UPdate
Occupational therapy users to be surveyed Residents who receive occupational therapy equipment or a minor adaptation after being assessed by Brent Council are being surveyed in February. A random sample of people who have received services between 1 September and 31 December last year will be sent a survey questionnaire by Brent Council. It must be sent back by the end of February,
and all replies will be treated in the strictest confidence. The survey is being carried out by all councils that provide adult social services, and the Department of Health will be reviewing the findings to assess the quality of adult social services across England and Wales. Users’ responses will not be disclosed to any other body, except to the Department Of
Children singing at the Brent Chanukah event
QPR sets youngsters’ reading goals
Queens Parks Rangers will get youngsters reading with special events at Kingsbury Library Plus from 27 February. Community coaches will be at the library in Kingsbury Road on Saturdays to deliver its Kick into Reading programme. The sessions will feature reading activities in the library followed by sports in nearby Roe Green park, and are for children aged eight to 12. Children who attend two sessions will get two tickets for a QPR home game; those who attend all five sessions will get a one-week voucher for the QPR soccer school in the Easter holidays. The Saturday sessions will be on 27 February, and 6, 13, 20, 27 March from 11-12noon, visit www.brent.gov.uk/libraries or call 020 8937 3520.
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THE BRENT MAGAZINE
Health but only in an anonymous format. If you are a service user and receive your survey form and letter, please take the time to complete the survey and return it in the reply paid envelope by 28 February at the latest. For more email Paul Chennell at Brent Council on paul.chennell@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 4143.
New hostel seeks volunteers A hostel being built in Willesden is seeking volunteers to run its activities for homeless people. The hostel in Pound Lane, developed by charity St Mungo’s in partnership with Brent Council, is scheduled to open after Easter this year. It needs volunteers to run benefits and job advice, cooking, citizenship and exercise classes, and health and wellbeing activities.The hostel will also have a community café for service users and local people. Jacqui Randle, St Mungo’s Volunteer Services Coordinator, said: “We need volunteers to support the community cafe, helping out in the reception areas and advice service. “We would also love to hear from complementary health practitioners and local people interested in supporting the various wellbeing activities and groups the project will offer.” Email St Mungo’s at volunteerservices@mungos.org or call 020 7902 7966/7965.
Alperton’s green goddess
Brill evening celebrates Brent Chanukah Five hundred people enjoyed an evening of music, songs and drama at Brent Chanukah Festival. The event, held on Chanukah’s sixth night in December at Brent Town Hall, was part of Brent Council’s celebrations of the Jewish Festival of Light. It included beat boxer Daniel Brill and friends giving a modern twist to the traditional song ‘Moats Tzur’, choral singing by pupils at North West London Jewish Day School led by Ben Savory and directed by Rabbi Ronen Broder, and a play by Michael Sobell Sinai School pupils. A Menorah, designed by pupils from Preston Park
FEBRUARY 2010
Primary School, was lit at sunset and pupils from the school visited Wembley Synagogue in Forty Avenue, during Chanukah. The synagogue took part in Brent Chanukah by holding an open day and has recently organised visits from schools, colleges and Cub groups and is keen to receive more. “It was a wonderful festival for the whole community and I thank everyone who helped make Brent Chanukah such a success,” said Mayor of Brent Councillor Jim O’Sullivan. Contact Wembley Synagogue at office@wembley synagogue.org or call 020 8904 6565.
A pupil’s vision of making her school greener has won her a prize at the London Student Awards. Jothikka Amaralingam came top in the science category for a proposal calling for more cycling, walking to school and the use of motion-sensor light bulbs at Alperton High. She said: “I can’t believe I won. It’s such a great achievement for me. It’s really inspired me to continue achieving in lessons.” The competition was open to all London Year 9 and 10 students and covers art, music, drama, creative writing, business and science.