Hello Everyone

What’s new nationally?

If you have Covid-19 symptoms, or a positive test result:

• You still need to self-isolate as soon as you develop Covid-19 symptoms, OR when you receive a positive test result if you don’t have symptoms.
• New guidance means you can now take two lateral flow tests on isolation days 6 & 7 – these tests must be 24 hours apart, (e.g 7am on Wednesday & 7am on Thursday)
• If both tests are negative – and you do not have a high temperature, then on day 7 you can stop self-isolating
• If the day 6 test is positive, further tests are needed on following days, following the same criteria – that you must receive two negative tests, 24 hours apart, in order to end self-isolation

Why the change?

Lateral flow tests are very good at detecting people who are infectious at the moment because there is so much of the virus around at the minute, and there are lots of cases to be spotted.

Analysis shows that if you tested 1,000 people right now, you’d get 41 testing positive and almost all of them would be correct; but last summer, when there were fewer cases around – you’d get three positives but only two would be true. That’s when a PCR would be important to confirm the result.

How the 7 day isolation period works:

Close contacts – testing & isolation rules:

• If you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid, and you’ve had your 1st & 2nd Covid-19 vaccine – you do not have to self-isolate, but should take daily lateral flow tests for seven days
• If one of the lateral flow tests is positive, you’ll need to self-isolate and take a PCR test to verify the result
• Close contacts of a positive case who are not double-jabbed still have to isolate for the full 10 days

REMINDER – YOU CAN CHECK THE CCTH CALENDAR – 

If you want to know what activities are on each day at the centre then check out the CCTH Calendar – https://ccth.org.uk/new/calendar/?cid=mc-03c4653fb809aa02e303ae7a3bb5520a&month=9&yr=2021

Then email me tony@cth.org.uk to book your place.

New year, new you?

Want to make 2022 as happy and healthy as possible? January is the perfect time to set goals for the year ahead, like getting more active or looking after your health. If you’re thinking about making a change this year, this is for you.

Get active

Eating well, moving more, and getting your weight on track is good for both your body and your mental health. Find out about free, local weight management programmes that can support you with achieving your goals.

Get outdoors

If you want to work on your fitness but aren’t keen on traditional gyms, why not try one of our free outdoor gyms located in various parks across the borough? The gyms are free to use, easy to access and provide a range of equipment for cardio, toning and strength workouts – a perfect way to add some extra activity to a jog or leisurely walk.

Go smoke-free (for good!)

This new year why not quit smoking for good? Quit Right Tower Hamlets are providing free e-cigarettes to all smokers within the borough. This scheme is available to anyone who is a smoker and lives, works or studies within Tower Hamlets.

We Need You …..

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Chair to lead the Carers Centre Tower Hamlets through its next chapter of development and growth.The Carers Centre, Tower Hamlets works to enrich the lives of unpaid carers across Tower Hamlets and beyond. We ensure that unpaid carers can access the resources they need to carry out their caring role and we help them to enjoy a life beyond caring. We offer a holistic range of services, from information, advice and advocacy around statutory support available, to training, therapeutic and social activities that give carers much needed connection and respite.

Last year we supported 1,600 carers to have the right information, necessary resources and key skills to enable them to have the confidence to effectively undertake their important caring role.

The role and contribution of unpaid carers in society has never been more visible or important. An estimated 25,000 people in Tower Hamlets provide unpaid care for a friend, relative or partner with health issues and collectively our unpaid carers make a huge contrition to the community and society.

This is an exciting phase for the Carers’ Centre as we launch a new strategy and look to expand our reach, networks and resources. We are looking for a compassionate Chair with the experience to lead us through this period of growth and to provide strong strategic direction and support, alongside a committed Board of Trustees.

The Chair’s commitment will be approximately 6 – 8 hours per month. It is a rewarding voluntary position that will provide the successful candidate with interest, challenge and fulfilment. If you are looking to invest your skills and experience in a charity that tangibly makes a positive difference to individuals’ lives, and which is an essential part of the community in Tower Hamlets, then we would love to hear from you.

Closing date for applications is 31 January 2022. For more information and how to apply, please visit the opportunity being advertised on Reach Volunteering.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact the Chief Executive Graham Collins at graham@ccth.org.uk or phone on 020 7791 5561.

The Carers Centre is recruiting new trustees. As a Trustee, you will contribute to the direction of the Carers Centre and ensure its services are having a positive impact on carers in Tower Hamlets. Working closely with the Chief Executive you will set the direction of the organisation and make key decisions on how the charity operates to meets its goals.

Being a Trustee is a great way to enhance your development goals while making a difference to a cause that is meaningful to you. It allows you to develop new skills or apply existing skills to new real-life situations, meet new people and network—all whilst bringing a sense of fulfilment to yourself and those you are helping.

We have a skilled and experienced Board of Trustees but recognise we need to broaden our knowledge of income generation, organisational development and digital communications. We are therefore seeking motivated and committed individuals to join our Board.

If you have recent working knowledge in this area and are interested in making a positive difference for carers and their families in Tower Hamlets then we would like to hear from you.

It is important to us that our Board reflects the diversity of the carers we serve.  We welcome applicants from all sections of our community irrespective of age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or other personal circumstances.

Timescales and Fees

It is expected that fulfilling the role of Trustee will require the equivalent of approximately 8 days per year.

The role of Trustee of the Carers Centre is voluntary, although reasonable out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed according to the rates agreed by the Board.

Closing date for applications is 31 January 2022. For more information and how to apply, please visit the opportunity being advertised on Reach Volunteering.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact the Chief Executive Graham Collins at graham@ccth.org.uk or phone on 020 7791 5561.

Don’t forget to recycle your Christmas tree

We’re collecting real Christmas trees for recycling until 21 January. If you receive a kerbside food and garden waste collection, please remove the tree from its pot and all decorations and it leave out for collection on your scheduled day during this period.

If you do not have kerbside services, please contact your property landlord or management company who can arrange collections from the nominated communal collection points. Property landlords can arrange a collection by calling Streetline on 020 7364 5004.

Find out more >

Covid-19 in Tower Hamlets

Read the latest update on Covid-19 from our Director of Public Health, Dr Somen Banerjee, including changes to the wearing of face coverings in education settings, changes to confirmatory PCR tests following a positive lateral flow test and generally rates of Covid-19 in the borough.

Read the update >

Give blood to save lives

The blood you give is a lifeline in an emergency and for people who need long-term treatments. New blood donors from all backgrounds are always needed to ensure there is the right blood available for patients who need it.

Find a location near you and give back to your community today. 

Book an appointment >

Job Opportunity

Assistant Community Producer, £27,702 (pro rata)
Closing Date: 25^th January

HRP is currently planning a large scale ‘Superbloom’ flower installation for the Tower moat in 2022. Alongside this exciting and unique moment in the Tower’s history, we are planning a pan-London communities project to engage local community groups in creating their own ‘superbloom’ with a focus on gardening for well-being.

The Communities Partnership Team is looking for an Assistant Community Producer, who will help to deliver high quality outcomes for community groups. The Assistant Community Producer will play a key role in liaising with community groups, freelancers and staff, coordinating events onsite and online and providing the level of administrative organisation that is so essential to the project’s success.

To find out more about the role and how to apply please visit: Assistant Community Producer – Historic Royal Palaces (tal.net)

Historic Royal Palaces is a registered charity (No 1068852), correspondence details, Hampton Court Palace, Surrey KT8 9AU Historic Royal Palaces Enterprises Ltd, a company registered in England (No 3418583) registered office Hampton Court Palace, Surrey KT8 9AU.

Did You Know we have a weekly Shared Reading Group?

How does it work?

A group of carers, one of them a trained Reader Leader, reads a great novel, short story or poem aloud. We stop and talk about what we have read. There is no need for carers to read aloud or speak – it’s fine to just listen. The idea is to create a space where people feel at ease.

Reading the literature aloud in real-time, means that everyone is involved in a shared, live experience. Carers are encouraged by the Reader Leader to respond personally, sharing feelings, thoughts and memories provoked by the reading.

Everyone experiences the text in their own way, but the literature provides a shared language that can help us to understand ourselves – and others – better.

It can even help with your ESOL needs.

If this is for you then email tony@ccth.org.uk

WALKING ALONE? REMEMBER THESE 10 TIPS

1) Plan Your Route

Make sure you plan your route ahead of time. If you are walking in an area you are not familiar with, this can help keep you from getting lost. You will be able to walk with confidence. If you do get lost, don’t wander aimlessly, find a gas station, supermarket, or fast-food restaurant where you can ask for directions.

2) Make Sure Someone Else Knows Your Plans

Don’t go out when it is dark without telling someone, even if you are just taking the dogs out for a walk around your neighborhood or walking home from a friend’s house nearby. It may seem paranoid, but in fact, knowing someone knows where you are can be reassuring and help you feel safe. If you fall and hurt yourself or run into trouble, and someone knows where you are, they can send help if you don’t arrive at your destination on time.

3) Always Carry Your Phone with You

Always carry your phone, but not for music or to make social calls as your walk. Your phone can be a lifeline if you see something suspicious or worse if something happens to you. Download a safety app on your phone, so you’ll be able to discreetly alert the authorities if you feel threatened or see something suspicious.

4) Avoid Suspicious People and Areas

Areas that are dark, deserted, or out-of-the-way, such as an alley or a parking lot, can be riskier than a well-lit area full of people. Stick to busy, lighted paths, to minimize the risks. Also, walk mainly in familiar places where you are known. That way, if you feel like a suspicious person is following you, you can always duck into a store you know or knock on a neighbor’s door. Avoid empty streets and pathways with thick shrubbery.

5) Keep Your Hands Free

Except for a flashlight and one of the items discussed below, keep your hands free. If you are carrying anything, put it all in one bag or backpack. This will make it easier for you to react if you notice someone following you. In a dangerous situation, carrying too many bags can keep you from moving as quickly as you can if your hands are free or if you only have one bag.

6) Carry a Non-Violent Deterrent

In addition to a flashlight, carry a non-violent deterrent such as a whistle, mace, or pepper spray. A whistle will help you alert others and call them to aid you if something is wrong. The loud noise may put off attackers, and they’ll move on to find someone else. Mace or pepper spray can give you enough time to evade a potential attacker, and in a pinch, a flashlight can be used as a weapon. Make sure you know how to use the mace or pepper spray to get its full effect.

7) Wear Reflective Clothing to Prevent Accidents

When it comes to personal safety, it’s not just about suspicious people. Areas with low visibility can be prone to accidents. Reflective clothing allows bikers and cars to see you as you walk along. A flashlight or headlight can also help drivers see you if there are dark stretches of road on your route.

8) Take a Self-Defense Class

When fighting off something as an assault, the element of surprise can work in your favor. If you regularly walk alone, take a self-defense class. You don’t have to become a black belt. In fact, it’s probably better to learn something like Krav Maga, which has been popular for self-defense. The idea is to disable your attacker enough for you to get to safety, and a class focused on self-defense will help give you those survival skills.

9) Remove Any Distractions

Keep your phone in your hand in case you need to hit the panic button on your safety app, but don’t let it distract you. When walking alone at night for exercise, music can be motivating and energizing but also distracting. You may not hear someone driving or walking up behind you. Avoid wearing headphones or talking on your phone as you walk.

10) Trust Your Gut

When walking alone at night, trust your gut. If you feel like an area or situation may be dangerous, don’t wait around to find out. Stop and scan your surroundings if you think someone is following you. If you are being followed, walk as quickly as you can to a well-lit public place. You can wait until you feel safe, or call a friend, a taxi, or an Uber to help you get safely get home at night.

Following these personal safety tips will help keep you stay safe when walking alone. Always be aware of where you are and alert to suspicious activity.

REMINDER TO CARERS

If you still need PPE for you and your loved one then Tower Hamlets are still providing PPE for Carers.

Collection and delivery is on Wednesday only from Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, E14 2BG. Carers can call or email Ayeda directly 0n 07366977103 or ayeda@ccth.org.uk to order.

Check out a new free course that has just been launched that focuses on carer wellbeing. It is called ‘Physical activity for health and wellbeing in the caring role’ and has been kindly endorsed by the Carers Trust. The course is 6 hours in length and learners can achieve a ‘badge’ on completion of the end quiz, and this can be added on a CV to evidence their learning/continuous professional development. We hope that it will be helpful to those working with carers, including carer centre staff, those supporting carers less formally and importantly carers themselves!

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/physical-activity-health-and-wellbeing-the-caring-role/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab