Author: Editor SPRA

With the drop in temperature this week, there are a few simple steps people can take to keep themselves and others safe and well during colder temperatures. Help us reach your friends, families and local community by sharing our cold weather advice.

Key messages:

• Keep in contact with older or vulnerable family and neighbours. Take a few minutes to ask if they need any shopping or medicines and make sure they are warm and comfortable and can make all the difference.
• These are challenging times with cost of living concerns, but Simple Energy Advice provides free advice and many organisations are opening their doors and offering ‘warm spaces’ to help keep you warm this winter.
• Remember that cold weather makes us all more vulnerable to a range of winter illnesses such as flu, coughs, and colds, so please get your free flu jab and Covid-19 seasonal vaccine.

Top tips for keeping well during the cold snap:

• Check on family, friends and neighbours who may be at higher risk of becoming unwell, and if you are at higher risk, ask them to do the same for you.
• Check the weather forecast and the news.
• Make sure you have sufficient food and medicine.
• Take simple measures to reduce draughts at home.
• Heat rooms you spend most time in, to 18C if you can.
• Keep bedroom windows closed.
• Wear multiple layers of thinner of clothing
• If you’re eligible, get vaccinated against flu and Covid-19
• Get help if needed. Call NHS 111 or in an emergency 999.

You can find more information on our website: www.southwestlondon.icb.nhs.uk/news/staying-safe-and-well-in-wintry-weather/

As part of the new Weather-Health Alerting System the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency has issued a specific health alert for London.

The system aims to provide an early warning when temperatures are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of the population.

The ‘yellow Cold Health Alert’ is in place until midday on Tuesday 5 December and we are sharing advice on how people can stay safe and well during colder weather over the weekend.

Template posts and copy you can share on your social channels are below. Or if it’s easier you can reshare our posts – you can find us on X, Facebook and Instagram.

Most important posts to share

Looking after others In this #ColdWeather, don’t forget to look out for anyone close to you who might struggle with the drop in temperature.   Find out how to stay safe and well in wintery weather: Staying safe and well in wintry weather  – NHS South West London Integrated Care Board (icb.nhs.uk)
Looking after others Caring for a vulnerable or older person this winter? Here are some tips to help them stay safe and well through the colder months: Staying safe and well in wintry weather  – NHS South West London Integrated Care Board (icb.nhs.uk)
Looking after yourself During winter, the cold and damp weather, ice and snow can all make existing health problems worse. Follow our steps to stay well and be #WeatherReady. Learn more: Staying safe and well in wintry weather  – NHS South West London Integrated Care Board (icb.nhs.uk)
If a yellow alert is issued Together the @metoffice, @UKHSA have issued a yellow cold-health alert for London.   Read more about to stay safe and well in wintery weather: Staying safe and well in wintry weather  – NHS South West London Integrated Care Board (icb.nhs.uk)

For more information go to: www.southwestlondon.icb.nhs.uk/news/staying-safe-and-well-in-wintry-weather/

Members may know that Terracycle is a company which has a way of splitting the plastic and foil elements of blister packs so that each can be recycled separately. Not only does this create new raw material for use, it cuts down the landfill into which these packs would otherwise go.

You may also know that Superdrug has been acting as a “clearing house” through which residents can send their packs to Terracycle, who organise the recycling of them. This has not always worked as well as it might – both Superdrug and Terracycle have been surprised at the supply generated by the public – but Superdrug do still take them.

We have been advised that the rumour, that both Boots and Lakewood Pharmacy, in West Wickham, also take them IS WRONG. Both stores will take them but only for the purpose of putting them in their own bin – a landfill bin – which isn’t the idea. Terracycle supply dedicated bins to Superdrug stores, and regularly collect their contents for splitting and recycling.

We have been asked to “spread the message” that neither Boots nor Lakewood have Terracycle boxes and to request members not to take packs there.

Please spread around your social media the FACT THAT ONLY SUPERDRUG SUBSCRIBE TO THE TERRACYCLE SCHEME AND NOT TO TAKE BLISTER PACKS TO ANY OTHER PHARMACY.

Many thanks

News has reached us as follows …

Excellent-ish news for recreational tennis players in Shirley. The courts at the Rec in Shirley, along with many others are about to be refurbished. Follow the link below for more details:
Croydon’s tennis courts to get makeover – Newsroom

Dates of the work (resulting in the closure of the courts)are 16 October – 27 November, depending on weather holdups. However we are told the line marking cannot take place until the spring, owing to the drying needed.

We are led to believe, however, that it will be neccesary to book the courts and to pay a fee for the privilege of using them; details to follow when we know them

Members may wish to take advantage of the following, as received from Croydon Council

Please see details below, for the Communities Engagement Fund (Windrush) – I have blind copied our database of local partners/organisations that may wish to apply.

On the 2^nd August, the Home Office has launched the Community Engagement Fund (CEF), a £150,000 fund to support grassroots and community groups. The purpose of the fund is to:

·         raise awareness of, and address any misinformation about, the Windrush Compensation Scheme and Windrush Scheme·         build on the insights and learning taken from the existing work on Windrush to understand why individuals are not applying for the Windrush Compensation Scheme and the Windrush Scheme·         how to encourage eligible individuals to apply to the schemes mentioned above

To apply, organisations will need to register an interest in the fund using the ‘Find a grant’ portal or by email to: CommunityEngagementFundCompetition@homeoffice.gov.uk

The closing date to submit an application is 4:00pm on 30 August. Information sessions will be held for community and grassroots organisations who are interested to learn more about the fund and how to submit an application. The sessions will be held from 2:00pm to 3:30pm on 8 August and from 11:00am to 12:30pm on 10 August. Organisations interested in joining a session should email: CommunityEngagementFundCompetition@homeoffice.gov.uk

We are grateful to “Inside Croydon” for bringing to our attention the opportunity being offered at Croydon Libraries.

See their article at https://insidecroydon.com/2023/08/09/libraries-to-offer-computer-training-to-tackle-digital-exclusion/

We have been asked by a resident to help with accommodation in today’s unusual circumstances.

Do you have two rooms (or possibly one large one) that you would consider renting out?

Sasha and her daughter Liza (6) are from Ukraine and looking for accommodation in Shirley / West Wickham, ideally walking distance or a bus ride from Oak Lodge primary school.

Sasha does not drink or smoke and speaks very good English. Liza’s spoken English is improving daily.

The room(s) could either be through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which offers £350 a month support payment and ongoing assistance, or a private lodging agreement, paid for by housing assistance until Sasha has found a job.  She is a trained counsellor / therapist.

All the immigration paperwork and documentation has been sorted already – the girls just need their next UK home while Sasha sorts out a job in order for them to become fully independent and safe all the time Vladimir Putin continues to destroy their homeland.

If you might be able to help, please call or message Julian Roberts on 07802 463 817

Thank you very much!

We have been asked to publicise the following opportunity …

The Shrublands Trust is a registered charity and operates out of its premises at 7 Broom Road, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 8NG.

We are currently in urgent need of a volunteer to help with IT for the running of our weekly Food Bank

What we are looking for:

Skills: Some  IT knowledge required 

Role: to upload opening times and list of food needs each week onto our web site

Time: 10-20 minutes per week

What we can offer you: 

Resources: use of the Shrublands’ laptop

Experience: being part of the Shrublands’ team working for the local community.

Can you help?  For further information please telephone the Trust Manager Mrs. Beverly Warner on 0208 405 9989.

Malcolm Bell, Croydon Council’s Energy Projects Manager, has written a warning as follows …

Unfortunately I am writing to inform you, a resident has informed me a company called UK ECO solutions (or someone on their behalf) is doing door knocking in the borough about grants for solid wall insulation, claiming they are working with Croydon Council.  I have recently seen Facebook adverts from them hinting they work with and/or the funding is from the Council.

I can confirm Croydon Council not working with this company, nor are they a sub-contractor for one of our partner companies, nor has the team had any discussions with them.   The sub-contractor working with our partner AgilityEco currently installing solid-wall insulation for home owners is called Simple Green Energy, and they will only be contacting residents who have applied, or been referred into the scheme with their consent.     None of the companies we are working with are doing any cold calling/door knocking promotions.

All the private sector grant providers/schemes we work with are listed on our Energy Advice webpage   www.croydon.gov.uk/energyadvice     Although residents can apply directly for these schemes (as opposed to a referral through Croydon Healthy Homes), we do recommend residents use one of our partner organisations to access grant funding if they are eligible.  For some schemes eligibility/grant may be dependent upon a signed declaration from Croydon Council, and we only do this with companies we have an agreements in place with.

I would strongly advise residents to check the web page to ensure any company claiming to work with the Croydon Council is genuinely working with us.  Alternatively they can email healthyhomes@croydon.gov.uk or call the Healthy Homes Freephone number to check 08002922529 (the number currently diverts to an answerphone, but we aim to call back all residents as quickly as possible, and all within a week).

May I also take this opportunity to notify you the Croydon Heathy Homes team will be hand delivering leaflets about our services to homes in areas with high-levels of fuel poverty, especially older properties.  This week we delivered leaflets in the Waddon area.  The letter we delivered was in the name of our Healthy Homes Advisor, Jayesh Patel.