Welcome to The Arch
Welcome to the October issue of The Arch. As October is Black History Month, in this issue we bring you the story of England’s first black international footballer and his 51-year wait for recognition.
We also reveal the newest recruit to Northwick Park Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and have details of an event for young entrepreneurs . Take care and stay safe if you’re trick or treating.
Abi New canalside community hub unveiled Brought to you by Grey & Co 604 High Road Wembley HA0 2AF 020 8903 3909 www.greyandco.co.uk wembleycentral@greyandco.co.uk “It will be a platform on which the community can build itself.
We don’t want to come along and do stuff for people; this is about people doing stuff for themselves and taking leadership.” A new community hub and café have opened at the Grand Union in Alperton, bringing to life a previously inaccessible stretch of the canal.
Developers St George, who are building 3,350 new homes nearby, unveiled the facilities earlier this month. Other new features in the area include a bronze sculpture of three children climbing stacks of books (inspired by three Alperton Community School students) and a restored 1935 narrowboat that will be permanently based at the Grand Union.
It’s hoped that over time The Hub, which is operated by local charity The London Development Trust on behalf of the Grand Union Development Trust, will become a focal point for the community and host courses and events. People will also be able to hire the Hub for private functions or drop into the café to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat.
Simon Donovan, CEO of London Development Trust, says: “It will be a platform on which the community can build itself. We don’t want to come along and do stuff for people; this is about people doing stuff for themselves and taking leadership.”
The Hub will run projects at a discounted rate for people struggling with the cost of living, and operate a digital platform to host virtual classes. “I think what you will see is a well-knit, cohesive community, which is able to act on its own,” Mr Donovan says. “It’s about setting up local groups, like football teams and choirs, and coordinating them in some way so that they can raise money on their own path. It’s about creating spaces where people can live happily.
Pioneering black footballer finally honoured by FA
After a 51 year wait, England’s first black international player has finally received the recognition he deserves.
Ben Odeje, the first black footballer to play for England on the world stage, was a special guest at a reception hosted by the FA at Wembley Stadium last month.
The event, which honoured the nation’s first black footballers, was especially poignant for Ben, who for decades was omitted from the record books.
In 1971, 15-year-old Ben played for the England schoolboy team against Northern Ireland in front of 70,000 fans at Wembley. At the time, The Express reported England’s 1-0 victory under the headline ‘Boy ‘Pele’ plays for England’.
But even though Ben would go on to play four more matches for his country, he never received the recognition he deserved. Instead, Viv Anderson (who made his debut in 1978) was widely credited as the first black footballer to play for England at any level.
When the BBC aired a news story in 2013 calling for Ben’s place in history to be recognised, it looked like things might change. But it was another nine years before Ben, now 67, was finally honoured by the FA. He took his place at the special reception last month alongside other footballing greats such as Luther Blissett, the first black goalscorer for the men’s senior team, and Kerry Davis, the first black women’s England international.
On the racism he experienced during his career, Ben told Sportsmail: “The racial abuse was too numerous to mention. In those days it was just a free-for-all. The people who are supposed to be on your side were often the biggest perpetrators.”
After a professional career with Charlton Athletic, Ben played for non-league sides Hendon, Dulwich and Clapton before working as a coach at Queens Park Rangers and as a PE teacher.
Today he coaches a youth team at Queens Park.
STEM workshop,
A science and tech craft club for children aged 8 to 11 will be held at Ealing Road Library, Wembley, on Wednesday, November 16 at 4pm. The drop-in session is free.
Remembrance talk,
Learn more about local black British servicemen and women in an online talk on November 11. Historian and author SI Martin will deliver the lecture at 6.30pm. Visit https://tinyurl.com/2rdecaaz to register for the event.
Women of Football,
There’s still time to catch the Women of the Match photographic exhibition at Wembley Library. The show, which explores the lives of some of the pioneers of the women’s game, runs until November 6.
Psychologist joins hospital’s intensive care team
Imagine waking up in hospital and not knowing where you are or why you’re there.
This scenario often plays out in intensive care wards and can be traumatic for patients, especially if they’ve experienced a life-changing injury or illness.
It’s for this reason that the London North West Hospitals NHS Trust has employed Hannah Mollitor, the first full-time psychologist to work in the intensive care units (ICU) of Northwick Park and Ealing hospitals.
“Admission to ICU can often be traumatic for an individual, especially if they suddenly fall ill, or have recently been sedated and find themselves connected to an array of equipment with various tubes coming in and out of their body,” Hannah says.
“People can feel trapped, particularly if they have been going about their daily lives and are unexpectedly hospitalised. They can feel overwhelmed, noticing the sudden change and adjustments they are facing, and angry about what they perceive as an unfair situation.
“These experiences - being anxious, confused and scared - can hinder a patient’s recovery as they can become barriers to rehabilitation and can be one of the factors in prolonging inpatient stays.”
Hannah’s appointment reflects a greater awareness of the need to consider a patient’s mental health as well as their physical health.
Research shows that distress that begins in the ICU can affect the patient when they return home. However, the quicker rehabilitation begins, the better the long-term outcomes.
Hannah says her role is to observe, listen and talk to patients, and encourage them to discuss their feelings. She also advises her colleagues, as ICU is a demanding work environment that can take its toll on the mental health of nurses and doctors.
In some cases, Hannah continues to work with patients after they leave ICU to continue their rehabilitation elsewhere in the health system. Hannah says: “People have more time to reflect when they are moved out of ICU and their condition improves. They can struggle with anxiety and low mood because they then move into a physically and mentally challenging place that they have more awareness of.
“Family members have an important role to play in their recovery but can face their own anxiety and trauma, so I will work with them as well if they need support.
“It is argued that mental health has never been given the same importance as physical health but they strongly influence one another. Attitudes are changing and I am looking forward to developing the service.”
The hospital trust plans to recruit a second psychologist to the ICU team before Christmas.
Council strives for cleaner streets
The local council has secured funds to deal with the sticky issue of discarded chewing gum on the pavements and roads.
Brent and Camden councils are working in partnership on the issue and have received £60,000 to blitz chewing gum in hotspot areas.
Brent will spend its share of the funds in Wembley and Alperton, where it will also display signage discouraging people from dropping their gum on the floor.
Brent Councillor Krupa Sheth says: “I am delighted that we have been awarded this funding to clean streets of chewing gum. The money will be used in our high-footfall areas that are often visited by residents and tourists. “By creating a clean and vibrant environment, we are ensuring that residents can be proud of their borough and visitors want to come back.”
Fair for young business people
How old do you have to be to turn a bright idea into a money spinner? Discover the answers to this question and more at a Wembley business fair for children and teenagers later this year.
The fair, hosted by Brent-based community interest company Ultra Education, will take place at the Great Hall, Wembley Stadium, on December 3.
It will give budding young entrepreneurs a chance to learn how to develop their business skills and chat with young people who have already embarked on their entrepreneurial journey in the food, fashion, pet, music and technology sectors.
The event runs from midday to 5pm. To secure your free ticket or book a stall (£20 and only for entrepreneurs under 21), visit tinyurl.com/ yc898dhf.
More about Ultra Education
Based in Kilburn, Ultra Education (UE) runs after-school and weekend clubs, and school programmes, that give young people an opportunity to learn more about entrepreneurship.
UE defines an entrepreneur as “someone who does what they love and makes money from it”. The organisation argues that entrepreneurial skills – problem-solving, confidence when public speaking, and resilience – complement academic learning.
One of UE’s key aims is to help people from under-represented backgrounds learn more about running a business.
Did you know?
While we’re on the subject of entrepreneurs, did you know that many of the world’s most successful businesspeople showed entrepreneurial nous at a young age?
• Five-year-old Ingvar Kamprad used to ride around his village in rural Sweden selling matches door to door. It gave him an early taste for business that served him well when he started his own furniture store at the age of 17 and called it Ikea. There are now 474 Ikea stores around the world
• He may now own an airline and multi-media empire, but Richard Branson started out as a kid by breeding parakeets and selling them as pets.
• The late Dragons Den star Hilary Devey (who made her fortune by running a haulage firm) got her start in business working in her parents’ pub. By the age of 11, she knew how to cash up at the end of a night’s trading.
Remember, remember to keep your pets safe on November 5
With bonfire night just around the corner, the RSPCA is urging pet owners to plan ahead to keep their animals safe.
Animals can react badly to fireworks, and their behaviour can become unpredictable. Dogs, for example, tend can freeze with fear, rear up or charge at fences.
Here are some tips from the RSPCA for keeping your pets safe on November 5:
• To minimise distress, it’s best to keep your pets inside.
• Create a safe space for your pet by placing their favourite cushion or pet bed in a room and closing the curtains so that they can’t see any explosions of light in the sky. Have their favourite toy on hand to comfort them if they appear upset.
• Turn on the radio (Classic FM plays calming pet music on the night) to distract from the noise of fireworks going off.
• If your cat takes refuge under a bed or chair, leave them alone. Don’t try and drag them out or move them.