Saturday 5 June saw a unique event at the High Point Village development in Hayes Town when more than 80 residents voiced their demand for action to deal with the cladding danger that exists in their flats. Following the fatal Grenfell Tower fire and the deaths of 72 people there are numerous blocks around the country which require the replacement of hazardous cladding. Armed with home-made placards highlighting the inadequate response from the developers Ballymore they chanted "Enough is enough". Besides the fear of living with the threat of fire and unknown costs many residents are finding it impossible to sell their properties. They believe that Ballymore should pay up. Click here to find out more about their campaign. The demonstration was supported by local MP John McDonnell and Hayes Councillors.

People aged over 16 who live, work or study in Harlington and 4 other areas of the Borough are continuing to be urged to take a test for the Indian variant, now re-named as the Delta variant. The testing has been extended until Sunday 20 June and includes people who have already been vaccinated. Click here to find out more.

Efforts continue to get more people vaccinated in a race against time as the number of coronavirus cases starts to rise again. Over 270.000 Hillingdon residents have now had their first jab and people are being urged to have their second one sooner rather than later.

One piece of reassuring news is that a recent survey of attitudes in 15 countries by Imperial College London showed that trust in vaccines was the highest in Britain at 87% and the lowest in Japan at 47%. The UK respondents also had the highest level of confidence in their health authorities at 70% compared to 42% in South Korea. The main reasons given by people for not being vaccinated were worries about side effects and whether the vaccines have been properly tested. To read more about the answers to these concerns or to book a vaccination appointment click on this link.

H4All, the consortium of local caring agencies in Hillingdon is working with the Council to recruit volunteer community champions to help deliver those really important health messages that keep us safe, well and healthy. Their message is that our communities have a wealth of trust and local knowledge and we need you.

The programme offers accredited training in delivering health messages and on-going support with health workshops & social events that help bring together what matters in our communities. The only commitment required from you is that you attend the training and then volunteer the hours or time that suit you.To help your local community please register your interest today by clicking on this link..

HALO Children's Foundation, the local charity which supports children and their families experiencing bereavement has won the prestigious Queens Award for Voluntary Service. It is the highest award given to UK volunteer groups and is equivalent to the MBE for individuals. This year there was special recognition for organisations that provided impactful support to the community in response to the pandemic - either by managing a significant increase in their usual work or providing extra support in other ways. HALO will also receive this along with a crystal badge. Well done to all concerned and to find out more about HALO click here.

The Great British Spring Clean has begun and on Sunday 13 June between 11am and 1pm. the Cranford Park Friends will be doing their own spring clean. Pre-booking is required by clicking here. Tools will be provided and volunteers are asked to wear long trousers and long sleeves if possible. The event will be socially distanced. Please meet in the car park.

If you can't make this date but are interested in attending other Park volunteer sessions, from ivy clearance to orchard work, please drop a line to the Secretary. No prior skills are required, just enthusiasm!

The Colne Valley Regional Park is partly in Hillingdon Borough and its lovely countryside is well worth a visit, especially in fine weather. To find out more about what it offers take a look at the Spring Newsletter by clicking here

If you have a car with a catalytic converter (pictured) and don't know what it does you will certainly miss it if it gets stolen. The Police say that catalytic converter theft takes only 90 seconds where no protective device has been fitted and has increased across the Borough. Cars being targeted are hybrid versions of Toyota Auris, Toyota Prius, Honda Jazz, Honda CR-V and Lexus RX.To get helpful crime prevention advice click here.

Enterprise House in Blyth Road was one of the main buildings of the EMI works in Hayes but outside what is now The Old Vinyl Factory. It is a listed building but has been in a very poor condition for many years with protective sheets over the windows in case they fall to the street. There is a plan to convert the building to flats (there's a surprise) and a recent walk down Blyth Road revealed that work is now going on to replace the windows. Click here to find out about this important piece of local history.

Until now the circulation of Hayes Town News has been limited to 500 local organisations, businesses, service providers and individual involved in the local community. I am pleased to report that the Council has agreed to pay the additional fee for the numbers to increase to the next level. Please feel free to pass today's edition on to others you think may be interested in signing up.