We are currently working hard to meet the growing levels of need locally. We are continuing to provide staff support for our partner school, Canons High School, to help ease the pressure with staffing and have reached out to both Barnet and Harrow Family Services to offer more support across the boroughs where it is most needed. We are also on standby for a number of local primary schools should they need assistance in the coming days and weeks.

At our Community Hub at OneStonegrove, it’s all hands to the pump. Working together with the Stonegrove Community Trust, St. Peter’s Church and Bread n Butter CIC, we developed a community action plan which involved working closely with other partners, Age UK Barnet and the London Borough of Barnet to give help and aid to people in the local community by providing homemade “ready meals”, which were made at our onsite café as well as food parcels from our foodbank which has seen many donations. We are aiming to help as many people as we can in delivering aid to those at-risk, vulnerable and those that are self-isolating during this very stressful and worrying time.

The freezer @OneStonegrove filled by @breadnbuttercic ready to help others stacked by john from @HiveTrust @BarnetFC if you are in the Edgware area and need help contact us @OneStonegrove on 0208 357 0923 pic.twitter.com/NqagUEPE6k

— Hive Foundation (@HiveTrust) March 23, 2020

Community Centre Manager John Byrne said “This has taken me out of my comfort zone as a centre manager and football coach but being able to help and make even a small difference makes you feel good and is exactly what our role in the community is all about. Making a difference and giving back for us at the Hive Foundation is something we are used but in a different way to how we are currently.”

We are also discussing how we can assist local GP’s by delivering medicines and food which we hope to begin in the coming days.

As the Chairman mentioned in his latest statement, “We are finalising our plans with the Council to cook for their Meals on Wheels service. We have secured a supplier for this initiative and many staff have also come forward and volunteered their time to help. Harrow Council are doing their utmost to work out the difficult task surrounding the logistics of the delivery process and once finalised, we can get this up and running, hopefully in the next couple of days.”

Should you wish to help with providing support to keep our community healthy and safe, and to try and halt the further spread locally, please get in touch by contacting mdixon@thehivelondon.com.

The thoughts of everyone at Barnet FC, London Bees and The Hive London are with those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We would also like to spread our thanks to the amazing NHS staff who continue to support us all during this difficult period. 

To our NHS workers, thank you #clapforourcarers pic.twitter.com/38Ro5e4JcF

— Barnet FC (@BarnetFC) March 26, 2020