Wembley Stadium by winning the FA Trophy. After the Urchins' dramatic 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory over Notts County in the semi-final it was perhaps no surprise that the final was equally full of drama and a nail-biting finish.
Whatever Manager Mark Stimson said to his team during half-time, when they were one nil down to Hereford, it certainly did the trick as his team lived up to their Mighty Urchins nickname by scoring three goals without reply in the second half. I shall have to ask him for some tips for my Cabinet meetings!
 On a less positive note it’s with regret that for the second year in a row I can confirm that there will be no Havering Show this summer.
As with all large public events, the show takes many months of preparation and planning. Faced with the uncertainty of whether it will be safe for mass gatherings to take place this summer, and whether we would reach Step 4 on the roadmap out of coronavirus restrictions on 21 June, we could not risk incurring costs for the event that may otherwise need cancelling closer to the time.
Until this awful coronavirus pandemic hit us at the beginning of last year, our events team, sponsors and exhibitors worked hard to put on this annual show, and each year thousands of residents came along and enjoyed themselves.
We will be looking at other ways at bringing the community together when restrictions are finally fully lifted in line with government guidelines and public health advice.
Lastly, if you want to contact me directly, you can email me.
Stay safe.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
One of the new variants of COVID-19 is sometimes referred to as the variant first identified in India.
It has been spreading fast in a number of places across England. As a result, you should avoid all but essential travel in and out of these affected areas.
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Residents of Havering are invited to enter this year's Havering in Bloom competition.
By taking part, you will be helping to make the borough a bright and attractive place to live, work, visit and go to school.
There are six categories for you to choose from ranging from 'Best Front Garden' to 'Tallest Sunflower'. There is also an award for best school display.
The closing date for entries is 10 September 2021. Entries can be submitted by email.
Judging will be completed at the end of September and the winners will be announced shortly afterwards.
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London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding from 25 October 2021.
Have you checked your vehicle?
Four out of five cars already meet the ULEZ emissions standards, but owners of the remaining older cars, motorcycles, lighter van and minibuses need to take action.
Check your vehicle meets the ULEZ emissions standards and the interactive map of the zone.
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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 that 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 22 cases reported in the last week, six fewer than the previous week.
This corresponds to an incidence rate on 14 May of 9 new cases per 100,000 population. This is lower than the London (21/100,000) and the whole of England (29/100,000) figures.
Sadly a total of 921 people in Havering have died with COVID-19 but no new deaths have been reported in the five weeks up to 14 May.
Vaccines
The latest data shows that by 16 May nearly 61 per cent of all adults in Havering have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
A third of all adults in Havering have now received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Hospitals
As of 21 May there were 11 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.
 If you have concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine around pregnancy, fertility or breastfeeding, then join our Zoom meeting this Thursday, 27 May, at 6.30pm and speak to health professionals.
Regular, twice-weekly rapid testing for people without COVID-19 symptoms is available for everyone in Havering to help make sure you're not passing on the virus without knowing.
You should still use testing even if you have had one or both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.
There are over fifty places in Havering to get tested or to collect a home testing kit. Find your nearest testing site and collection point.
If you aren't sure how to do a rapid test at home, visit one of these centres first and be shown by the professionals. You can then take a test kit home with you to use in subsequent weeks.
You can also order a test kit online.
Have symptoms?
It remains vitally important to book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
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If you are aged 32 or over (or will be by 1 July) you can book appointments at a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy now.
Alternatively, you can wait to be invited to go to a local NHS service.
Take up of the vaccine is a key way in helping to get things back to normal and will protect you, your friends and your family.
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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.
The charity has been supported in this effort by service users, local businesses and members of the public including members of Hornchurch Round Table, pictured.
The initial ‘clearing phase’ of the project is now nearly complete and work will begin on the new garden.
If you can help financially or physically visit the project's fundraising page.
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If you are in need of additional orange sacks for your home recycling, they are available at all libraries in Havering.
Check our website for opening times before travelling to a library.
A roll of 16 orange sacks is delivered to every Havering household once every 13 weeks. You can also recycle lots of items at recycling and bottle banks.
Remember, you can fit more in to your orange sacks if you crush down plastic bottles and tins before you put them in. Rinsing them out with water first also helps with recycling and means that you can keep the sacks longer without them starting to smell.
You can also recycle large cardboard without needing to put it in an orange sack.
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 Brookside Theatre in Romford is reopening with a brand new musical adventure - The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
The production will run during the school half-term holiday week and is produced in partnership with the Badur Foundation.
This new stage production features puppetry, songs, and theatre magic.
The theatre is offering a limited number of free tickets to local schools, children’s groups and youth organisations.
Anyone interested should email the theatre for more details.
The production runs from Monday 31 to Friday 4 June, with daily performances at 11am and 3pm.
Ticket are on sale now and available online or by calling 01708 755775.
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Cranston Park Lawn Tennis Club has been recognised by Essex Tennis and awarded the title of Essex Club of the Year.
Cranston Park, in Upminster, is one of the biggest clubs in the area, and has eight floodlit courts, a club house, extensive bar and lounge areas, a function hall and a big lawn which often plays host to social events.
Cranston Park welcomes residents who wish to try tennis. It offers a ‘buddy’ scheme to new joiners to help them feel at ease and a range of coaching options from mini tennis to transition tennis for adults both experienced and completely new to the sport.
Find out more about the club on its website.
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A free music event for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) children will be delivered by Havering Music School this half-term holiday week.
It will offer musical and creative experiences in a relaxed group setting. No prior musical knowledge or equipment is required.
The session includes a variety of activities supporting musical expression, body awareness and movement and allows everyone to take part at their own pace.
A carer, parent, or guardian must be present throughout the session on Thursday 3 June from 2 to 2.45pm.
The session is free, but you must register for a place. To register or for further information call 01708 434135 or send an email.
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Nominations for the 2021 National Lottery Awards are now open.
The National Lottery Awards celebrate the people and projects who do extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding.
The National Lottery wants to hear about those people who have stood up against adversity and stood out for their caring commitment to their causes.
A judging panel, made up of members of The National Lottery family and partners, will decide the winners of the individual categories.
A total of 16 projects from across the UK will also be shortlisted to take part in a public vote in a new category – The National Lottery Project of the Year.
All winners will receive a National Lottery Awards trophy and a £3,000 cash prize for their project.
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As part of their COVID-19 recovery plans, our local BHR Hospitals have decided that they can now reopen the children’s Emergency Department at King George Hospital overnight, from Monday 7 June.
Until then, please do not take your child to the Emergency Department at the Goodmayes Hospital between 9pm and 9am, as no specialist children’s doctors will be on duty.
If you contact 111 between 9pm and 9am, you will be advised to take your child to Queen’s Hospital in Romford, to be seen by an emergency doctor.
If you need advice, and your child has an urgent, but not life-threatening, health problem please contact 111 first. You can do this online or by phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the service is free to use (including from all mobiles).
If it’s a life-threatening emergency, phone 999.
The children’s Emergency Department at King George Hospital remains open during the day between 9am and 9pm, seven-days-a-week.
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The new plaza area at Harold Wood Station is open and a new bike storage facility is available in that area (pictured).
Customers leaving bikes at the station are now asked to use this new shelter instead of the temporary cycle hoops in the car park.
The temporary bike racks will be removed this Friday (28 May).
Any bikes not claimed will be attached to the new cycle shelter.
The pedestrian ramp and the entrance from the car park to platform 4 has also been open for public use since 17 May.
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