Helping the homeless

Trevor Ellis, Chalkhill Road, Wembley, writes:

Call my view simplistic or unrealistic, but I can’t help believing that in the UK, where according to the Office for National Statistics the population in 2016 was 65.6 million, no one should be lonely.

Likewise, in spite of the irresponsible mistreatment of the planet, it still produces tons of food to sustain our lives.

Yet, many people are increasingly saying that they are hungry and recent news about one such person who was sent a meagre amount of food that was expected to sustain her child for seven days resulted in justified complaints on social media.

I’m writing on behalf of the people in Brent who are also hungry because they are homeless and don’t have an income.

Now, I know that cuts to council funding means that cuts to essential services are regrettably inevitable in order to keep things going.

However, it is evident that whatever funding exists for the benefit of the homeless and hungry in Brent, it’s not sufficient to prevent people having to beg in order to pay for food to sustain themselves.

I think that Brent Council needs to try a bit harder to help the homeless and hungry because they (in spite of dwindling funds) have the greater responsibility to ensure that few people in Brent go without food and have nowhere to live.

Brent is a huge borough and I think that if the space available was used for the benefit of the homeless, it would make a much needed difference to a problem that is solvable.

The Royal family consists of sons, daughters, fathers and mothers and they would never be left to beg if they fell upon hard times.

When will we resolve to change for the better and see each other as equal and worthy of the care and respect that others are accustomed to?

Cycling challenge

Aimee Fuller, British Olympic snowboarder and cycling enthusiast, writes:

We’ve all felt the strain of 2020 and with restrictions in place across England, it’s important that looking after our physical and mental health remains a priority in 2021.

That’s why I’m encouraging people to stay active throughout the winter months and improve their heart health by taking on the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF’s) 30-day virtual cycling challenge, MyCycle.

BHF found that signing up to a challenge has helped a quarter of people get fitter in the past.

Completing an exercise challenge, like MyCycle, can also have a positive effect on your mental health as it helps to increase your level of endorphins, which are a natural mood booster.

This, combined with the knowledge that the miles you’re covering are helping to raise vital funds for BHF’s life saving research, is sure to help put you in a good mood.

The coronavirus crisis hit charities especially hard last year. The BHF anticipate they will have to cut funding for new research by £50 million this year, which will put potential life-saving discoveries at risk.

That’s why I’m taking on MyCycle. So join me and start pedalling to up the miles and get sponsored to help raise vital funds for life saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.