Enfield Dispatch #21, June 2020
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ENFIELD DISPATCH No. 21 THE BOROUGH’S FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER JUNE 2020 NEWS Animal charity worker among Covid-19 victims P . 3 HISTORY Sharing the stories of a wartime childhood in Freezywater P . 7 COMMENT How to reshape Enfield's streets to help fight pandemic P . 8 A M E E Become a M M member of Enfield Dispatch and get O the paper delivered to B your door each month E C – find out more R E on Page 16 B North Enfield Foodbank gave out 35,820 food parcels to vulnerable families in the first two months of the Covid-19 pandemic, three times more than given out in the same period last year. Fortunately, the spike in demand has been met by a similarly big rise in volunteers and donations, including this delivery from Palmers Green Mosque. Kerry Coe, the foodbank's manager, said: “It has been incredible to see the way the community has pulled together during this time." enfielddispatch.co.uk Crisis in borough care homes @EnfieldDispatch Enfield care sector among worst hit in London [email protected] BY JAMES CRACKNELL & SIMON ALLIN, being given extra financial sup- as a result of financial issues, that tive equipment (PPE). LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER port, with top-up grants worth 5% would have all sorts of implica- Alev Cazimoglu, cabinet member eaths in care homes of the cost of current care place- tions for us as a borough.” for health and social care, said 146 across Enfield have ments being made to providers for Doug added that more “signif- residents in Enfield’s care homes been four times the services bought by Enfield Council, icant interventions” from the had lost their lives in just over usual rate since the for a period of up to three months. council may be needed to support a month. Cllr Cazimoglu added: The Dispatch is Dstart of the Covid-19 pandemic – Doug Wilson, the council’s head of care providers. “The council is doing everything supported by with one councillor describing the strategy and service development, Councillor Mary Maguire, cabi- we can to protect our vulnera- Chamberlains Estates impact as “a disaster”. told the meeting that local care ble residents and staff from this – turn to page 5 The borough has 82 care homes, home deaths had been four times dreadful disease. the third-highest total in Lon- the expected rate. He told the meet- “This crisis shows “We are putting every possible don, with some seeing one third ing: “That is a terrible human cost, how essential effort into supporting people in of residents die since March. At but it’s also a financial pressure care homes and those receiving Elizabeth Lodge in Highlands, at on our providers. The number of care workers are” care in their own homes.” least 25 people have died since the providers who have lost a quarter Meanwhile, Enfield North MP Chamberlains Estates pandemic began – including care or almost a third of their residents net member for finance, said of Feryal Clark has demanded health worker Sonya Kaygan, who left places a very significant burden on the impact on care homes: “It has secretary Matt Hancock honour behind a three-year-old daughter. them as businesses – many of them been a disaster.” care workers who have lost their Residential Sales & Lettings Agents An Enfield Council cabinet meet- small, local businesses. The meeting also heard that lives by reversing a decade of cuts ing last month heard that some “We have a large number of measures put in place by the to social care budgets. The new- local care home providers may providers, but also a significant council to support the care sector ly-elected Labour MP spoke during struggle to survive the impact of demand for that service. If we were included providing more than 1.5 020 8366 3551 the crisis. In response, they are to lose a large number of providers million items of personal protec- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 020 8366 3551 020 8366 3551 020 8366 3551 Residential Sales & Lettings Agents Residential Sales & Lettings Residential Sales & Lettings Agents Residential Sales & Lettings Chamberlains Estates Chamberlains Estates 020 8366 3551 020 8366 3551 2 NEWS No.21 JUNE 2020 ENFIELD DISPATCH Warning over council finances New bus route Enfield Council appeals for government BY SIMON ALLIN, ED. LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER to honour pandemic funding pledge new bus route linking com- o BY JAMES CRACKNELL affected by the crisis and our loss who have been temporarily munities across Enfield to N .21 of income.” housed – many in hotels – during A North Middlesex Univer- he leader of Enfield The council's pandemic res- the pandemic. sity Hospital will be introduced by Council is calling on the ponse programme, Enfield Cllr Needs wrote: “We are Transport for London (TfL). JUNE 2020 government to honour Stands Together, has delivered alarmed at the prospect that The 456 bus route will run from Crews Enfield Dispatch is the a pledge to “stand more than 20,000 food parcels the government will not provide Hill via Enfield Town and Winchmore Tshoulder to shoulder” with local to vulnerable residents, while ongoing financial support and Hill before terminating at the Edmon- borough's free community newspaper. We publish authorities as the council faces also arranging for prescriptions co-ordinated action to ensure that ton hosptial. TfL aims to introduce the monthly and distribute a £68million hit to its finances to be sent out and giving advice we can secure settled housing and new route in the autumn. It will replace 10,000 free copies of during the pandemic. to residents and businesses via support for residents currently in the W10 bus running from Crews each issue – and we Ministers promised in March its call centre. Two community emergency housing.” Hill to Enfield Town and increase the will continue to do so that they would give councils support hubs have been est- A week after this letter, the route’s hours of operation. during the ongoing public the money they needed to tackle ablished at warehouses within government announced an Joanne McCartney, London Assem- health crisis. coronavirus in their areas, but the borough with help from a additional £160m for moving bly member for Enfield, said: “I Enfield has received less than network of volunteers. rough sleepers into long-term am delighted. It is vital that NHS Publisher £18m to date. It has left the At a cabinet meeting held accommodation. Housing sec- workers, patients and their families David Floyd Labour-run administration online last month, the council's retary Robert Jenrick said: “We are able to easily access reliable Editor scrabbling to find the money to cabinet member for finance, have offered accommodation to transport links to reach the hospital, James Cracknell cover its response to the crisis. Mary Maguire, warned: “At the over 90% of known rough sleepers especially those without a car.” Designer Leader Nesil Caliskan, in a letter start of this crisis the chancellor in order to help them stay safe Jonathan Duncan to the prime minister, wrote: “The said local authorities would during the pandemic. This has been Head of Advertising financial impact of the Covid-19 get the resources they need. possible because of an incredible Jobless rise Klaudia Kiss crisis on local government is of In February we set a balanced effort by the government, councils Head of Operations a scale and speed that we have budget for 2020/21 to ensure our and charities. he number of people claiming Paige Ballmi never before experienced. finances were strong, resilient “Thousands of lives have been unemployment-related benefits “The words from government and sustainable. protected throughout this national in Enfield rose by 2.5% during Engagement Manager T at the outset of the crisis emergency and we continue to the first month of the pandemic – the Penny Dampier towards local authorities were fund this vital project.” third-highest percentage rise in London. Contributors confident and encouraging. It “The financial Meanwhile, the council has According to Office for National Statis- Simon Allin, Ben Ingber, appeared that government fully pressures are criticised the government's tics data published last month, 6.1% of Ruth Robinson, Suzanne understood and appreciated the plan to reopen schools. Rick people of working age are now claiming Andrade, Viola Rondeboom, role we had to play in meeting Jewell, cabinet member for unemployment benefits, behind only Stephanos Ioannou, Al Sims, now huge” the challenge from Covid-19. children's services, described Croydon (6.7%), Waltham Forest (6.4%), Emma Friddin, The Creator, “We believed we had support “However, as a direct result of the government's plans as Barking and Dagenham (6.3%) and Taz Gray, David Chandler, from your government to do the Covid-19 crisis, the financial “extremely ill advised”. Schools Haringey (6.3%). Nicolas Bosetti from Andrew Warshaw, Rachael Burford what was necessary to stabilise pressures are now huge... the have the freedom to decide Centre for London, which analysed the our communities and get help to government funding of £17.9m whether or not to reopen this data, said: “London’s job market has those who need it and that you nowhere near meets it.” month to pupils from reception, already been hard hit by coronavirus, CONTACT would play your part by meeting Gina Needs, cabinet member for year one and year six classes, with every single borough seeing a sud- Call 020 8521 7956 the costs incurred. social housing, also wrote to the but the council has stated it is den increase in unemployment-related Email EnfieldDispatch@ “Enfield Council now needs minister for rough sleeping and “unwilling to fine parents who benefits.