12th March 2021

Hello Everyone

Today I want to send out a message to the female carers and to all women that being safe when walking home at night is paramount.  The Carers Centre believes strongly that every woman has the right and should feel safe at all times.

Here are some tips for any female carers who have to walk anywhere at night.

1: Wear appropriate footwear. 

2: Stick to well-lit, busy routes. 

3: Phone a friend (But don’t text) 

4: Keep your house keys to hand. 

5: Carry a panic alarm/whistle. 

6: Appear confident. 

7: Use your phone as a flashlight. 

8: Never wear headphones

Don’t forget the Carers Centre is an email or phone call away if you need any support?

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Activity News

We still have some places available for the following:

 Foot Health for Carers and the people they Care for –
Monday 15th March at 2pm

Covid – 19 Vaccine – understanding the science –
Thursday 18th March at 2pm

Better Sleep – with Talking Therapies –
Monday 22nd March at 2pm

As well as our usual weekly Health & Wellbeing Activities to suit all carers.

Do you need to stretch, loosen up and need help with your mobility and balance? Then Stretch and Self Massage with Casey is the group for you…  each week you go through a stretching regime that helps build strength, help with balance, and blood pressure and at the end you learn techniques to massage your face and feet to help with relaxation.

Or

If you want something more challenging, then Shadow Boxing and Mindfulness is for you, each session comprises of a 20 minute boxing style virtual workout. (feedback has said sweaty workout but fun and worthwhile) followed by a 20 minute meditation to relax your mind and heart rate that’s sets you up for days. This session can also be done sitting down to suit your own needs.

Both activities help with your physical and mental health, lockdown weight, blood pressure and Diabetes avoidance and control, we want you to keep fit and well to avoid unnecessary illness.  Check out the video and see what other carers think of the activity.

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Vaccine News

Covid – 19 Vaccine – understanding the science –
Thursday 18th March at 2pm

‘The Covid-19 pandemic has been a scary and worrying time for all of us with loads of new information and changes to our daily lives – all of it has affected our mental health in one way or another. The Covid-19 vaccines offer us a way out, but there is loads of information out there and some of it can make us anxious when we don’t know if the information is true or not! Public Health Tower Hamlets are offering to pop into meetings or set up sessions where we can work together to unpick the fact from the fiction and provide reassurance where people are worried. Being concerned about the new vaccines is totally normal, and we want to help reduce anxiety by talking about the vaccines, making sure people have the up to date information they need, and by being accessible to our communities if they have questions to ask.’

Email: tony@ccth.org.uk

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Virtual Covid-19 vaccination Q&A for our Somali community

Join us on Monday 22 March at 7pm for a live virtual discussion and Q&A session on Covid-19 vaccination.

A panel of health experts, including Director of Public Health Dr Somen Banerjee, will answer your questions on the vaccine. Somali/English translations will be available during the webinar, to ensure our Somali residents can receive information in their community language. While this event is tailored for Somali residents, anyone can join the discussion.

Register now and submit your question to the panel in advance.

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Covid-19 vaccinations for unpaid carers

Is there someone that depends on you? Are you an unpaid carer?

We are reaching out to all unpaid carers who either receive or are eligible for carers allowance or provide close contact personal care to someone vulnerable to Covid-19 as part of priority group 6 for Covid-19 vaccination. We’re working with our partner Carers Centre Tower Hamlets to register unpaid carers on behalf of NHS England, who will send out invites to anyone who is eligible.

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Looking back ahead of Census Day

Sunday 21 March is Census Day, which gives a crucial snapshot of the nation and helps to plan and fund public services. We need to make sure that everyone in Tower Hamlets is counted so we get our fair share of future funding.

Census records provide a special insight into the lives of people from the past, and our local history and archive team are looking back at the stories of former residents. The photo above is of Whitechapel around 1890.

Look out for your census letter in the post, and make sure you’re counted this Census Day.

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Save the date for our key Commission launch

Save the date next Thursday, 18 March, between 4pm – 5.30pm for a virtual launch of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Inequalities Commission report. Following several months of witness hearings, public consultation and research, Commissioners will be joined by guests to introduce their key findings and recommendations that commits the borough to tackle racism, and to deliver real and lasting change.

You can set a reminder to view the event live from the council’s webcast portal.

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