There’s been plenty happening across BIAS throughout May, with music, celebrations, wellbeing events and community gatherings bringing people together across Brent and Haringey.
From our Health & Wellbeing Days and club activities to celebrating the Mayor of Brent’s Leaving Party and President of Ireland Catherine Connolly’s visit to London, it’s been lovely to see so many familiar faces across our clubs and events over the past few weeks.
As always, thank you to our members, volunteers and supporters who continue to make BIAS such a welcoming and special community.
Celebrating President Catherine Connolly’s Visit
BIAS was proud to attend events as part of President of Ireland Catherine Connolly’s State Visit to Britain during May.
Members of the team attended a special community event at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, alongside an evening reception at the Embassy of Ireland hosted by Irish Ambassador Martin Fraser.
It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the strong connection between Ireland and the Irish community in London, while also highlighting the important work of Irish organisations and community groups across the city.
A Special Farewell to Mayor Hack
We also celebrated the Mayor of Brent, Ryan Hack’s Leaving Party at Emerald Venues at McGovern Park in Ruislip. It was a packed afternoon with a fabulous dinner, dancing and live music from Paul Murray and Mary Rose, as friends of BIAS and the Mayor, BIAS staff, volunteers and trustees came together to celebrate the occasion.
Brent’s youngest ever Mayor and the borough’s first Irish Mayor in 16 years, Ryan raised an incredible £92,000 in support of BIAS and the Irish community throughout his mayoral year.
A huge thank you to John McDermott, Frances and everyone at Emerald Venues for hosting the event and generously presenting BIAS with a fantastic £7,000 cheque.
Thank you to Councillor Ryan Hack for all of the support, dedication and advocacy he has shown BIAS throughout his year as Mayor.
Brent Club Highlights
A big highlight this month was our annual Health & Wellbeing Day at Dollis Hill. We were joined by Brent Health Matters, Irish in Britain, Akhtar Pharmacy, Prostate Cancer Awareness, ICAP and Elders Voice for a day focused on health, wellbeing and support. Although it was a very hot day, it was lovely to see so many members come along to get their blood pressure, blood sugar levels and BMI checked, while also chatting to local organisations and finding out more about the support and services available.
June has already got off to a busy start across our Brent clubs too, with TR Dallas visiting Dollis Hill alongside Martin Logan from Irish in the UK TV, travelling from Manchester to interview members and capture the fantastic atmosphere at the club.
We’re also looking forward to welcoming Anton to the Railway Club on 18th June, with more live music and events planned throughout the summer months.
Haringey Club Highlights
It’s been another month full of music and celebrations across our Haringey clubs. Members enjoyed live music from Heidi McCafferty at Hornsey Vale Club and singing and dancing with Charlie and Jess at Tottenham Hale Club, alongside celebrating lots of member birthdays throughout the month. June has already been busy across our Haringey clubs too, with Anton performing at Hornsey Vale earlier this month.
- Friday 12th June – Health & Wellbeing Day at Hornsey Vale
- Wednesday 17th June – Finbarr Black at Tottenham Hale Club
Our Health & Wellbeing Day will include free health checks, wellbeing activities and information stalls from local organisations.
Advisory Services Update
Our Advice Team has continued to support people across Brent and Haringey with a wide range of issues throughout May, helping 170 people over the past month alone. Alongside daily casework, the team also completed training on fuel poverty, state benefit updates and recent changes to crisis resilience funding to help ensure we continue offering the best possible support to the community.
Recent figures from Disability Rights UK show that an estimated £24.1 billion in benefits and financial support goes unclaimed across the UK each year. If you’re unsure whether you may be entitled to additional support, our team can help with confidential benefit checks and advice to help maximise your household income. There have also been important updates for carers, with Carer’s Allowance earnings increasing to £204 per week.
If you would like support or advice, please contact our team on 0208 459 6655, email welfare@biasbrent.co.uk or visit one of our local advice surgeries.
The Difference a Volunteer Can Make
June is a special month at BIAS as we celebrate Volunteers’ Week and recognise the incredible people who give their time to support our community across Brent and Haringey.
From helping at clubs and events to offering companionship, conversation and a friendly listening ear, our volunteers play such an important role in everything we do. Thank you to each and every volunteer for the time, kindness and care you continue to give throughout the year.
Loneliness Awareness Week also begins on 15th June and highlights the importance of connection and community. At BIAS, we see every day the difference a conversation, a friendly face and a welcoming space can make to somebody who may be feeling isolated.
We are currently looking for volunteer befrienders to help support members of the community. Whether it’s offering a regular chat, a listening ear or simply some companionship, your time could make a real difference to somebody feeling alone.
To find out more, contact our Volunteer Manager Marie on 0208 459 6655 or email volunteers@biasbrent.co.uk. You can also click here to complete our volunteer enquiry form.
We are looking forward to sharing photos from our volunteer celebrations and events in the next update.
Follow Us Online
We’re also excited to share that BIAS now has a new Instagram page and Facebook page.
Our much-loved BIAS Facebook Group will continue as normal, and nothing will change for members already using it. It will remain the main place for club updates, community news and day-to-day posts.
Make sure to follow our new pages to keep up with BIAS news, events and community highlights throughout the year.
Follow us on Instagram
Follow our new Facebook page
Connect with us on LinkedIn