Advice Services Alliance is running a short research investigation into the needs of smaller organisations in London providing advice and support to Londoners from diverse communities. They is a Survey currently circulating and will be holding a Group interview next week that you can register your interest to attend.

Mahbuba Sabur who is an Emotional support worker, Community Development worker and Westminster resident relates her recent experience of getting the COVID vaccine.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are investigating inequalities faced by ethnic minority workers in the health and social care sectors (earning up to £11 an hour) in England, Scotland and Wales during the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings of this inquiry will inform the EHRC’s recommendations for employers, agencies and governments and will hopefully lead to positive changes.

Advice Services Alliance, with support from the London Legal Support Trust and former members of the Black and Minority Ethnic Advice Network (BAN), are conducting a short research investigation into the key challenges facing advice organisations working to support diverse communities in London. The project will explore the key challenges and support needs of these organisations and consider how to best meet these now and in the future.

Residents aged 65 and over can now book their vaccine online – without an invite. Book online now if you're eligible. You do not need to wait to be contacted if any of the following apply: you are aged 65 and over; you have previously received a letter saying you are at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable); you are an eligible frontline health worker; you are an eligible frontline social care worker.

Mrs Khalida Qureshi, wife of the late Cllr Mushtaq Qureshi had her COVID-19 vaccine at St Charles. She said: ”It was very well organised at St Charles and I was seen very quickly. The volunteers were very helpful and the vaccination was painless. I would encourage everyone to get the vaccination so that life can get back to normal as quickly as possible.”

The BME Health Forum is thrilled to announce that they are one of the 10 charities who have recently been awarded Comic Relief's Global Majority fund which is set to help hundreds of smaller grass roots projects across the UK that provide vital services to diverse communities who have the greatest risk of Covid-19.

Grants of between £30,000 and £250,000 are available for 12-15 months of service delivery (July 2021 to September 2022). It is expected that around 15 grants will be made. The funding is for established work meeting one or both of this programme’s aims: Improve access to quality services and support for Black and minoritised women and girls who are experiencing, or at risk of, violence and abuse; Improve understanding of the needs of and effective responses to violence and abuse against Black and minoritised women and girls.

Compassionate Communities is a new initiative, funded by Imperial Health Charity, to help improve the health and wellbeing of people in north west London most affected by Covid-19. Working in partnership with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, we will support local organisations that have strong relationships with their communities and work closely with other partners to drive forward community-led projects.

People who are aged 70 and over who have not yet had their COVID-19 vaccination, and would like to, can contact the NHS to arrange their appointment. For all the latest on booking a COVID-19 vaccine visit the NHS website

Watch Lena Choudary-Salter, CEO of Mosaic Community Trust, take the COVID vaccine and tell us her thoughts about it on the following YouTube video recording the event.

Nike UK – in cooperation with King Baudouin Foundation – is launching the Black Community Commitment London. The Black Community Commitment London will provide support to those organisations that are dedicated to creating lasting change for the Black community in London. The initiative will invest in organisations focused on, but not limited to: Play and sport equity; Education; Economic empowerment; Career development; Access to mental health support; Mentorship; Violence prevention.

1. Covid vaccine booking - If you are aged 70 or over, or you are clinically vulnerable, you can now book your covid vaccination through the NHS website even if you haven’t yet received a letter. 2. South African strain of the virus - Residents living and working in parts of Hanwell and West Ealing are advised to get a Covid-19 test. To book a test and for further information click on link provided.

The Coronavirus Resources Centre has published a range of translated social assets (cleared for use in England only) covering: MHRA explained; Vaccines Matter; Vaccine Deployment; Vaccine standards; Vaccine Testing and Vaccine UK trials. Languages include: Arabic; Bengali; Guajarati; Hindi; Punjabi (Indian and Pakistani); Polish; Slovak; Somali and Urdu. Also NHSE vaccination videos: London doctors, nurses and other frontline staff came forward to record messages in some of the most commonly spoken languages – apart from English – in the capital to help ensure messages about the importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine reach all Londoners.

Petros Tesfagherghis, Secretary of Eritrean Elders Welfare Association at Ladbrook Grove had the Pfizer vaccine. He says: ‘Hi Nafsika. I had the vaccine. It was such a relief! No side effects. I still follow the advice, keep my distance, cover my face and wash hands. Petros.’

ASK DOC are in the process of producing a number of videos in different languages about the COVID-19 vaccine to pass on information and hopefully challenge common misconceptions covering the following: How it works - Why ethnic minorities should have it - When will I get it - What’s the process for getting it. Videos are currently available in Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi, Pushto, Tamil, Turkish, Gujurati and Somali.

Letters inviting residents to register for an appointment at large vaccination centres have now started to be sent out by the national booking service to people in the first priority groups. The letters invite people to log onto the national booking system or call a national number to book their appointment at a centre within 45 minutes of their home address.

Dr Iram Sattar (GP & MWNUK Trustee) separates fact from fiction in this short video. Iram debunks the misinformation surrounding the newly established Covid-19 vaccine and encourages everyone to take the vaccine when offered!

Concia Albert, Westminster resident and Head of Social Prescribing at One Westminster relates her recent experience of getting the Coronavirus vaccine.

Unable to work from home and have no Coronavirus symptoms. Get tested. You can now get a free rapid Community Test if you have no symptoms and are a key worker or are unable to work from home.

If you live in Westminster or Kensington and Chelsea and you’re over 16, you can order your free contraception and sexual health test online through SHL.uk London’s online sexual health service.

The COVID-19 Infographics website contains infographics available to download to help summarise key points about COVID-19 in a variety of languages to get the right information, in an easy to understand format, to these communities.

You can now get tested for coronavirus even if you don’t have symptoms. Testing is the most effective way to control the spread of coronavirus. The symptom-free coronavirus testing sites will be open seven days a week. You do not need to book in order to get a test. Symptom-free coronavirus tests will be available at Little Venice Sports Centre and Westminster Cathedral Hall.

Being a man is a particular risk factor for developing more severe forms of COVID-19. So it's extremely important for men to protect themselves against the virus. As part of our work to support men's health during the current pandemic, we want to find out more about men's attitudes towards vaccination.

Audio files describing COVID Tier 3 restrictions are available to download in the following languages: Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Kurdish, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish and Tigrinye.

Please see the latest updates regarding test centres in Westminster including newly available local COVID-19 testing without the need to book. Residents who may have been unable to book a test via the NHS can now call Westminster Connects on 020 7641 1222 and a testing slot will be booked on the their behalf and should be available within 24 hours of the resident calling in.

All children aged 2 and 3 can have a free flu vaccine at their GP practice. The vaccine is usually given as a single painless spray squirted up the nose. This spray contains a highly processed from of porcine gelatine. The NHS are now able to offer an alternative to families who prefer not to have the nasal spray. Parents of 2/3year olds can request an injected flu vaccine for their child at their GP practice. This injected vaccine does NOT contain gelatine.

Please download and see the House of Commons/ House of Lords Joint Committee on Human Rights report: Black people, racism, and human rights - including formal minutes relating to the report.

"In the early weeks of the Covid pandemic, as mounting evidence began to show that Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities were dying at a disproportionate rate, I was asked by the Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, to lead a review to investigate the reasons. It was immediately apparent that the impact on people’s health was inseparable from economic prospects and experiences of discrimination."

Westminster city council has published information videos on their Youtube channel on NHS Test & Trace. They have versions of this video in Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Kurdish Sorani, Portuguese, Somali and Tigrinya. The video explains the steps you should take if you do have symptoms.

Race Equality Foundation are pulling together a resource of translated materials on guidance and support to carers and families of those with Dementia on coronavirus The resources are available in a number of languages and can be accessed on their website.

Doctors of the World, in partnership with Thrive LDN, has produced wellbeing guidance to support migrant communities during COVID-19.titled “Six ways to improve your wellbeing”. Taking care of yourself is really important, especially in these challenging times. Follow these six simple steps to improve your mental health and wellbeing, and remember, you’re not alone – we’re all in this together. The guidance is available in 27 languages.

Witnessing, hearing or being involved in any violent or traumatic events can leave people in a state of confusion and fear. Children and young people, in particular, find it difficult to make sense of such experiences. The “Talking to your Children about Violent Incidents” booklet provides handy tips for parents, carers and other adults on how to initiate and sustain that conversation and support, along with details of some helpful services. (Booklet also available in Arabic, Somali, Bengali (Sylheti) and Kurdish (Sorani) languages.

The BME Health Forum has been funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster City Council to run a project providing information to BME communities about the NHS Test and Trace service. We are working with 11 partners to reach 950 households where people are not fluent English speakers and may find it difficult to access information about the NHS Test and Trace service.

Curious about the absence of black and minority ethnic voices on the theme of hereditary conditions, Yemisi Bokinni, a medical doctor by background with a degree in human genetics embarked on a year-long journey to find individuals and explore the dynamics of living with a hereditary condition from this perspective.

Imperial College NHS Foundation Trust created a video in response to feedback from the BME Health Forum and members of local black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, where we learnt there is a strong sense of fear about coming to hospital and myths about hospital care for Covid-19 patients. The video was created to help dispel these rumours.

Imperial College Healthcare Trust continue to provide urgent and emergency care for all conditions - not only Covid-19. We are beginning to re-open our services, including routine elective procedures and surgery. In a short video presentation you can see important information about how they are keeping patients safe during the pandemic.

The South Asian Health Foundation (SAHF) partnered with the Centre for BME Health to produce the report on COVID-19 in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic populations published last week.They have developed new recommendations to protect BAME communities from the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 that have been issued to help “close the gap” in health inequality.

In a short video presentation Nafsika Thalassis, Director of the BME Health Forum speaks about our work with NHS Imperial Healthcare Trust in responding to BME communities' concerns during the pandemic.

Healthwatch Central West London is sharing results from their recent research, which highlights the health and wellbeing concerns of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in Central West London: Our 2019 engagement: Insights from BAME Communities in CWL; The latest results from our ongoing COVID-19 engagement (COVID-19: Your Experience Matters), highlighting the responses from BAME individuals in Central West London; and our plans for continuing to engage with BAME communities over the coming months.

Useful resources available clarifying the NHS Test and Trace process for the community. Also, The Community Engagement Team from the Council are offering virtual Zoom sessions on COVID-19 Processes for the staff, volunteers, members and service users of charities, groups and organisations in the Westminster voluntary, community and faith sector. These 1-hour outreach sessions will focus on COVID-19 impact and symptoms, instructions on booking and getting a test, NHS Test & Trace service and more.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has seen a significant reduction in ‘non-Covid-19’ urgent and emergency attendances. In response to feedback, especially from our BAME communities – of concerns about the safety of our hospitals in light of Covid-19. We’ve put together a short video to highlight the developments and changes we’ve made across our hospitals to ensure safe and high quality care for everyone.

Following on from ongoing work looking at the changing impact that COVID-19 is having on the way people live, Public Health England is interested in the impact of Covid–19 on people living with obesity. They are working with Dr Adrian Brown who is a Research Fellow and Specialist Dietitian at University College London to explore perceptions, attitudes and actions of people living with obesity to the COVID-19 outbreak.

For over 35 years, Al Hasaniya Moroccan Women's Centre has been supporting Arabic speaking families and those from an Arabic background in the local community. Since the Covid-19 government imposed lock-down we have kept our services running to serve All of our vulnerable clients. We have made changes in the way we work to keep everyone safe by working remotely.

At the beginning of March, WAND UK started thinking about how to adjust and cope with the new situation brought on by the Coronavirus. We understand the impact of self-isolation on mental health and general wellbeing. To help people maintain their own wellbeing, WAND UK started offering their yoga and dance classes online, mental health support and befriending.over the phone and also food deliveries.

Resources, Activities, and Tips for Families to empower children to work towards racial equality. This resource covers topics such as: What is the Black Lives Matter Movement; How do I open a conversation with children on race and racism?; How do I explain White Privilege?

Whilst coronavirus is infectious to children it is rarely serious. If your child is unwell it is likely to be a non-coronavirus illness, rather than coronavirus itself - and whilst it is extremely important to follow Government advice to stay at home during this period, it can be confusing to know what to do when your child is unwell or injured.

FREE RAIL JOURNEYS -Train companies to offer free travel to those fleeing domestic abuse during coronavirus lockdown. SILENCE SHIELDS ABUSE - If you are have concerns about a friend, family member or a neighbour, please be their voice contact Solace Advice Line or the 24hr National Domestic Violence Helpline.

BBC Asian Network have produced videos of GPs explaining COVID-19 in the following Asian languages: Gujurati, Tamil, Sylheti,Hindi and Urdu.

In respect of government guidelines relating to the COVID-9 outbreak we are announcing that the BME Health Forum's Emotional Well-being project is continuing via telephone support and with the support of our partners, we hope to be able to continue support clients who don’t speak English in a number of community languages during this difficult time.

PAUL: 'SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO BE PUSHY'. Paul reckons his prostate cancer diagnosis began with an NHS health check his GP didn't want to give him.

In the following video Eddie Chan, former Chair of the BME Health Forum introduces the Chinese Health & Wellbeing Clinic services in Central London followed by lead doctor Dr Kit Wu who gives important public health information about the COVID 19 virus to the Chinese Community.