Hayes Town News - Time to start shopping

Welcome to the latest edition of Hayes Town News. This week sees the re-opening of non-essential shops and we also report on some important funding issues for local businesses and voluntary sector groups.

David Brough

Chair

Hayes Town Partnership

Support urged for local shops

As part of the relaxation of lockdown rules most closed shops in Hayes Town Centre will be able to re-open from Monday 15 June . Businesses are going to struggle to rebuild and the Hayes Town Partnership and the Business Forum are urging local people to use their local shops. It makes sense in order to keep journeys to a minimum and it will help save the Town Centre suffering from too many empty closed down premises.

Council officials have been visiting shops to offer advice on how to operate safely and to provide free markings for queuing outside. The Chairmen of the Business Forum and the Partnership have delivered a summary of Government advice to the shops together with a leaflet from a local supplier who can provide sneeze guards, notices and other materials. To see the advice click here If any readers are worried that an individual shop is not complying please let me know.

Last chance of funding for local business

Many of the closed shops and other small businesses in the Town Centre have received grants from the Council, paid for by the Government, to help them survive during the lockdown . Quite a number of small shops and other businesses have missed out because their premises are not separately registered for business rates. The Government has introduced a further funding scheme which might help but the deadline for the receipt of completed applications is 5pm on Friday 19 June . Click here to find out more and scroll down to 'Local Authority Discretionary Fund'. Please pass on the information to any small business you know that could do with some support.

H4All highlights funding opportunities

The latest newsletter from H4All, the consortium of local care providers, is packed full of information. It hohglights the work they have been doing with the Council to support vulnerable people during the pandemic. There is also an item on possible sources of grant funding for hard-pressed community groups.and this is likely to be of intereste to a number of organisations in Hayes which have seen demand for services rising while income has plummeted. Click here to see the newsletter.

Chance to become a Fitness Instructor

Street League, the leading sport for employment charity. has a few places left on a training course for young people to become qualified Fitness Instructors. It is open to those aged between 16 and 18 who are not in education or employment. The course lasts for 13 weeks starting from 22 June and involves two hours a day training over the internet. To find out more about Street League click here and to nominate a young person for the course send an email or call 07711491741. The deadline is Friday 19 June .

Development proposed for Keith House

Who or where is Keith House I hear you say. It is a warehouse in North Hyde Road currently occupied by Yodel, the parcel delivery people. Developers want to build 150 flats on the site (as shown in the picture) and to provide space for 33 local jobs. Because of the lockdown they have not been able to organise a public exhibition but they are mounting an online consultation which you can see by clicking here . I found out about this a few days ago from a Hayes Town News reader who had received a leaflet and the deadline for comments is today Monday 15 June but the developers have informed me that they would be happy to receive any responses that you would like to send.

Celebrating diversity in public places

Arising from all the controversy about removing statues and changing place names for people involved in the slave trade the Mayor of London has set up a Commission to review what we have in London and to promote a more diverse picture. The Commission will want to hear from the public with ideas of individuals not just from black , Asian and minority ethnic communities but also women, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and community and disability groups. Do you have any ideas that we should be putting forward from Hayes?

As far as I am aware we do not have any statues but it is interesting to note that Hillingdon has already celebrated the fact that William Wilberforce one of the leading advocates for the abolition of slavery lived in the Borough for a short time. When I saw that he lived in The Chestnuts (see picture) I thought it was the site next to Barra Hall but it turned out to be a place with the same name in Uxbridge. Click here to find out more.

How to get your refund

London Trading Standards is reminding consumers of their legal rights to refunds for cancelled holidays and events amid reports of a surge in consumer complaints. The LTS say that some companies have been attempting to pressure customers into accepting vouchers instead of refunds. Such vouchers are not financially protected if the company goes bust. Some travel agents have also been deducting significant ‘admin’ fees from refunds, contrary to the law. LTS have issued some advice on your rights as a consumer. Click here to see it in full.

Children urged to join reading challenge

The annual Summer Reading Challenge organised by Hillingdon Libraries is going to be online this year. The theme is ‘Silly Squad’, which celebrates hilarity, happiness and laughter. The aim is to encourage children to read whatever makes them happy, and each child can choose the target number of books they want to read.There will be digital prizes and certificates.

To find out more click here .

A date for your diary

5 July this year will be the 72nd anniversary of the setting up of the National Health Service. Numerous organisations and public figures are calling for this to be the final 'Clap for Carers' and a big 'Thank you' for all those who have helped us keep going during the coronanvirus crisis. Click here for more information.

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