In an exploratory programme from Local Trust, Heston West Big Local have teamed up with The Academy of Urbanism to explore how our area could take better advantage of local assets and support in addressing local planning and urban design issues.

Our next workshop is open for all local community members and will take place on:
SATURDAY 9TH JUNE 2018 from 10.30 to 4.30pm at Cranford Community College Click here for workshop flyer.

​During the 3-month project, The Academy will lead intensive two-day ‘diagnostic workshops’ with residents, organisations and others. The workshops will include:

Walking around the area, talking to people in shops, businesses, streets and parks and exploring how residents feel about their area, its assets and its eyesores.

• Listening to presentations by local people, business owners, organisations and members of the Big Local partnership to understand issues, plans and aspirations.
• Working in small groups to understand strengths, weaknesses and opportunities within the area, including in relation to the wider neighbourhood and strategic context.
• Discussing what lies ahead, including strategic opportunities and projects already identified by the Big Local partnership, organised around specific themes, locations or projects.
• Providing recommendations for immediate, medium and long-term actions to help the Big Local partnership realise the area’s ambitions.

After the workshops, a final report from The Academy will be provided to Heston West Big Local, and will be used to inform their future plans and help them to realise their ambitions.

It's Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20th May) and this year is the focus is stress. Last year we worked on Self-Esteem with members from our Youth Action Team and Film Club, our first film was called 'It's OK not to be OK' (above) which was written by Juhi Kumra and Abbie McFerran. The film raises awareness of body image and the effects it has on young people. 

For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week please click here (external link). 

By Taz Virdee

Dr Periera and Dr Ahmed led the 'Staying Steady Falls Prevention Workshop' last year at
The Brabazon Community Centre.

Following on from our successful GP led workshops last year, we have teamed up again with the GPs from The Crosslands Surgery and Heston Medical Centre. This time we would like YOU to tell us what you would like to see our GPs deliver to the community this year.

Last year we held workshop workshops on Healthy Heart and Healthy Mind (Dementia Awareness) and Staying Steady (Falls Prevention). Both workshops we hugely popular and well attended with great feedback from our community members. We are looking at delivering similar style workshops in the coming months. Please see the list below of potential workshop topics. These topics were suggusted by our GPs and although all of them are important issues in general, we need to see what is the most important issues in our Heston West Big Local community.

Please take time to go through the list and rank them in order (1-8) of importance to you and not so important. Remember there is no right or wrong answer, it's what you feel personally is important to raise for our residents.

The survey is completey annoymous. If you have any questions please get in touch with Taz on 07840047771 or by clicking here. The deadline for responses is Friday 25th May 2018. Many thanks for your valued time and feedback.

On Saturday 21st April 2018 we held our Big Local Big Lunch Commonwealth Community Event organised by our Big Local Youth Action Team and Heston West Committee. The glorious weather inspired the community to come out and get involved with the host of fun activities on offer. We had Flower Arranging, Food Art, Jewellery Making, Multi-Sports, Creative Club, Face Painting, Indian Classical Dancing, Army Cadets, Police Car and Fire Engine Show. Around 350 local residents attended the function and we also raised around £450 for our Natural Disasters Campaign and the FamilyForever JP Campaign. We were joined by special guests Maria Pedro, Her Majesty’s Representative Deputy Lieutenant and Deputy Mayor for Hounslow Borough Mukesh Malhotra. 

Jon White, Family Learning Coordinator for Hounslow Council said: "It was an excellent event!  I loved the way your (Heston West) volunteers (Callum and Wole in particular) helped out and kept the event on track and relaxed.  The variety of activities on offer was really impressive too.  We were delighted by the way our sessions went down."

Caroline Baxter, Heston West Police Constable added: "We enjoyed the down time chatting and playing football with the young people. The event did appear to be a success and I should think there were many happy residents from the local communities."

​Anita Sangha, Community Connector from disability organisation Certitude was really impressed with our event, she said: “It was an absolute amazing day, so well organized, great turnover, lovely food and yes great weather as well. The kids did a lot of drawing and colouring at our stall and I got to hand out some leaflets to families regarding our Thursday's Community Drop-In Arts Session with the Big Local.”