Botwell House lead the field

On Friday 21 November children at Botwell House Catholic Primary School had something really big to celebrate when Mr A S Puar and I went along to present the prizes for this year's Hayes Town Treasure Hunt. We told them that they had won 21 of the 68 prizes on offer, including two of the top four prizes. The picture shows Yamima Harris receiving a lap top computer worth £170 from Mr A S Puar, Chairman of the Hayes Town Business Forum and myself. It was one of two computers donated by KHAN KIANI Ltd of 11B Station Road that formed the top prizes. A further prize of £100 cash donated by Hayes Town Pharmacy went to another Botwell House student with 15 others winning cash prizes of £20 and £30 plus three wireless speakers donated by Ace Line Communication of Station Road.

There were 300 entrants for this year's Treasure Hunt from more than 20 local schools with Botwell House well ahead of everybody else with a total of 73. We have a different theme each year and for 2025 a total of 30 shops were displaying pictures of characters in children's books. The educational slant is emphasised when I do the marking since we take account of good hand-writing and good spelling when allocating the prizes. A number of schools tell us that they really like the Hunt because it is something that children do together with their parents.

London's big week for a flu jab

Starting on Saturday 22 November the NHS in London is making a push to get more people vaccinated against flu. All the emphasis on Covid over the last few years has meant that a lot of people do not realise that flu can be a deadly disease. The numbers having a jab have fallen away, especially in London.but this season's flu virus has arrived a month earlier than usual and a report in The Guardian says that hospitals are bracing for a once-in-a-decade surge in cases.

Lots of people are entitled to a free vaccination with priority being given to those aged 65 and over, pregnant women, anyone over 18 in a clinical risk group and front-line health and social care workers. You can see the whole list here.

All pharmacies in Hayes Town are geared up to offer jabs and the details are available from this link.

Warm Welcome Centres await

The sudden cold snap in the weather last week woke us all up to the fact that winter is almost upon us. The Council has published the list of places that offer a warm welcome to residents who are having trouble heating their homes or who just fancy a bit of company. The list is here and those in Hayes are as follows:

• Hayes Muslim Centre Pump Lane Wednesday 10am-noon
• Hayes End Methodist Church Uxbridge Road Wednesday 11 15am-1 45pm

There are at least two other places in Hayes Town where I know that you will also receive a warm welcome:

• Botwell Green Library in East Avenue - they have a great programme of events and activities with something on almost every day. You canf keep up to date from the Discover Hillingdon page of the Council's web site.
• Sikh Gurdwara in Golden Crescent - in line with the beliefs of Sikhism they have for many years provided free meals to those in need and they have been a Warm Welcome Centre before the phrase was ever invented.

Some people debate about when winter actually starts. According to the Met Office it begins on Monday 1 December but astronomers say that it is Sunday 21 December, the shortest day of the year. Here is what the BBC has to say.on the subject. Whatever the date, you will know when it is cold and that there are warm places are there to welcome you.

Beware winter fuel payments scam

Talking of winter, the Hayes Town Safer Neighbourhood Team. want to draw attention to the fraudsters who are targeting older residents with text messages offering to help them get their Winter Fuel Payments. The key message is that payments are made automatically to those eligible and you do not have to do anything to apply.

Between April and September Action Fraud received 2,790 crime reports relating to Winter Fuel Payment scams, with victims reporting losses totalling over £27,000.

If you spot a suspicious message, you can report it for free by forwarding it to 7726. If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Businesses sponsor Police newsletter

The Hayes Town Safer Neighbourhood Team does lots of good work that most people never hear about. In an effort to try and spread the word the Hayes Town Business Forum has offered to pay for the production of a newsletter for delivery to properties in the Ward. It is currently being printed but you can get an advance view of the contents by using this link.

NHS changes set to be revealed

If you think that the NHS is always being reorganised you are probably right. The latest change will be disclosed at a Community Services Open Day to be held on Thursday 27 November at Southlands Art Centre in West Drayton and it sounds like a new way of working that could have real benefits. Three new NHS health hubs are coming to Hillingdon – changing how the NHS delivers care. . If you would like to find out what that means for you please come along to

• Meet local health professionals and ask them your questions.
• Hear how the NHS prevents illness and treats people closer to home.
• Learn how your NHS services run and how referrals work

The address is 75 The Green West Drayton and the postcode is UB7 7PW. The event starts at 10 30am and runs until 1pm. You can choose which time slot suits you.best and book a place by clicking here,

Christmas bazaar - 29 November

St Mary the Virgin Church in Church Road invite you to their Christmas bazaar on Saturday 29 November between 12 noon and 3pm. It will be held in the Church Hall opposite the church at the junction of Church Road and Hemmen Lane.

There will be lots of Christmas fair with cakes, toys, toiletries, jewellery, candles and marmalade plus a raffle and Dr Tripletts Primary School choir too. It costs £1 for entry (25p for children and concessions)

What is the Migration Menu?

Another invitation for you is to sample the Migration Menu on Tuesday 2 December at 6 30pm at Guru Nanak Sikh Academy in Springfield Road Hayes

For those who have not heard of it before the Migration Menu is a series of podcasts by Brunel academics, Professor James Staples and Dr Luke Heslop who talk to restaurateurs and others of south Asian heritage about what food brought from their homeland means to them and why. Their conversations use food as an entry point into wider discussions. This session will be of particular interest because they will be joined by Sathnam Sanghera, the award-winning journalist and author of Empireland and Stolen History. - for an in-depth conversation about migration, memory, and the South Asian community. .

It is free to get in but there is a charge for food. To reserve a place click here.

Winter Wellness & Wellbeing on offer

By way of variety, you are invited to a Winter Wellness & Wellbeing event on Saturday 6 December from 12 noon to 3pm at St Margaret's Church in Windsor Street in Uxbridge. The post code is UB8 1AB.

It is being held in partnership with NHS North West London, and in collaboration with Hillingdon Interfaith Community Group, Creative Spaces London, Let’s Go Outside and Learn, Hillingdon Mind, C-Space, and Hillingdon Council. The organisers say that it will be a fantastic opportunity for residents across the borough to come together for a fun, family-friendly afternoon featuring creative youth activities, local community stalls, and refreshments. Eligible residents will also be able to receive their free winter flu and COVID vaccinations on the day.

You are welcome to drop in at any time that suits you. If you have any queries please contact the chief organiser, Taz Virdee by email.

Black men and prostate cancer

According to Prostate Cancer UK, black men face twice the risk of developing prostate cancer and dying from the disease compared to white men. They are pushing for a proper screening programme for all men of middle age and over because, like all cancers, the earlier it is diagnosed the better chances there are of effective treatment.

On Friday 21 November they announced a major £42 million screening trial along with the National Institute for Health & Care Research. It will involve working with men between the ages of 50 and 74 on different ways of identifying the disease but for black men the starting age will be 45 because of the higher risk and the low number of cases being diagnosed, It won't be possible to volunteer to take part in the trial and it will be by invitation only. To read more about it click here.

Time to name community volunteers

Hillingdon Council has launched the start of the 2026 Community Awards. The scheme aims to identify the best of Hillingdon and the individuals and groups who work for the community, sometimes behind the scenes. There are four different categories:

• Bravery Award
• Helping Communities Award
• Helping Vulnerable People Award
• Promoting Health & Wellbeing Award

The picture shows last year's winners after receiving their awards in the Council Chamber. To find out the rules and to make a nomination use this link. The deadline date is Wednesday 31 December.

New children's home proposed

The Council has received a planning application fro permission to convert a house in Keith Road into a care home for up to three children aged between 8 and 16. It comes from a company called Awwarm Care Ltd who point out that there is a severe shortage of homes for looked-after children in the Borough and none in Hayes Town Ward. As a result of the shortage, children are being placed in homes that are sometimes far distant from their family network. Some children with learning disabilities wait for more than a year to be placed.

The plan is to convert an existing house and to construct a single storey rear extension together with a loft conversion. There will be no other visual impact on the exterior. The picture shows a typical house in Keith Road and it is not the one subject to the application.

Further details of the proposal are available here. Click on View Documents and then on Design & Access Statement. The deadline for comments to the Council is Thursday 4 December.