The dreadful Covid-19 is sadly still changing the lives of most of us in Kilburn, We are however very proud that our community has rallied together to support our neighbours who are self isolating or are vulnerable. There have been plenty of local initiatives with Covid Mutual AId groups being set-up all around the wider Kilburn area.
We have also been very busy with our buddy-up system that we launched on the 20th March. We have helped pair 67 residents, who need assistance with their neighbours. We have spoken to people being left without food for 3 days, to people feeling extremely lonely and anxious. We have had strange requests like for example, an elderly gentleman wanting some Lucozade, pork pies and a haircut! We have helped deliver medication from Kilburn pharmacies to as far away as Wood Green and Golders Green. Sadly some of our buddies have been hit hard by the dreadful virus, with one having a death in his immediate family, and one being hospitalised as we write. Our healthy buddies have been called by the person they helped ‘hero’, ‘angel sent from the sky’, ‘a life line’ and more… We would like to thank everybody who is volunteering as a buddy or as a person at the end of the phone to speak to our lonely and anxious neighbours. If you know of anybody who requires help, please share our phone number, 07894973434. Please see here to volunteer or see what we facilitate.
Foodcycle Kilburn started to deliver food parcels in the wider Kilburn area on the 11th April, when they delivered 40 food parcels. They delivered 65 parcels on the 18th April. This initiative relies on the none perishable food donations of local people. The response has been great, with Shah picking up donations from local streets, St Mary’ accepting donations on Thursdays between 10am and 2pm, Emmanuel Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays between5.30 and 7.30pm and St Cuthbert’s on Fridays between 6 and 7pm. Please contact Shah (send us an email and we will send the details or DM him on Twitter) if you are able to donate but cannot travel to donation points. If you know of a vulnerable person who could benefit from a weekly food parcel, please refer them using this link with their permission.
Granville Community Kitchen continue to provide cooked meals and food parcels to South Kilburn residents and are now offering a service on Wednesday and Friday. If you want to refer somebody in need or help with their operation please contact them on 07952 616 352 or granvillecommunitykitchen@gmail.com.
The Sacred Heart Church in Quex Road are still running their food bank. Please ring the side door if you have anything you can contribute.
If you know of a Brent resident who needs an emergency food package or if they’re struggling to pay for food, Brent is organising food parcels. Please ring 02089376792. The Pakistani Centre is also dispatching food and can be reached on 07984788399.
UCKG Church are offering free soup (in the old Grange Cinema) on Saturdays between 11am and 1pm and Streetkitchen Kilburn is offering free food in Kilburn square at 7.15pm every Friday.
Could you volunteer with SUFRA the main partner in Brent for provision of food?
If you’re volunteering to help someone in need with their shopping, M&S and Asda have launched contactless volunteer cards.
If you can help donate to a very wonderful community asset, the Abbey community centre, your donation will be DOUBLED by a generous supporter. They have been very active contacting remotely their service users and setting up zoom actvity sessions of all kinds, so any help would be welcome.
A local resident has donated the hospital gowns of his events/ film company to the NHS, while another has been making vizors for the NHS. Please donate for the cost of materials (less than £1 per vizor) so that more can be produced.
Widen our pavements to save lives!
The pavements of Kilburn High Road are far too crowded with long queues to allow for social distancing. This is putting lives at risk while in places the road is wide enough to accomodate illegal parking and 3 or 4 lanes of reduced vehicular traffic. We have asked Brent and Camden Councils to increase temporarily the width of pavements. We have received messages back saying it is tricky, that it is not easy! We cannot accept that changing at least one lane of vehicular traffic to pedestrian traffic is tricky, especially now that the Department of Transport has given new powers for that purpose to Highways Authorities. We will be sending the attached letter to the leaders of both Councils and TFL and the Mayor of London.
We urge you to send a smilar letter to your local Councillors by email. We rely on you to ensure our pavements and therefore all of us can be safer on Kilburn High Road. Please feel free to copy the letter in your emails.
Know your Kilburn
We’re happy to see many locals visiting and discovering Paddington cemetery on Willesden lane while they do their daily exercise. If you’d like to learn more including info on some famous persons’ final resting place, read this guide to Paddington Old Cemetery written by Kevin Barrett.
57 years ago the Beatles were performing in Kilburn.
More tickets of gigs at the Kilburn National, Beck, Stereolab, Lemonheads…and if you don’t know what the inside looked like, click here.
A link between Kilburn and ‘the Damned’? A link between Kilburn and Dusty Springfield?
David Bomberg in Fordwych Road?
Did you get the answer to our music history poll right?
Saint Augustine’s have been showcasing their beautiful sculptures during Easter weekend. Have a look at their tweets to discover them. And the Vicar, aged 74, placed the weather cock hanging from a basket on the 254 feet spire!
Read all about Salusbury Road, Kilburn, in this wonderful piece by Dick Weindling.
Other news
We’re loving your videos each week, during clap for our carers. See some of them here, here and here. There was even an impromptu concert on Kenilworth road.
In addition to adding rainbows to your windows for the NHS, why not add a sun to say thank you to our refuse collectors and don’t forget to say hello to Andy.
Unfortunately on the 6th April there was a stabbing in Kilburn on Quex road. Police were quickly on the scene and a person arrested and charged.
If you know of a non essential business opening when they shouldn’t be, you can report them here.
Glad to see that ’10-foot pear’ is now moving to the use of paper rather than defacing walls and shop fronts in Kilburn.
Hilal Food store, at the corner of Kilburn High Road and Netherwood street, deverse your support. They have been excellent at supplying our neighbourhood, better than big chain supermarkets. Did you know they even sell fresh yeast?
Local Lockdown ideas
If you’re doing some gardening, a Mill lane shop is doing free doorstep deliveries of orders over £30 to NW6 postcodes.
West End Lane Bookshop is taking orders on the phone for delivery.
Kodak express Kilburn can digitise photos or old videos if you have more time to sort them out. They’re offering mail order collection & delivery.
Most of our local independent restaurants have reopened for takeaways and deliveries. Please support them to ensure they survive the current crisis. A special mention for Fire and Spice who have been supplying free food to St Mary’s Hospital.
There’s a free book to explain corona virus to children. Thanks to the West Hampstead Covid-aid group for sharing.
The Kiln are offering free remote theatre workshops.
And finally…a beautiful message from Brent’s George the Poet and a nice video from we make Camden.
Make time to phone your relatives, neighbours and friends. Wave at people from afar, respect your neighbours and let’s ensure that these dark times are made more bearable for all of us.
