By Barnie Choudhury

AT LEAST one in three south Asians, aged 18 or over, is still not fully protected from the Covid virus, Eastern Eye can reveal.

Despite the government spearheading a “concerted community-led effort” to persuade minority communities to get vaccinated, latest figures reveal that about 67 per cent of “Asians or Asian British” have had their first vaccination, while just under 43 per cent have had a second jab.

The NHS said staff had been working hard to address the concerns of south Asian communities.

Even though it had made progress, there was “still more to do”, and it is urging south Asians to protect themselves fully with two doses.

“If you watch the weekly stats, we’re still seeing a significant improvement and in different communities that is taking time,” Dr Nikita Kanani, director of primary care for NHS England, told Eastern Eye.

“But that’s understandable because it takes time to build vaccine confidence. It’s not just about ease of access, but it is, particularly in Asian communities, about families coming together, remotely or otherwise, to reassure each other that the vaccine is the right step.”

Doctors around the country are still reporting vaccine hesitancy among south Asians getting their second dose.

“We will keep working with communities to make sure that they can access their vaccine,” said Dr Kanani.

“We review the uptake figures daily, but we will review them again more thoroughly on July the 19th. Then we can decide if there’s further support we need to give to communities to take up the vaccine.”

Government action

On Friday (25) the vaccine minister, Nadhim Zahawi, and London mayor, Sadiq Khan held a summit with practitioners and officials to speed up the rollout of the vaccine.

Over this weekend, anyone over 18 could get a jab without an appointment.

Speaking to this newspaper, Kahn said, “It’s a big concern to me that there are many people across our city, and indeed across our country, who allow themselves to be open to catching the virus with serious consequences when there is a game changer on the scene, which is the vaccine.

“I understand why some people across the country may be hesitant about receiving the vaccine.

“Our message to them is look, who do you trust? Your GP, your pharmacist, your religious leader, Eastern Eye? Go to your normal methods of receiving messages and ask them what they think about the vaccine.”

He said we had between now and 19 July to “close that gap” and make “as many people as possible receive not just one, but both jabs”.

Zahawi told a Downing Street news conference (23) that the government was doing everything possible to reach communities which were vaccine hesitant.

“If you look at the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, the ONS, vaccine hesitancy has halved in the past few months in the Black and Black-British people since February.

“And it’s halved among Asian and Asian-British people too in the same period. This is real progress, but we know there’s much more to do.”

Vaccination failure

Asked by Eastern Eye why the government was failing to reach south Asian communities six months after the start of the vaccination programme, the minister responded, “We exchange the best practice that has really worked, whether it’s Rushanara Ali [MP for Bethnal Green and Bowe] has done with a Bangladeshi community up in East London Mosque, to get that community engaged.

“And how do we scale it up? Is it a pop up in Grand Mosque which I visited, then we should be able to repeat that in black churches or in community centres and elsewhere?

“So, what we’re doing is learning from what works, whether it’s teams literally helping people book in, or advertising the actual walk-in clinics where you don’t need to have your NHS number available, you can still get that vaccination.

“And you’re right, it is hard. This is not easy. But I think it’s incumbent on all of us to take what works and really scale it [up] between now and 19th of July, so that we protect as many people [as possible].

“We won’t stop there. We’ll keep going to make sure that everyone who’s had their first dose gets their second dose.”

The Hancock factor

The resignation of Matt Hancock as health secretary on Sunday (27) has dented confidence in the government’s rules.

Hancock admitted breaching social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague who was not in his bubble.

Commentators have questioned why the public should obey pandemic rules when government advisers and ministers flouted them.

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, failed to sack Hancock despite the breach.

“I don’t think the resignation has a relationship to the vaccination programme,” said Dr Kanani. “The vaccination program has continued to deliver all the targets that has been set, as supply has allowed.

“We continue to be on track for the 19 of July to make sure that everybody has been offered the opportunity to take up the vaccination.

“But the reality is, we have to keep reminding our communities that taking up the vaccination is the most important thing that we can do to take us through the pandemic, and back to the lives that we love.”

Johnson quickly replaced Hancock with his former chancellor, Sajid Javid, viewed by Westminster as a “safe pair of hands”.

Javid’s priorities

In his first appearance as the new health secretary (28), Javid told MPs that the government was aiming for two-thirds of the country to have had both jabs by 19 July, the final easing of lockdown measures in England.

Dr Kanani, who will work closely with Javid, told Eastern Eye that she had three top priorities to share with her new boss.

“First of all, get to understand the NHS. Understand how our staff work, what they’re worried about, and what their experiences have been, particularly through the pandemic.

“Understanding what they are going to need to feel supported, as we support the NHS and wider society to recover.

“Our second priority will be not [just] completing the job on this vaccination programme, but the booster program into winter, making sure that we have everything we need to deliver that programme, as well as possible, as quickly and as efficiently to make sure that our country is kept as safe as possible.

“Thirdly, it is about how we really bed in the progress we’ve made, addressing health inequalities, what we’ve learned through the COVID vaccination programme.

“We really want to make sure that we maximise that but apply that to other areas as well. So, flu vaccination, health checks and wider healthcare, making sure that everybody has access to high quality health care.”

Community pharmacists

In May, at an Asian Media Group event, the publishers of Eastern Eye, the London mayor was vocal about his support for community pharmacists.

He praised that they stayed open when GP surgeries and health centres had to limit face-to-face patient diagnoses.

So, being the daughter of pharmacists, could community chemists be used to ease the pressure on doctors’ surgeries and hospitals in providing booster jabs?

“We’re working through a range of scenarios depending on what the science tells us about the booster program,” said the NHS England director. “But I fully expect us to be working with the existing sites and new sites to deliver the booster programme.

“General practice has done a huge amount to really make sure that we maximise uptake in local communities, but community pharmacy has as well, and they are ideally situated often in the heart of communities and deprived communities particularly.

“So, we’ll be looking to work with community pharmacies, even more so as we go through the programme.”

Eastern Eye and its sister paper, Garavi Gujarat, have been telling the story of the pandemic and campaigning to make sure south Asians take the opportunity to get vaccinated.

Dr Kanani recognised our work and told this personal story on national and international television.

“Can I start off by thanking Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat,” she said. “My grandfather has dementia, my grandma is hard of hearing.

“They only speak Guajarati and through the pandemic when I couldn’t spend time with them, it was Garavi Gujarat that they would get, and they would see my picture. And they would be able to read about the vaccine, and the hope that it brings.

“So, it is down to organisations like yours who will help us get into homes and communities and remind people it is not just the first dose, but it is that second dose that is all-important.

“We won’t stop, the NHS is absolutely committed to delivering on the vaccination programme in every community.”

Analysis

London mayor: I’m not gonna to waste my time with anti-vaxxers

For months those against taking the Covid vaccines have been spreading fake news about the vaccine.

They include false claims that the jab contains pork, and so they cannot be taken by Muslims. In WhatsApp messages, south Asians have been told the vaccine will make women infertile. Others simply do not trust the government.

The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, made clear his dislike of “anti-vaxxers”.

“Some of these anti-vaxxers, you can’t have a dialogue with these people so they’re not worth engaging with,” he said.

“I’m not gonna waste my time with them because I may amplify their messages. We don’t want to amplify the lies and the fake news that they have.

“Instead, what I do is I engage with those who are hesitant, and I’d ask them what their concerns are. Then I’d signpost them to people they trust. They trust their GP. They trust their community pharmacist.

“Ask them what their views are in relation to vaccines, and the reality is, these vaccines are robustly tested.”

Community leadership

Mosques, temples and celebrities have been at the forefront of trying to persuade south Asians to protect themselves.

While uptake improving, it still needs to be better among south Asian.

Analysis by Eastern Eye suggests that as of 20 June, 67 per cent of Asian or Asian British had had their first vaccination.

Of these, almost 1.5 million or 64 per cent have returned for their second jab.

That means while almost 43 percent have both doses and are considered “fully protected”, almost six in 10 are not.

Government engagement

In the past, Khan told Eastern Eye that the government was not working with him. But the London mayor praised the vaccine minister for the work they are doing together.

“The good news is initially the issue was anti-vaxxers, COVID deniers, and that was one of the reasons for the hesitancy. What we see is that gap narrowing because of the great work taking place across our community.

“What we see now is people who aren’t sure, they need to be reassured. There are legitimate questions that need to be answered, and what we’re trying to do is to answer their questions.”

NHS England told Eastern Eye that it hoped take up would continue to rise because of up-coming jab appointments and the government’s move to open vaccinations to over-18s.

Government engagement

In the past, Khan told Eastern Eye that the government was not working with him. But the London mayor praised the vaccine minister for the work they are doing together.

“The good news is initially the issue was anti-vaxxers, COVID deniers, and that was one of the reasons for the hesitancy. What we see is that gap narrowing because of the great work taking place across our community.

“What we see now is people who aren’t sure, they need to be reassured. There are legitimate questions that need to be answered, and what we’re trying to do is to answer their questions.”

NHS England told Eastern Eye that it hoped take up would continue to rise because of up-coming jab appointments and the government’s move to open vaccinations to over-18s.

The post ONE IN THREE ASIANS STILL NOT VACCINATED appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

Burglars know your home is empty!

It’s tempting to rush out and see family and friends but in your haste to reconnect don’t leave your home vulnerable. Burglars may know if your home us empty because they watch houses they think have valuables of high worth.

Many burglaries are spur-of-the-moment. Burglars are always on the lookout for houses with an open window or a back door left unlocked. So be vigilant.

Enjoy yourself without worrying

Now you’ll be spending more time outside your home, it’s even more important to protect your valuables inside it. But better still lock them safely away from your home. Here at Neelkanth Safe Deposit we take care of all that for you giving you peace of mind so you can go out enjoy yourself without worrying about your valuables.

Best way to be safe

Stuck at home during lockdown you maybe felt there was no need to worry about burglars as you were in all the time. But even in lockdown burglars can attack. The best way to be safe is to use a safe deposit.

We promise you peace of mind

Now more than ever it’s vital to ensure your precious items which have huge sentimental as well as financial value are kept safe from burglars. At Neelkanth Safe Deposit we promise you peace of mind giving you a secure home for your valuables at an affordable price.

Make sure when you’re outside enjoying summer that your valuables are safely inside one of our safe deposit boxes.

EUROPE’S LEADING SAFE DEPOSIT CENTRES

020 8843 9920 (Southall)

020 8702 8888 (Croydon)

The post As lockdown ends, be on your guard! appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

Not just daffodils that come out in spring!

Spring isn’t just a time for lambing and daffodils popping out. Burglars also get a springin their step and they could be heading right for you! So why not use spring cleaning as a spur to put your precious items somewhere really safe. Youdon’t want burglars cleaning out your home of all that is valuable to you.

Protecting mum’s Precious gems

Mother’s Day in March is a timely reminder that gifts given to mums have great sentiment and so need special protection way above commercial value. Some women like to keep them close but it’s better to protect them in a safe deposit. Burglars don’t care about sentimental value.

Keep a photograph instead

Maybe a photograph of precious Mother’s Day jewels can make up for locking them away for safety? Especially a photograph of mum wearing them. While also wearing a serene smile knowing her jewels are now very well looked after.

Protection Specially For You

Neelkanth Safe Deposit gives you that protection you need. We offer a secure home for your valuables. With our modern, up-to-date, security systems at an affordable price you can relax knowing your precious belongings are safe. Spring is a time of renewal. So why not use this Spring to make sure your valuables are safe and secure.

EUROPE’S LEADING SAFE DEPOSIT CENTRES

020 8843 9920 (Southall)

020 8702 8888 (Croydon)

The post Spring Clean More Than Your Home appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

Customers can use the WorldRemit app or website using code ‘IMLD2021’, the company said.

The mother language day, a UN initiative since 2002, is celebrated on 21 February every year to promote and preserve the use of all languages and is a public holiday in Bangladesh.

The original idea to mark the day came from Bangladeshi migrants living in Canada who successfully petitioned the then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, to take action to save languages from extinction.

The theme for this year’s International Mother Language Day is, ‘Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society’.

“Over 60 nationalities are represented at WorldRemit and more than 75 languages are spoken by our employees. We greatly value multilingualism and emphasise respect and tolerance for all cultures,” said Cyril Ghanem, head of europe and strategic partnerships at WorldRemit.

“Waiving fees from the UK, where we have our headquarters, to Bangladesh at this historic time is our small way of honouring the sacrifices made in order to preserve language and culture.”

According to the UN, around 6,000 languages spoken across the world are at risk of extinction with a language disappearing every fortnight.

For details, click here.

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Through regular updates direct from the Council, volunteers will be able to share the latest advice and guidance, helping to keep friends, family and neighbours safe – like our volunteers Paresh, Sunita and Debbie.

Paresh
I got involved as a Champion because I felt that the first lockdown had a lasting effect on communities who had little or no information.

Communities in my area were not necessarily connected, both in terms of the messaging and requirements that needed to be adhered to. What seemed like a short working-from-home holiday turned into something quite serious and for a much longer period of time than expected. The way people handled this was to go out and buy toiletries etc. causing panic buying. Being a champion helps to deliver the right messaging at grassroots, enabling communities we live in to have the right level of information and not just go on hearsay like this.

It’s important to have a network that you can reach out to. For me it was easier as I’m part of several neighbourhood initiatives, including Neighbourhood Watch, which allows me to communicate messages on existing channels of communication such as WhatsApp groups, Facebook and through other members of our steering group. Becoming a Champion is a way of getting the most out of this network.

Sunita

I became a Champion because I wanted to hear facts from a reliable source in Public Health, and to share this with colleagues, family, friends and neighbours on social media – as well as amongst the outdoor fitness group, which I attend when I can.

I have found the experience very interesting so far and enjoy hearing different speakers who present at the webinars. I like the fact that we get the opportunity to ask questions. The webinars are one hour long which is a good length of time for presentations.

Being a Champion has enabled me to get specific advice and assistance to queries raised from colleagues, family & friends. It’s a reliable source which can be trusted.

Debbie

I became a Champion as I’m a childminder and therefore work in a childcare setting. I also have two children, both in full time education: one at secondary school, the other at college. My husband is also in the vulnerable person category as he has MS.

I felt that by being a Champion I could lead by example and ensure that I pass accurate and up-to-date information to other childminders and to the families of the children I care for. I do feel that by following the proper Government advice, and with the precautions my setting put in place, the effect of Covid-19 here has been limited.

Hundreds of people have already signed-up, but we are still looking for more volunteers in your area.

To find out more and to apply to become a volunteer click here.

The post Could you help your community get the right information about coronavirus? appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

The post Get your gold valued! appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

Ima is a leading voice for those communities. And right now her greatest concern is Asians getting targeted by ruthlessburglars who know many Asians have high-quality jewellery and valuables they keep in their homes.

“We’ve been approached by the police to inform people unaware of facilities such as Neelkanth Safe Deposit to keep their valuables in a secure setting. Burglars are very brazen. They have gold detectors so wherever you hide your jewellery, they’ll find it. They use young children to climb through bathroom windows. They monitor your house to see when you leave. These aren’t spontaneous break-ins. They’reruthlessly planned.”

Ima strongly advises people to keep only what they need in their home and to store the rest in a locker at a reputable safe deposit centre. “We know you like to wear gold. We know your jewellery is valuable and sentimental. We want you to be safe. A burglar could well be carrying a weapon, a knife or a gun. So please don’t put yourself at risk. Get your gold out the house.”

People trust Neelkanth Safe Deposit to keep theirvaluables safe. We offer high standard security at a low price, accessibility and peace of mind.

EUROPE’S LEADING SAFE DEPOSIT CENTRES

The post Get your gold out your house! appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

84 days and 20,341 votes later, the winners of the Spread the Joy with Tolly Boy campaign were acknowledged during an awards ceremony at Wapping Youth Centre. The occasion was filled with heart-warming stories of the journey undertaken by community groups and appreciation for Tolly Boy who has partnered with their wider community & the projects that help to make their communities flourish.

Present at the event were the three winning community groups – Wapping Bangladesh Association, Nigerian Community of Waltham Forest (NICOWF) and Bangladesh Women’s Association, who were commended by Nicolas Hanson, Managing Director Westmill Foods, Chris Craig, Commercial Director Westmill Foods, Ricky Oberoi, Account Director Westmill Foods, and Steven Perry, Senior Brand Manager Tolly Boy.

Sharing his experience, Mr Atikur from Wapping Bangladesh Association, the overall prize winners of £10,000, said: “We are excited to win such a huge competition. We usually apply for straight forward funding because when mechanisms such as voting are involved, the feedback we receive is usually less positive as people are often reluctant. However, this campaign was different, with the Tolly Boy team encouraging us all the way and helping us spread the word. From family, friends to the wider community such as the mosque next door, everyone was motivated in spreading the joy since Tolly Boy was going to help the community in return.” The funding will be used for their Healthy Eating project. This project not only serves the community need of promoting healthy eating practices amongst elderly people, but also encourages them to come together for recreational activities twice a week. With this funding the charity group looks forward to organising such meet ups at least four times a week and in addition, plans to hold educational classes for women.

Mr. Faniku from Nigerian Community in Waltham Forest, first runner-up receiving a prize of £5,000, said: “Tolly Boy is the favourite rice for the Nigerian community in the UK and when they initiated a campaign to help the Nigerian community, we knew this was a great opportunity for us and it was our time to spread the word and work hard towards winning. The response has been overwhelming and now whenever people see me in Waltham Forest, they look at me and say ‘Tolly Boy’!”. NICOWF plans to use this funding to organise events in their community to highlight the essence of society and how everyone can contribute to shape the society one lives in. In a candid moment, Mr. Faniku, also shared how excited they were as a community to be in friendly rivalry with other charities to win the competition!

Spread the Joy with Tolly Boy has helped facilitate conversations around the challenges and good work that charities involved in the campaign carry out. The second runner up was Bangladeshi Women’s Association who were awarded £2,500. Ms Amina Chowdhary from the charity said: “It is really challenging to convince people to come out of their comfort zone and try something new. People around us were using different brands of rice, but we tried convincing them to try Tolly Boy by telling them how Tolly Boy would help the community in return. The good thing was that not only were people convinced to participate but were also happy with the quality of Tolly Boy, making it their household favourite”. The group helps empowering not only women from the Bangladeshi community with education, training and employment, but also a variety of other communities. With the campaign money, they plan to provide additional classes for employment and training services. They will additionally provide practical office skills training to enable these women excel in their future jobs.

Talking about the journey, Senior Brand Manager of Tolly Boy Steven Perry said: “It was fantastic to see votes increase week by week and how community groups really took the initiative to improve their standing in the competition. Community groups from all over the UK – Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and London, were devoted to spreading the joy and helping their community project win.  We would like to thank all the community groups for their unwavering support and hard work in helping their own communities and the campaign itself become a huge success!”

The post Tolly Boy Rice celebrates the winning Bangladeshi and African community groups! appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

Just four weeks into the campaign, the charitable initiative has already reeled in a whopping1,530votes to support an array ofmeaningful community projects.Some of which champion healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, childcare, victim support, elderly care and social welfare, for which Tolly Boy will be giving away funds of up to £26,000, to the community groups with the most votes.

At a special launch event at Seamark Cash & Carry in Manchester, two of the local community groups, Afruca and Fatima Women’s Association, were amongst those present.These particular community groups actively work in child welfare and bettering the lives of women within their communities.Chantelle from Afruca said: “We work with African children and families, especially those who are victims of trafficking and slavery and vulnerable to abuse. We are grateful to Tolly Boy for making us a part of this campaign, as this has helped in spreading awareness of the work we do and raise our profile.”

Speaking at the event, Steven Perry from Tolly Boy said:“Tolly Boy has been a part of the community since 1962, and this year through this initiative, we hope to go beyond partnering with them in the kitchen and help them on a grassroots level by promoting various initiatives through raising the profile of African and Bangladeshi community groups who do vital work in helping the communities. The response we have got so far has been overwhelming and are happy to see our efforts making a difference to communities – where it matters the most.”

Tabassum, a representative of Fatima Women’s Association said, “over the last 26 years, our charity has been working towards empowering women and bettering the lives of women in Oldham. This is a brilliant initiative by Tolly Boy and I hope we win as we will put the funds towardssupporting education, training and leisure activities for women and children.”

With the campaign ending on the 10^th of September, charities are vying for the maximum number of votes for their community projects, with the highest number of votes giving them a funding of £10,000,and the first and second runners-up receiving £5,000 and £2,500 respectively. Each of the remaining community groups will receive a contribution of £500 for their efforts during the campaign.

You too can Spread the Joy with Tolly Boy by picking up a 5kg, 10kg or 20kg packs of Tolly Boy Easy Cook, Long Grain or Basmati Rice from participating stores and vote on www.spreadthejoywithtollyboy.co.uk

The post Spread the Joy with Tolly Boy campaign crosses 1,500 votes appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.

After years of renting in London, 36 year old Head of Clinical Affairs Samia decided to take her first step onto the property ladder. Having lived between Stanmore and South Harrow, North West London for several years and recently undergoing a tough divorce battle, Samia was keen to stay in the area but start afresh.

Samia says: “After I got divorced I found myself homeless and as a single-parent mum I was eager to bounce back, so I got in touch with the local estate agents who showed me available rented accommodation in Harrow, which was all that I could afford at the time. Living close to the area for so long, I knew it was a safe place where the locals were kind and friendly.”

Samia did not want to waste her money on renting all of her life so when everything had settled and she found a new permanent full time job, Samia was able to save enough money for a deposit and looked for a property through the government’s Help to Buy scheme.

“The Help to Buy is a very clever scheme to help young adults like myself get onto the property ladder. I only needed a 5 per cent deposit, and after 5 years I can repay what I’ve borrowed and even a bit more if the house prices goes up. Without that support, as a single parent I wouldn’t have been able to save enough for a higher deposit and buy a home to call my own.”

After seeing Home Group’s Rayners Lane development, Spectrum, advertised in the local area, Samia started to investigate and immediately made contact to book a viewing when she realised certain plots were available through the government’s scheme to help first time buyers. The development offered everything she was looking for; large and spacious 2-bedroom apartments with an impressive specification.

“I wanted to move into a property that I could have for life, not just short term, so when I came across Spectrum and viewed the Show Home I knew straight away that this was the perfect place for me and my 4-year old son.

“With everything locally a working full time mother needs – good transportation links with Rayners Lane Underground station and frequent bus services at hand, a large Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, lots of green landscaped areas and close to good Catholic schools – Spectrum ticked all of my boxes.”

Samia was quick to reserve a unit and informed Home Group that she wanted to move in by mid-December as she was expecting a visit from a Social Worker and wanted to show off her new home.

“During that period I was in court fighting with my ex-husband about child arrangements for my son and I really wanted them to see me in my new home as it was a point of power for me. I told Home Group the situation and they were extremely helpful, going over and beyond to ensure I was able to exchange and complete on time as they knew it was really important for me to.”

Once Samia had moved in, Home Group’s After Sales Care team visited her to ensure everything was in order and she was happily settled.

“Two days into my move Cheryl came and introduced me to the flat, she had a very good style of explaining everything. I can remember even now all the points she said as it can be quite overwhelming at first, and as a lady if my fuse blows I would panic, but Cheryl thoroughly explained typical situations and all the necessary steps I would need to take.”

With only a few remaining units left available to purchase outright at Spectrum, which includes your stamp duty being paid*, contact our sales team on 0800 073 0600 or visit www.homegroup.org.uk to book a viewing and reserve your new home today.

“Without thinking twice I would definitely recommend Spectrum to anyone looking for a new build property in a good location and really good value for money. The outstanding support you get from the Home Group staff is just immense and you need that when you are exchanging for the first time without any knowledge of the process – just having someone there holding your hand throughout every step of the way is so important.”

*This offer is valid as long as completion takes place by 27th April 2018.

The post First time buyer Samia turns her life around and puts down roots in Rayners Lane appeared first on Bangladesh Weekly.