Haringey coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
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Plans for a ‘heart of Haringey’ civic headquarters move a step closer
Plans to bring new life to an iconic building and create a multi-purpose civic hub for the benefit of future generations of Haringey residents in the centre of the borough have moved a step closer.
Cabinet last night voted in favour of progressing to the next stage of the Civic Centre’s redevelopment, which will involve compiling a detailed design for the Grade II listed building, as well as an annex extension.
The Civic Centre, which was listed by English Heritage in 2018, has a played a significant role in the history of the borough since it opened its doors in 1958.
The many legendary names to grace the building include Bernie Grant, the first-ever black leader of a local authority in Europe, and George Michael who visited to help promote the thalassemia campaign and his Cypriot roots as this illness disproportionately affects this community.
The renovation plans for the council’s Wood Green base, currently closed due to serious safety and structural issues, includes the provision of staff offices and public spaces.
Restoring the historic building will substantially improve its sustainability and reduce the council’s carbon footprint, a key priority for residents.
Cllr Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council said:
“We have a fantastic opportunity to create a ‘heart of Haringey’ civic headquarters.
“This project enables us to not only bring the building back into use but also return it to its rightful place as a focal point for public life in the very centre of our borough.
“Our aim is to develop an accessible building that brings people together through high-quality community and public spaces. It can again be a home of dynamic, ambitious and thought-leading political debate.
“This is a place where the community can come and be part of the council’s work. In doing so, the restoration will support our priority of becoming a truly, genuinely collaborative council.”
The next major milestone for the project comes in January 2022 when the Cabinet will consider a report on enabling work.
By this point the current design phase and progress on the council’s post-pandemic ways of working will allow for confirmation of the decision made last night.
VaxChat – Facts not Fear
Still undecided about whether to take up the offer of your COVID-19 vaccine?
Haringey Council has commissioned Unity Xtra radio to host a series of live broadcasts to offer young people of Haringey the opportunity to discuss COVID-19 vaccination with health care professionals from the community.
UNITY XTRA is an emerging radio station in London, established in Tottenham over 10 years ago, that focuses on engaging young adults with its varied format of programming. From social conversation to exclusive celebrity interviews, entertainment news and the latest music from the UK, USA and around the World, the station has a strong local following amongst youth audiences in Haringey and beyond.
Beginning on 20 October, from 6 to 8pm, a series of programmes called ‘Vax Chat’ will run every Wednesday for four weeks and will be live on-air discussions between young people from Haringey, health care professionals and the Unity Xtra crew. The programmes will focus on different vaccine-related themes each week. The broadcasts will additionally be live streamed on Instagram. Members of the public can put forward their questions and comments on social media.
Since the rollout of the vaccine programme in December 2020, 90% of eligible people in the UK have had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and over 80% have had both doses. We know that the vaccine is effective and has to date saved thousands of lives in the UK. However, uptake has been lower in certain parts of Haringey as with some other London boroughs, and this is particularly the case with younger people.
This series of live discussions will give local young people a chance to speak directly to a doctor or health care professional from the community to put forward their viewpoints and learn the facts. The intention is to help them to make an informed choice about what is best for them.
Dr Will Maimaris, Director of Public Health at Haringey Council said:
“We know that many young people are still undecided about the COVID-19 vaccine. There has been a lot of misinformation in circulation and unsurprisingly some people have got concerns. We want to give young people the opportunity to learn the facts from a source they can trust, and to join the conversation.
“As winter approaches, it is vital that our communities are protected against COVID-19 and any new variants that may emerge. Being vaccinated will help everyone to play their part in protecting themselves, their families, friends and the wider community.
“I hope that many people will take advantage of this golden opportunity to join the conversation and learn the facts, rather than dwell in fear.”
Jermaine Ashbourne, Programme Manager at Unity Xtra said:
“We at Unity Xtra are really happy to be taking on this important topic, through our Vax Chat series. As a locally based radio station, with strong links in the local community, we are in tune with youth culture and engage on everything that is important to our audience. COVID-19 has hit our communities really hard during the pandemic and Haringey continues to suffer from its effects. There has been a strong push for people everywhere to get vaccinated, and combined with lots of conflicting information, some of our listeners are very much undecided about whether to get vaccinated or not.
“We want to provide a platform for our listeners to talk directly to medical professionals they can trust, to get clear answers about COVID-19 vaccination. We are looking forward to the debate and hope that this gives our audience the information they need to make an informed choice for themselves.”
You can join the conversation by visiting the UnityXtra website (external link) on Wednesday 20 October between 6-8pm and the following three Wednesdays.
You can also post your questions and comments on Instagram and Twitter through @UnityXtra and include #FactsNotFear
Haringey’s vaccine bus is coming – get on board!
Next week will see the launch of Haringey’s very own vaccine bus – bringing a hyper-local Covid-19 vaccine service to the borough.
The vaccine bus is being launched in partnership between Haringey Council and the local NHS, and will offer an alternative, accessible way for communities to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Haringey Council and the NHS are working closely with communities and organisations to schedule vaccination clinics at priority locations across the borough, enabling eligible residents to receive the vaccine when the bus is in their area. The bus will visit areas where people may find it harder to access large-scale vaccination centres or other vaccine clinics and will be fully accessible.
It is intended that the bus will support the vaccine rollout by reaching people eligible for a vaccine who have not yet come forward for the jab. It will also aim to encourage people who may be less confident in having the jab through providing information and answering questions on site.
The bus will initially operate 2 days each week for scheduled vaccine clinics. The vaccine bus will begin its tour at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London campus next week.
The bus is being deployed in addition to the NHS and community vaccination sites that are in operation across Haringey. Residents should continue to book their Covid-19 jab at a vaccine centre or GP surgery if they can get there. In addition, there is an ongoing schedule of walk-in clinics, where people can access vaccination in Haringey, without the need to book. Full details are available on: www.haringey.gov.uk/vaccine
Dr Will Maimaris, Director of Public Health for Haringey said:
“The NHS vaccination programme has been a great success. However, uptake in some parts of Haringey is less than what is required to offer maximum protection from COVID-19 to all our communities.
“We know that certain communities may need extra reassurance or assistance to access vaccination, so we are introducing the vaccine bus to bridge that gap and make having the vaccine as convenient as possible.
“The evidence is clear – the vaccine offers the best protection against serious illness, hospitalisation and deaths due to COVID-19. We also know that the vaccine reduces the risk of passing on COVID-19 to others and gives us the best chance of moving forward to a more normal way of life.”
For more details of the vaccine bus and planned ‘stops’, including a booking system, please visit www.haringey.gov.uk/vaccine-bus
See also case numbers and rates, health advice - including tests and vaccines, Council service updates, financial and other support for residents, business support, how you can help and COVID scams and misinformation.
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