'Faces of Climate Change' Brent Council photography workship August 18th 11am-1pm

 

From Brent Council

Friday 18th August Brent Civic Centre  11am-1pm

Brent Council in partnership with Giving Back Films and Faces of Climate Change invite you to a photography and sustainability workshop.

This FREE workshop will help you to see the world through your camera and learn how to capture stories of sustainability.

Part 1 – Faces of Climate Change storytelling with pictures and sustainability challenges

Part 2 - Phone photography/filming

If you own a smartphone, then you own a camera, and if you own a camera, you have the tools to create stunning images and video content.

If you can create content, you can help tell stories.

Telling stories gives you a powerful tool to communicate and create change.

We are helping more people to understand the need for urgent climate action one story at time. Join us to learn how to use your camera and become a climate action storyteller.

We will give you the skills to utilise your smartphone camera better, and show you how to release its full, photographic potential, you will be guaranteed to come away with knowing how your camera works better as well as some tips and tricks to get those creative shots and enter Faces Of Climate Change Brent photography competition.

Learn more about the project Faces of Climate Change here: www.brent.gov.uk/facesofclimatechange

Places are limited to please book to avoid disappointment. LINK

Date and time

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:00 - 13:00 BST

Brent Council announcement on new Tokyngton Avenue flooding - industrial pumps may be called in leading to road closures

 Tokyngton Avenue flooded again yesterday and Brent Council issues the statement below. They have promised updates on this LINK.

We are aware of the flooding in Tokyngton Avenue and are working closely with the Environment Agency to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

Over the coming days you may notice more noise outside as passageways are dug to make space for the water to flow away again.

This work is vital to reduce the risk of homes in Tokyngton Avenue being flooded again.

As rain is predicted to fall over the coming days, there is the possibility the Environment Agency will need to bring in industrial water pumps to help drain surface water. These are big systems so we may need to temporarily close some roads and pathways in the area to put this in place.

Thank you for your patience while we do everything we can to get this resolved.

If you experience any further flooding, please call the Environment Agency on 0845 850 3518 immediately and provide the reference number 2174690. You do not need to ring the council or any other agency.

• Provide your name, address, post code and contact telephone number
• Please describe what you are experiencing. For example, is the water level rising, has it flooded your garden, is it coming into you home?
• Please advise where you believe the water is coming from

Once you have contacted the Environment Agency, a Duty Officer will attend the scene if appropriate. They will then decide the best course of action to be taken. Do not let anyone without proper official identification into your home. Council officers and Environment Agency officials always carry identification and will show this when asked.

We are aware that the Environment Agency has provided properties that may be affected by flooding with sandbags for you to use when and if required.

In an emergency, if you need to leave your home because of water entering your property, please call the Fire Brigade on 999.

UPDATE: Thames Water: Statement re low pressure or no water in NW2 and NW10

 07.49 Update 01/08

 (Ed - Actually no change)

Thank you for letting us know about no water and low pressure in NW2 and NW10.

Our specialist engineers have now arrived and are working hard to get your water supply back to normal as quickly as possible. As soon as we have an update, we’ll let you know.

We're sorry if this has disrupted your day and will update this page when we have more news.

 

18.15 31/07

Thank you for letting us know about no water and low pressure in NW2 and NW10.

Our specialist engineers have now arrived and are working hard to get your water supply back to normal as quickly as possible. As soon as we have an update, we’ll let you know.

We're sorry if this has disrupted your day and will update this page when we have more news.

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/network-latest/nw2-nw10-bb70072401-310723

TfL confirms 79 and 83 bus route changes after consultation

 From Transport for London

Alperton and Stonebridge Park - Proposed changes to bus routes 79 and 83

Consultation has concluded

Update 31 July 2023 

Today we have published our consultation report following this consultation.

We received 256 responses to the consultation and would like to thank everyone that took part. A range of views were expressed in response to consultation. Generally, the feedback was positive with overall support for the proposals.

Following careful consideration of the consultation responses, we have decided to proceed with the proposed changes to bus routes 79 and 83 as set out in the consultation.

The service changes are expected to take place during 2023  (Autumn) . Any changes will be supported with customer information in advance, and with minimal disruption to current bus journeys.

Thank you again to everyone that took part.

Executive Summary of Consultation Report

Between 6 March and 16 April 2023, we held a public consultation proposing
changes to bus routes 79 and 83 in the Alperton and Stonebridge Park areas of the London Borough of Brent.

Our aim was to adapt and develop the local bus network to support increased
demand for buses along Mount Pleasant and Beresford Avenue. It also aimed to
maintain bus links between Alperton Station and Sainsbury’s while creating new bus links between there and Kingsbury, West Hendon and Hendon. The proposals are summarised below:

• Route 79 - proposing extension of the route to serve Stonebridge Park
Station via Ealing Road, Mount Pleasant and Beresford Avenue. As a result,
the 79 would no longer serve bus stops between Ealing Road and Alperton,
Sainsbury’s

• Route 83 – proposed extension of the route from its current end point at
Alperton Station to a new end point at Alperton Sainsbury’s

We received 256 responses to the consultation. Of these, 254 were from members
of the public and two were from stakeholders.

The consultation sought to understand what respondents thought about the changes.

We also asked two closed questions asking people to let us know how often they
travelled on the bus routes in scope, and how they believed the proposals may affect their bus journey.

A total of 196 responded to the question about how the proposals may affect
passengers bus journeys. Of these, 74 per cent of respondents believed their bus
journey would be more convenient.

Generally, feedback was positive with overall support for the proposals. Supportive comments included alternative route suggestions and a general view the bus routes should run more frequently. Comments in opposition to the proposals were minimal and were related to traffic congestion and associated increased pollution and journey reliability if additional buses are introduced to Mount Pleasant, Beresford Avenue and Ealing Road.

Opening Wembley’s Olympic Games, 75 years ago today – 29th July 1948

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

 

 

1. Local club athletes escorting the Olympic Torch through Wembley Park. (Source: Brent Archives)

Today marks the 75^th anniversary of the opening ceremony of the 1948 Summer Olympic Games, which was held at Wembley Stadium, so I thought you might like to get a flavour of that day. The lighting of the Olympic flame was actually the climax of the ceremony, so I will start at the beginning.

 

2.     Opening Ceremony programme. (Source: Brent Archives)

 

The ceremony began at 2.30pm, and all the tickets had been sold, so people began arriving for the event well before it started. Most came along the recently opened Olympic Way.

 

3.     Crowds heading to the stadium for the Opening Ceremony, 29 July 1948. (Source: Brent Archives)

 

The ceremony got underway with the teams from the 59 nations taking part in the Games entering the stadium. Greece, as the originator of the ancient games, led the way, followed by the others in alphabetical order, with Great Britain, as the hosts, bringing up the rear.

 

4.     The Czechoslovakian team parading round the athletics track, followed by Denmark.
(Screenshot from a colour film of the 1948 Olympic Games)

 

Each team was led by a Boy Scout from a Wembley troop, carrying a banner with the nation’s name. Other local scouts were sitting on the grass beside the track, ready to play their part later in the afternoon. 

 

5.     The teams assembled in the centre of the stadium. (Screenshot from a colour film)

 

As the teams reached the back straight, they were guided into position, so that they formed columns behind their name and flag. All 59 national flags were also flying from flagpoles around the top of the stadium, as they would throughout the Games. It was a hot and sunny afternoon, and the temperature in the centre of the stadium was around 35ºc. The first casualty of the Games was the scout holding the banner for Bermuda, who feinted and had to be helped by local St John’s Ambulance Brigade first aiders. Another scout was brought in to take his place.

 

6.     King George VI declares the Games open. (Image from the internet)

 

At 4pm, King George VI, who had taken the salute from the Royal Box as the teams paraded past, declared the fourteenth Olympiad of the modern era open. The Boy Scouts around the track then released 7.000 pigeons from wicker baskets The pigeons, symbolising peace, circled the stadium several times to get their bearings, then flew away to their home roosts.

 

7.     Some of the pigeons flying above the stadium. (Screenshot from a colour film)

 

Anticipation was now rising, as the Olympic torch relay, which had begun at Mount Olympus in Greece 12 days earlier, was nearing the stadium. The torch had arrived at Dover the previous evening, and runners had carried it through the night, along a route designed for it to arrive at the stadium at 4.07pm!

 

 8.     Map of the torch relay route, from a 28 July newspaper. (Source: Brent Archives)

 

Large crowds of local people, and a 21-gun salute (which helped to scare the pigeons away from the stadium!), had greeted the Olympic torch as it was carried up Olympic Way. The relay torch (later given to the Mayor of Wembley, and now in Brent Museum) was used to light the ceremonial torch which took the flame into the stadium.

 

9.     The Olympic torch relay on its final leg up Olympic Way. (Image from the internet)

 

A Cambridge University athlete, John Mark, had the honour of carrying the torch into the stadium. After a steady run around the track, with the 80,000 crowd and several thousand competitors watching him, he ran up a short ramp and lit the Olympic flame.

 

10.  John Mark lighting the Olympic flame at Wembley. (Image from the internet)

 

A massed choir sang the Olympic hymn, and then the flag-bearers from the 59 competing nations gathered round a rostrum, from which Donald Finlay, the Great Britain team captain, took the Olympic oath. On behalf of all the competitors, he swore to take part in the Games ‘in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.^’

 

11.    Donald Finlay taking the Olympic oath at the Opening Ceremony. (Image from the internet)

 

The Opening Ceremony concluded, and the stadium was made ready for the start of the athletics events the following day. 

 

12.  The Starter, getting athletes “set” for a heat of the 100 metres on 30 July.
(Screenshot from a colour film)

 

“Wembley’s 1948 Olympic Games” had begun! I wrote a short piece earlier this month about an illustrated talk with that title I was giving. I will be presenting the talk again at a Brent Libraries “coffee morning” event, at Ealing Road Library on Tuesday 3 October, 11am to 12noon. If you are interested, and are free that day, you will be very welcome to come along. Check the Brent Culture Service Eventbrite site nearer the time, to reserve your place.

Philip Grant.

 

Medical Centre in Harlesden responds to allegation they are breaking guidelines over charging for copies of patient records

 

The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group has taken up what they see as over-charging by a Harlesden medical practice, Freuchen Medical Centre,  for printouts of people's medical records. It is difficult for people to access disability benefits, especially with an invisible illness, unless they have proof of their conditions. Claimants understand the importance of documentation and are forced to pay  the fee for a copy of their records.  KUWG say the practice is full of people who have no money at all and no understanding of the system, with a large immigrant and refugee client base, and to whom this illegal fee will be acting as a very effective barrier.

In the letter sent to the practice in December 2022, KUWG said: 

It is most surprising that your Data Protection Officer seems unaware of the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018 with regards to patients access to their medical records. Perhaps you might bring their attention to the BMA guidance on access to medical records, which is available in full as a PDF download from the BMA website at  www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/ethics/confidentiality-and-health-records/access-to-health-records

 

For your convenience, here is a copy of the relevant paragraphs:

 

4.8Can a fee be charged?

 

“Initial access must be provided free of charge (including postage costs) unless the request is ‘manifestly unfounded’ or ‘excessive’ – in which case a ‘reasonable’ fee can be charged. These circumstances are likely to be rare and should be assessed on a case by case basis.

 

The ICO has advised us that a request may be deemed ‘manifestly unfounded’ if the requestor makes it clear they are only requesting the information to cause disruption to the organisation or if the requestor makes completely unsubstantiated accusations against the controller. If however, the requestor has some form of genuine intention in obtaining their information, it is unlikely the request could be deemed as manifestly unfounded.

 

A request could be deemed as ‘excessive’ if an individual was to receive information via a subject access request (SAR), and then request a copy of the same information within a short period of time. In this scenario, the organisation could charge a reasonable fee based on the administrative costs of providing further copies or refuse the request.”

The KUWG had  not received a response so Wembley Matters yesterday asked Freuchen Medical Centre for a statement on the allegations. They responded:

With reference to youe allegations and information surrounding GDPR and Data Protecvtion 2018, subject access requests and patient access to medical records. We acknowledge these and are aware of these regulations. These are clearly documented and followed in our practice policy.

All patients have the right to access their medical records, whether electronically or in printer form. However, for patients who are deemed to have requsted excessively and wish to request printed copies, there is an administration fee associated with the service. The fee is necessary to cover the costs of printing paper and ink, as well as adminstrative time involved, as this is not covered by the NHS,

Our primary goal is to ensure that patients have convenient access to their medical information, and we encourage the use of electronic records as a more sustainable and cost-effective option. Nevertheless, we understand that some patients may have specific preferences or needs that require require physical copies.

Unfortunately, without further information surrounding the specific case it is difficult to comment further.

We are extremely mindful of the socio-economic deprivation prevalent in the area in which we operate, with multiple vulnerable groups. Charges for non-Nhs work which falls outside of our contractuak obligations are completed in order to help these  vulnerable groups, often without any charges being applied to them.

Commenting on the statement KUWG said

The fact that they have a reason for breaking the provisions of the Data Protection Act doesnt make it legal or correct. Anyone breaking a law will have a reason. The guidelines are clear.

 

In most GP practices if you ask for a copy of your summary care record it is done on demand at the click of a button by the receptionist and involves no more than 3 pages of printing. Even if they were allowed to charge a fee, £5 is exorbitant for a minute's work and between one and 3 pages of printing. 

 

Where people want a full printout of their records this can more be problematic for the surgery because there can be a great many pages, and many practices ask for the full amount of time given under the Data Protection Act ie 40 days. But the Act still says that this should be provided for free. We note the response from the practice states that the fee is only for people who 'prefer to receive printed copies' but nowhere on the price list is it stated that they are offering a free digital alternative. This is irrelevant but surprising. They do have a right to charge what they like for copies of any data that is not held elecronically and which needs to be scanned and printed by hand, like specialist reports from hospitals but that's all. They also have a right to charge for letters. But not for printouts of people's data.

 

 

 

 

BREAKING: Yusuf Islam breaks silence on Islamia Primary School move and announces postponement of decision until a review of south Brent schools has been carried out

In a letter today  to parents and guardians of Islamia Primary School, Yusuf Islam confirmed an agreement with Brent Council to postpone a decision on the school’s site until a further review of primary schools in the south of the borough has been carried out.

 

Dear Parents / Guardians, Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah

“Whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make a way out for them, and provide for them from sources they could never imagine.” (Qur’an 65:2-3)

I begin by wishing everyone the best of blessings for this new Islamic year, 1445H. May Allah swt make it a year of peace, success, and progress for all associated with our schools, organisations and the community beyond.

As many of you are aware, the Foundation has been working for a long time with the Board of Governors, in consultation with Brent Council, to progress arrangements for a bigger and better home for Islamia Primary School. This story goes back to 2007, when we first helped the local authority to accommodate extra children coming from the closure of the Avenue School. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of your dedicated Governors to ensure that an appropriate outcome is achieved.

Last week, I had a meeting with the Leader and Chief Executive of Brent Council to discuss the issue face to face. They ideally wanted a decision about the proposed site on Strathcona Road by Friday 21 July. Al- hamdulillah, we were able to obtain an agreement to put off that decision until a further review of schools in the south of the borough.

During the meeting, I advised the Leader that the Foundation has agreed to extend the school’s stay at Salusbury Road until at least the end of the next academic year, 2024, to provide additional time for the local authority to identify any possible alternative sites.

As a result of this extension, we were assured by the local authority that the funds allocated for the school’s relocation would remain secure and available for the primary school until at least the end of this year, by which time we will be able to review other possibilities they may come up with.

Insha Allah, we will have a wonderful opportunity to provide IPS with a new home that offers modern facilities and resources. This is the least that the pupils, parents, and staff of the school deserve after having to cope with the difficulties caused by the split-site arrangement (Winkworth Hall) for well over a decade.

At the same time, we continue to work on ambitious plans to modernise the Salusbury Road site for our secondary schools as part of a comprehensive long-term vision. We have had to keep these plans on hold for 15 years, so that we could accommodate the needs of the primary school, but it is now time for us to move forward with more determination for those plans.

Twenty-five years ago, we made history by becoming the first Muslim government aided school in this country. Many parents today are not fully aware of the immense struggle we had to go through to secure state funding. But Allah is the Granter of success.

This is the 40th anniversary year of our school’s opening, and I believe that we are at the doorstep of another milestone, insha Allah. As we know, Allah promises “with hardship comes ease” (Qur’an 94:5-6). 

 

Islamia Primary parent, Jamad Guled, was contacted by Wembley Matters for an assessment of what this means for Islamia families:

There is a sense of relief among the parent body. We all remember the initial tone of the consultation. The move to Strathcona sounded inevitable back then and if it did not materialise the only other proposed outcome would have been the closure of the school. As parents and stakeholders we were extremely alarmed and we have raised our concerns with the school governors and Brent Council.

This communication is far more positive and acknowledges the need for a local solution which is paramount to current families. It also recognises the the importance of preserving this extraordinary school. This is reassuring in many ways and we hope that the Yusuf Islam Foundation, IPS Governing Body and Brent Council will take into account stakeholders' views and will work together to find a satisfactory local solution so that children are not left behind.

 

Brent youngsters' design project wins major award

 Edited Press Release

Seen & Heard and its legacy project the Apprenticeship in City Design, a collaboration between the London School of Economic (LSE), Wembley Park developers, Quintain, and the London Borough of Brent, has won the ‘Young people co-creating public spaces’ award at the annual Eurocities Awards.

 

The annual Eurocities Awards recognise cities’ outstanding achievements in improving quality of life for local people, addressing Europe’s challenges at every level.

 

Seen & Heard and the Apprenticeship gave young people aged 16-24 a voice in the design and management of their local public spaces at Wembley Park.The outcome includes Samovar Space, a purpose-built area at the foot of the Olympic Steps and Wembley Stadium, designed for and by young people as part of the Apprenticeship in City Design.

 

The young people in Samovar Space

 

Samovar Space is an inclusive space designed for and by young. The aim was to design a place to ‘just be’. It features dining, shelter and collaborative areas, including a purpose-built platform that will play host to events for young people throughout the year.

 

The engagement with young people sustained over four years and sees young adults aged 16-24, who are often overlooked by conventional development and planning, working with architects and developers to co-create spaces and places that are welcoming for them. 

 

Ricky Burdett, Director, LSE Cities, said:  

It’s rare that the Mayor, a local authority, a developer, a university and a youth group get together to develop a long-term project to engage young people in shaping their environment and to raise the level of understanding of what it means to design and make a public space that really works. This initiative has set new standards for public realm in London. The LSE has been delighted to be involved.

 

Quintain funded the project as part of Brent’s year as the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture 2020, including six paid opportunities to learn through practice at the LSE. Participants worked with experts on processes and policies for the management of public spaces and are also worked on real-life examples of truly inclusive spaces across Wembley Park. The first of these, Samovar Space, was completed last year, with another, White Horse Square, due to open in 2024.

 

Julian Tollast, Head of Masterplanning and Design, Quintain, added:

 

It is a sad fact that young people are often overlooked when it comes to the built environment. With this in mind, we are extremely proud of the work we have done, and are continuing to do, via Seen & Heard to make Wembley Park and the wider area a more welcoming place for all. To succeed at these awards and represent not only the Borough of Brent but London as well was an honour for all involved.

 

Seen & Heard competed against projects from across Europe for the prize category, including the Overlooked exhibition at Leeds City Museum and Hej! an open and inclusive youth space co-create in Lublin, Poland.

 

About Seen & Heard

Seen and Heard was a Brent 2020, London Borough of Culture project commissioned by Metroland Cultures, delivered by The Blueprint Collective