City and Hackney Public Health Community Champions Programme
This page is to support the work of our City and Hackney Public Health Community Champions. It is full of resources and information about the latest public health and COVID-19 guidance which you can share with your local communities, family and friends.
If you haven't been on the Community Champions training - please email chris.mate-kole@vchackney.org to book.
Contact us for advice and support:
Hackney Council coronavirus helpline: 020 8356 3111, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
City of London welfare support: 020 7606 3030, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday or email: col-covid-19@cityoflondon.gov.uk.
Upcoming forum dates
We run a monthly forum for all trained Community Champions to attend. They are a great chance for you to meet other Champions and to hear about new information, guidance and local health and wellbeing work. Public Health members of staff will be in attendance at each session and available to answer any questions you have or you have heard from our local communities. We would love to see you there!
Thursday 11 February 10am – 12pm
Thursday 11 March 10am – 12pm
Thursday 13 May 10am – 12pm
Tuesday 15 June 10am – 12pm
Message from Sandra Husbands
Director of Public Health, City of London & Hackney
First of all, I want to thank you for volunteering your time and energy to support your community in combating this horrible infectious disease. Many people are feeling anxious, scared, confused or even bereaved, because of COVID-19 and your willingness to stand alongside them and support them is very much appreciated.
Hackney and the City of London have some of the most ethnically diverse and some of the most deprived communities in the country, putting them at increased risk of COVID-19. Local people with limited finances, or whose first language is not English might also have difficulty in finding up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, or in booking a test. As is often said recently, these are extraordinary times and the response to the pandemic has meant that our normal ways of interacting with other people have been disrupted, to try and prevent the virus from passing from person to person.
Guidance has changed often and some people are struggling to know what to do - how to stay safe, how to get a test, or even how to respond if contacted by NHS Test and Trace. Your role as Community Champions in helping them to understand what the current guidance is and what they need to do is an invaluable part of our local public health response to the pandemic, particularly where you reach communities that are not reached by the mainstream messages. Your work is helping to keep Hackney and the City safe.
