New year, new you

Hackney Council, Trees for Cities, and the Tree Musketeers are inviting volunteers to help plant Hackney Marshes’ new 6,500 tree edible woodland on Saturday 1 February. The new woodland, set to be planted in the area surrounding football pitches on East Marsh, will see a mix of fruit and nut trees, broadleaf specimens and shrubs introduced to capture the carbon dioxide heating the planet, promote biodiversity, and encourage the local community to learn more about foraging. Volunteers will help plant thousands of young trees, with tools provided and all ages and abilities welcome. The trees are being funded by Honest Organic through Trees for Cities, which works with volunteers, schools and local communities to enhance green spaces in urban neighbourhoods, with land provided by Hackney Council. To find out more and sign-up, visit the Trees for Cities website: https://www.treesforcities.org/get-involved/volunteer

Project SEARCH interns from Hackney Council and Homerton Hospital went above and beyond their day to day duties to raise money for charity, ahead of starting their new placements earlier this month.  The interns, along with staff from the council and hospital organised a festive event and celebrated the season with food, music, a raffle prize draw and even a sing-a-long.  The event, which was held at the Homerton Hospital Education Centre on 18 December 2019, raised money for Centrepoint, a charity which helps homeless young people.  Adam Hollingsworth, 20 from Victoria Park said: “I really enjoyed the event, it was a lot of fun to organise and it was great to be able to raise money for charity.” Senior members of staff from the council and hospital were also in attendance to congratulate the interns on completing their first rotation before they start their second placement on 6 January 2020.      Project SEARCH aims to help young people aged between 16 and 25 with learning difficulties and or physical impairments to gain on the job experience. The internship is part of the council’s wider commitment to ensure young people with SEND have access to opportunities to develop the skills required for paid employment.The internship also links to the council’s Inclusive Economy Strategy which supports growth and development in the borough.

A new plan to improve mental health support and services in the City of London and Hackney has been launched to target more people including those that are homeless and rough sleepers. This is the first joint Mental Health Strategy for City and Hackney, developed by City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group, (CCG), London Borough of Hackney and the City of London Corporation. It aims to address undiagnosed mental health needs of people who 'slip through the net' if they do not access services early enough and end up in A & E, or using ambulance and 111 services. The strategy aims to improve access to support and services for these residents.  Other groups that the plan aims to help include people with alcohol and drug addictions, LGBTQ+ people, older adults and BME groups such as young black men and boys. Young black men and boys are under-represented in early engagement of services and support, but over-represented in more acute services like inpatient admissions, or detained under the Mental Health Act needing urgent treatment for mental health disorders.  Last year Hackney Council and City of London Corporation were also the first governing bodies in London to sign up to the ‘Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health’, a national agreement to help improve mental health and wellbeing for residents. The Concordat outlines a series of actions that all partners can take to ensure there is better collaboration to improve mental health care, promotion and prevention. Hackney and City of London are supported by local health partners including the CCG, Healthwatch Hackney, Healthwatch City of London, East London Foundation Trust, (ELFT), Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust, and voluntary and community groups. The new joint mental health strategy will focus on an integrated mental and physical health approach to help people with chronic physical conditions and serious mental health problems. It will focus on early measures to support and care for residents within their local communities to promote good mental health where possible in City and Hackney’s integrated care system. Anyone worried about their or someone else’s mental health and wellbeing, can talk to their GP about their concerns to discuss available support. To view the City and Hackney Mental Health Strategy 2019-23, go to https://hackney.gov.uk/mental-health   Local services and supportThere are a number of local services and support available to residents experiencing, or at risk of mental ill health, which are commissioned by the City of London Corporation, Hackney Council and NHS City & Hackney CCG and delivered by mental health providers including Homerton Hospital and ELFT, as well as voluntary and community groups.Support for local workers in City and Hackney is available through initiatives such as the Business Healthy network. For example, ‘Five to Thrive’ is a initiative, based on the New Economic Foundation’s Five Ways to Wellbeing. These five steps can help people improve their emotional health and wellbeing. Health organisations, schools and community projects have used it to connect people and communities, and improve mental health wellbeing.Talk Changes (provided by Homerton University), offers free and confidential NHS ‘talking therapies’ for adults registered with a GP in the City or Hackney, who are struggling to cope with low mood, anxiety or depression. It is one of the best performing ‘talking therapies’ services in London, helping over 6,000 people every year and has above national average recovery rates. Talking therapies involve talking to a trained professional to help overcome negative thoughts and feelings and make positive changes. Appointments can be booked online  at https://talkchanges.org.uk/  without having to see a GP first. Most people only have to wait a fortnight only to get an initial assessment, followed by an agreed treatment plan.ELFT also runs a Walk-in Crisis Cafe in The Raybould Centre in Homerton Row from 6pm to 9pm weekdays and midday to 4pm at weekends. People can call the free service on 07393 762 366, which is run by mental health professionals who provide advice and support. In the Square Mile, Dragon Café in the City offers a free and safe space for visitors to release the pressure and look after their mental and physical wellbeing. For more information go to https://dragoncafe.co.uk/

Hackney’s ninth School Street launched this week at William Patten Primary School in Stoke Newington.  It sees Lancell Street, part of Dumont Road and part of Dynevor Road closed to motor traffic at school opening and closing times, improving local air quality and making it easier for kids to walk and cycle to school.  The latest School Street is part of the Council’s plans to roll-out the scheme to 17 primary schools by 2021 - a year ahead of its original 2022 target - and then expand it to all remaining primary schools in the borough.  A recent review of Hackney’s first five School Streets showed that traffic and vehicle emissions outside school gates are down as a result of the scheme. For more information about School Streets in Hackney, visit: hackney.gov.uk/school-streets