A friend in need is a BEfriend indeed
“I see volunteering as an opportunity, it’s not about giving something to someone it’s more about mutual gain. I’ve learnt so much,” said a volunteer for the local BEfriend service. Dominic Agha-Rafei (pictured above) volunteers for BEfriend, formerly the Volunteer Link Scheme, which was established in 1994. It provides one-to-one befriending to residents in the […]
How you can help to spot, and stop, slavery
Slavery has not gone away. Unbelievably, more than 250 cases were reported in London last year alone. A new national campaign is showing how you might be able to help spot the signs of modern slavery. The campaign highlights how the problem is ‘hiding in plain sight’ and that there are a number of tell-tale […]
Plaque unveiled to legendary local musician
The wife of a celebrated musician was joined in Perivale by fans and the mayor to unveil a plaque outside the childhood home of her late husband. Nicky Hopkins (1944-94) was a renowned musician and considered by many to be one of the greatest session rock keyboardists ever. He played alongside some of the most […]
Footballer visits school to talk about diversity
A primary school’s celebration of Black History Month included a visit from a footballer who grew up nearby. Brentford FC defender Dominic Thompson went to Greenwood Primary School in Greenford to take part in a diversity lesson with pupils for Black History Month. The 19-year-old, who joined the Bees from Arsenal in the summer, spoke […]
You got the bottle to face zoo’s Halloween horror?
We have all heard of the phrase ‘a message in a bottle’ – but this half term Hanwell Zoo has taken it literally for its campaign for Halloween week, with a creative way to show off the scary truth about plastic waste. ‘Message in a Bottle’ is a 12ft high sculpture at the heart of […]
Lunatics and Geordies: A football club’s history
Hanwell Town Football Club will celebrate its centenary in 2020 and the club historian, Colm Hickey, gives an account of the history of the club and football in the town: From self-styled lunatics to community stalwarts. The first recorded account of football in Hanwell was in 1867 when an advertisement in the Middlesex County Times […]
Adopting a new approach to adoption
Adoption in London could be a bit of a ‘postcode lottery’ in the past but a new agency approach is bringing together groups of councils to work together under one roof. Its new head of service promises it should prove ‘far more effective’. Adopt London West is the new regional adoption agency covering the boroughs […]
Football psychologist helps young carers cope
As World Mental Health Day is marked across the country this week, a professional sports psychologist ran a wellbeing workshop for local, young carers. They discussed ways to cope with the day-to-day mental and emotional challenges faced in their roles at home. The session led by Brentford FC’s psychologist, Michael Caulfield, was held at the […]
Ealing joins national campaign to get smokers to quit
Ealing has the second-lowest number of adult smokers in London, according to Public Health England figures. Despite these promising figures, more than 23,900 people in the borough still smoke. That’s why the Stoptober campaign, which began on Tuesday, October 1, is so important. The national campaign encourages smokers to cut out cigarettes for a month […]
Black history: From ancient Egypt to modern success
Ealing Council’s libraries are working in collaboration with Black History Studies to present a series of three talks that are all free to attend during Black History Month in October. They start with a talk on The Ancient Egyptians on Wednesday (2 October) between 6-7pm. This presentation deals with the controversy of who the ancient […]
Expo can plug you into the local business scene
Want to find out what is happening in the local business scene, get networking, promote your own business or get some entrepreneurial inspiration? If your answer to any of the above is yes, or maybe, then you should look towards the 2020 Ealing Business Expo, which will take place across two days: Monday, 23 March […]
All the juicy details about this year’s Apple Day
Enjoy apple games in the magic woodlands with apple-themed making at Apple Day 2019. It promises to be a fun day for all the family and even gives you the chance to get involved in squishing juicy apples…and making and sampling apple juice. The event is being held at Horsenden Farm, on Horsenden Hill, on […]