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For the past decade, the site of Moreton Close was a sheltered housing scheme whose residents have now moved on to new homes. Now the social landlord has planning permission to build 53 self-contained one and two bedroom apartments. The aim of Extra Care Housing is to support adults with additional care needs to live independently. One of the key benefits of extra care is that couples, where one partner has increasing care needs, are able to stay living together.

The 10-year contract, which will commence on 1 January 2018, will include the management and operation of five Barnet leisure facilities, including two new leisure centre developments at Barnet Copthall and Victoria Recreation Ground in New Barnet. The decision follows an extensive review of leisure services, which seek to improve the health and wellbeing of all Barnet residents.

The funding was unanimously agreed by the council’s Housing Committee on Thursday 21 June, and will now go to the council’s Policy and Resources Committee for approval. The funds are part of the council’s ongoing response to the Grenfell Tower fire, and will provide for the installation of sprinkler systems for blocks of flats with 10 or more floors and a single stairwell. The £12.5m agreed by the committee is in addition to £17.5m agreed by the committee last year. This brings the total earmarked for fire safety works to £30m.

The event, which took place at Allianz Park, home of Saracens rugby club, saw all of the borough’s children in care invited to the fun packed half-term event on Friday 17 February. In total around 120 children attended the celebrations along with all their carers and support workers. Children came in fancy dress as their favourite characters, enjoyed party food, a bouncy castle, milkshake bar, children’s entertainer and party bags.

The SBWA has been an important part of the local community over the last 20 years, providing advice, information and support for the Somali Bravanese community, including refugees and asylum seekers, living in Barnet. The group’s previous home at Coppetts Road was destroyed in June 2014 and the SBWA has been operating out of Barnet House, Whetstone, since then.

To launch the Barnet Together campaign, Councillor Richard Cornelius, Leader of Barnet Council, joined the Good Neighbours’ Scheme in Burnt Oak. The Barnet Together campaign highlights the fantastic voluntary work that residents are doing to help make Barnet a great place – from recycling their household rubbish to cooking meals for neighbours who need a bit of help – and showcases other new and exciting opportunities for everyone to get involved no matter how much time they have. 

Khalida Khan, of Cleveland Gardens, Cricklewood, pleaded guilty at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on 26 April, to failing to hold a licence and properly manage the House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) which she owns in Herbert Road, West Hendon. HMOs are properties which are lived in by more than one household and where the households share basic amenities.  In July last year West Hendon Neighbourhood Policing Team received a complaint about overcrowding and the poor condition of the house and contacted the council’s Environmental Health Team*.

Thirteen-year-old Gaurika Singh from Mill Hill and seventeen-year-old Haris Bandey from East Finchley will be competing for their home nations of Nepal and Pakistan respectively. Haris is taking part in the 400m Freestyle event on August 6th while Gaurika who is also the youngest competitor at this year’s Olympics, races in the 100m Backstroke the following day. Both Barnet residents, Gaurika and Haris learnt to swim at Barnet Copthall at a very young age and have trained at the club for the majority of their young lives.

We hold in our thoughts and prayers all those who have been so deeply affected by the attacks on London Bridge and in Borough Market on Saturday evening.  We think particularly of the victims, the families and friends of those who have lost their lives or been injured. We give thanks for the bravery, commitment and skill of the emergency services, hospitals and members of the public who offered their assistance so quickly and were undoubtedly able to save many more lives.

That is the question Barnet Council is asking its residents as part of its latest fostering campaign which aims to increase the number of foster carers in the borough. In Barnet, there are currently 335 children and young people in care but there are only 115 foster carers within the Barnet network. With the largest population of any London borough, there is a growing need for more foster carers, particularly those who are able to care for teenagers, sibling groups and children and young people with additional needs.