OPDC coronavirus update

OPDC's In the Making activities during COVID-19

The In the Making initiative is still progressing as much as possible under the current situation, however unfortunately some projects have had to pause in order to keep communities, staff and partners safe.

The current artist commissions have for the most part, been put on pause, as they involved detailed engagement with residents and businesses, and we are taking this opportunity to reflect on how best to support these communities in the coming months. Some projects will pick up where they left off, others may be slightly altered in response to the more urgent needs of the area.

In positive news:

• Tom James’ project, Absolute Beginners, is still keen to hear from anyone with memories of making things in Park Royal. Drop him an email if you'd like to contribute your story.
• The Cerebos Gardens community co-design project, improving the three green spaces along Victoria Road, has been progressing positively with meetings being held via Zoom, working with local residents to develop the idea and design of the spaces. The team is now applying for external funding to deliver the designs.
• Following feedback from the consultation event and online survey, designs are also progressing on the public realm improvements to Willesden Junction Station in collaboration with stakeholders. The project team held online webinars with local stakeholders to finalise designs, and work is expected to start onsite when restrictions allow.
• Our Small Grants Scheme is still open to applications and we welcome creative ideas for celebrating the heritage and culture of the area in digital or using other ‘socially-distanced’ methods.

Donations

To support vulnerable people locally, OPDC has donated £60,000 to each of the boroughs to support food banks and food distribution helping those most in need:

• Brent Council - OPDC’s donation to Brent Council and Brent Food Aid, will go towards food grants for volunteer organisations across the borough that are delivering food parcels and operating foodbanks. Find out more about this service.
• Ealing Council - OPDC’s donation will support Ealing Together, a partnership organisation between Ealing Council and Ealing Volunteer Sector, to go towards community organisations affiliated with Ealing Together and will help foodbanks, deliver ‘food shops’ and provide hot food support to those in need. Find out more about Ealing Together.
• Hammersmith & Fulham Council - Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank have partnered with the Olympia Exhibition Centre to expand the borough’s foodbank offering. This partnership has helped the foodbank increase the number of food parcels sent out to residents in need by 400%. OPDC’s donation has gone towards setting up and stocking the foodbank in Olympia. For more information about this partnership and about the donation.

Volunteering

To help support the London COVID-19 relief, a number of OPDC colleagues are helping to support organisations:

• London Funders - OPDC has teamed up with London Funders. Our colleagues are working on the London Community Response Team, giving their time to review and process applications sent in from volunteer and charity organisations for urgent funding of up to £10,000. If you know of an organisation that needs funding to keep going, they can still apply.​
• GLA's Team London - OPDC officers are working with the GLA’s Team London’s Rapid Response unit to liaise with local groups across London on the challenges they are facing on the ground in their COVID-19 response activities. The Rapid Response team quickly investigate issues as they emerge, to ensure that GLA decision-making is informed by the fullest picture possible. This in turn influences the GLA’s wider activities to support these groups and the communities they serve.
• London Boroughs​​​​​​​ - OPDC members of staff have also been supporting our local Councils and affiliated volunteer sector organisations as and when needed. Our staff have already been helping Ealing Council by supporting the set-up of smaller localised volunteer organisations in Acton.

The COVID-19 outbreak is affecting all of our daily lives, but everyone can play a part in helping to contain the spread of this virus and keeping ourselves, our families and vulnerable members of the community safe.

Official advice is being updated every day in this changing situation, so please only use trusted sources for your information:

• go to the government’s website for the latest advice on social distancing and self-isolation
• go to the NHS website for the latest health advice
• go to the government’s website for the latest advice on support for businesses, including the Coronavirus job retention scheme

If you are a resident or business in the OPDC area and would like advice specific to the Borough you live in, please go to your local council COVID-19 support page:

• London Borough of Brent
• London Borough of Ealing
• London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

Following the latest advice from HMG and Public Health England, OPDC will be postponing all public meetings, community engagement events and face-to-face meetings.

We are taking the government’s advice very seriously as we want to ensure the health and safety of all our staff and the community and businesses we work with.

These are uncertain times and we are doing everything we can to carry on with business as best we can, and like most organisations, we will be working remotely as far as possible. If you would like to get in touch with an OPDC member of staff, please use the general enquiries email address.

We will send out further information and relevant updates, but please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any queries or concerns.

It’s truly heart-warming to see the number of residents and community organisations who have reached out to volunteer their help for vulnerable people, but it’s also extremely important that volunteering is done so safely, through a trusted referral route.

If you would like to volunteer to help in the OPDC area, or anywhere across London, please go to the Greater London Authority’s advice page on COVID-19 volunteering or contact your local Council.

OPDC is in regular dialogue with the local councils in our area (Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham) about how we can best work closely to safely and effectively help local residents and businesses, whether it be through funding or co-ordination.