There is clear evidence the coronavirus pandemic is adversely impacting the UK’s Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.
Councillor Winifred
Local West Norwood councillor Sonia Winifred is Lambeth’s lead for Equalities and Culture and has written to key stakeholders outlining her concerns. Sonia says: “Whilst I am pleased to hear the government will launch an inquiry into the disproportionality of BAME deaths due to COVID-19, I would urge the government to approach this as a matter of priority. Lambeth is recording the relevant equalities data in all of the support services that we are providing and for example making sure our BAME business community is accessing the support for business we have put in place locally , as well as accessing the government’s scheme.”
To see Sonia’s open letter in full see:
https://love.lambeth.gov.uk/action-needed-to-tackle-covid-19-inequalities/
For local advice & help during the coronavirus crisis please see:
https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19
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From Philip Virgo as Convenor Norwood Community Safety Partnership
There is a particular problem with regard to support for on-line homework and mentoring for those in lockdown. City Heights and Virgo Fidelis are involved with voluntary support operations but there will be a need for volunteers to help bring forward the programmes planned by the Norwood Consortium as soon as the target audiences emerge from lockdown. If not we face the risk of a long, hot and violent summer.
There is an equally serious problem with regard to the elderly who will be in isolation for much longer. For example there is a cohort of Poles and Czechs, who came to Britain in the period 1967 – 72 and are now very frail in private and/or social/sheltered housing. There is a need to organise/host social activities via TELEPHONE conferencing (getting them able to use computers is impractical). These will need to be promoted via channels they trust (e.g. existing groups and/or Churches) because many are semi-paranoid because of their backgrounds and subsequent treatment in the UK.