Overall infection levels and hospital admissions remain low across the country and the Government has confirmed 17 May for the next stage of the road map out of lockdown. Cafes, restaurants and pubs will be able to serve customers inside for the first time for months but it will not be quite back to normal. Click here to see what is allowed.

Other changes include

• 6 people or two households can meet indoors. Overnight stays also.
• People can meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors
• Up to 30 people can attend weddings, receptions and other life events
• Numbers attending funerals limited only by social distancing rules
• Care home residents allowed up to five named visitors.
• Cinemas, theatres, sports stadiums and play areas can reopen
• Organised adult sports and exercise classes can restart indoors
• Hotels, hostels and B&Bs to reopen.

To see full details of the changes click here.

Local residents and businesses are being invited to take part in an exciting free online conversation about how to make Hayes a more vibrant and positive community. Under the banner 'Hayes Together - Stays Together' this will be a chance to get involved and have your say.

Organised by specialist organisation Mutual Gain with the support of the Met Police and Hillingdon Council the event will take place on Wednesday 16 June. It aims to hear from local people about how they feel about Hayes, to celebrate all that its good and to talk about how to unleash local talent to make the town safer and a better place to live and work. Because of coronavirus restrictions it will be online and to allow as many people as possible to take part there will be two separate sessions - from 1pm to 3pm and from 7pm to 9pm. Please click on this link to book a place

MyHealth Hillingdon is a special team set up by the NHS to help people to take responsibility for their own health. It runs free fun and educational workshops, teaching patients with long term conditions how to manage their health and to really take back control of their lives.

Diabetes type 2 – For people alreadydiagnosed with type 2 Diabetes.

Pre-Diabetes – For those on the borderline of becoming a type 2 Diabetic.

Paediatric Asthma – For parents with children who have Asthma

All the workshops are run by a medical professional who is either a GP, clinical pharmacist or an Asthma nurse, in groups of no more than 10 people. This gives you the perfect opportunity to ask those questions you don’t get time in a normal appointment. The workshop are currently online through Zoom. If you would like to book your free place on any of the workshops please send an email to the team or to find out more about the programme click here.

The Great Barn at Harmondsworth is one of the hidden jewels of Hillingdon Borough as shown in the picture. It is a magnificent late medieval building that has been used to store agricultural produce for nearly 600 years. Over 95% of the structure is original and from Sunday 23 May you will again have a chance to see what makes it so special. There are lots of displays and friendly guides to tell you more. It is open to the public, free of charge from 11am to 4pm on the second and fourth Sunday each month until October. Click here for more information. The Barn is located next to the church in Harmondsworth; and to discover how to get there click here.

Saturday 29 May will see the first Cranford Park Treasure Hunt. Running from 2pm to 5pm, it will be a chance to explore the Park and test your observation skills. It is open to all ages, it's free and you might win an Amazon voucher. Pick up a form with the clues on the day near the car park which is just off The Parkway, Cranford, TW5 9RZ. Also you will be able to see the exciting National Lottery Heritage Fund plans for the park, meet the Cranford Park Friends, tell them your views and maybe even register as a park volunteer. Social distancing guidelines must be followed. For more details click here.

Even with the easing of the lockdown there are still many people who are reluctant to go out and others who were lonely before the pandemic started. Connections and social contact are important and it's vital when they are missing. H4All, the consortium of local caring agencies, is seeking volunteers to help combat social isolation one phone call at a time. If you volunteer to make a weekly informal call of companionship for a friendly chat it can really start to make a difference. To find out more please phone or text 07395 282 825 or send an email.

The Medaille Trust is a charity that aims to provide refuge and freedom from modern slavery. It is a leading provider of beds in safe houses and has one in Hayes which has a growing team of staff. There are currently job vacancies for a caretaker, a cleaner and assistant caseworker. To find out more about the Trust click here and for the jobs click here.

The temporary ban on rental property evictions enforced by bailiffs will end on Monday 31 May, the Government has confirmed. Eviction notice periods - which were previously extended to six months as an emergency measure during the pandemic - will be set at four months from Tuesday 1 June. If lockdown restrictions ease as planned, notice periods will return to how they were before the pandemic from Friday 1 October – usually two months. Anybody who needs help on this should contact Hillingdon Citizens Advice on 0808 278 7893.

There were worries that the pandemic might reduce the number of responses for the Census that took place earlier this year but the Office for National Statistics has just announced that there was a 97% rate of return for the country as a whole. The figure for Hillingdon was even higher than that for the 2011 census. Thank you to Hayes Town News readers who helped ensure a good local response.

Hillingdon Neighbourhood Watch has just published its May/June newsletter and as usual it has some handy crime prevention tips which you can see by clicking here.