The Central Hounslow Area Forum met to discuss community health, review actions, and provide a platform for public questions. The meeting was scheduled to include a presentation on the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, a review of the action tracker, and an open forum for questions from the public.

Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Kelly O’Neill, Hounslow’s Director of Public Health, and Steven Forbes, the Director of Health and Social Care Integration, were scheduled to present on the aims of improving the community's overall health. They were also expected to seek residents’ priorities for the next three years, as the council and its partners prepare to consult on a new Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2026 to 2029, four years after Covid.

Action Tracker and Action Plan

Thomas Allan and Amoy Gray were scheduled to give a 10-minute presentation on the action tracker and action plan.

Open Forum

The agenda included a 40-minute open forum for questions from the public. Residents were encouraged to submit questions in advance of the meeting, but the agenda noted that individual cases could not be discussed during the public forum. A pro-forma was included in the agenda pack to assist with submitting questions¹.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2024 at Holy Trinity Church were included in the report pack². The minutes included a summary of the questions and answers during the open forum, including concerns about:

• Shops closing in Treaty Centre
• The alleyway behind Myrtle Road
• Removal of bins
• Benefits concerns
• Issues on Feltham High Street and a mini-roundabout in Feltham
• Youth engagement
• A community notice board
• Leaves and sludge on pavements
• The length of time it takes for minutes to be available
• The loss of 100 SEN local places
• Parking on Staines Road
• Fly tipping in Hounslow West
• Reimplementing the ‘Hounslow’s most wanted’ page on the website to share information about anti-social behaviour
• The area in front of Holy Trinity being used as a toilet

The minutes also included presentations from Halima Hussain, Thriving Communities Grants Manager, and representatives from three grant recipients: Rev Sally Baily from Holy Trinity Church, Bal Kaur from Changing Suits, and Farah Khan from the Al Mustafa Welfare Trust.

Thriving Communities Fund Presentations

The Central Hounslow Area Forum received presentations from three projects funded by the Thriving Communities Fund (TCF).

Holy Trinity Church

Rev Sally Baily spoke about the work being done in the Olive Branch Crisis Drop In and Night Shelter projects, which were recently funded by the TCF. She shared that residents could participate by sponsoring a ‘gift of hope’ for Christmas or volunteering directly with the projects to provide a range of support. Residents were also encouraged to refer someone they felt might benefit.

Changing Suits

Bal Kaur shared that Changing Suits works with the South Asian community and service providers to address the root causes of inequality and support diverse communities get the help they need. They work with service providers to reach and engage with the South Asian community. Changing Suits was running workshops in Heston Community Centre, delivering sessions for the 65+ age group, and providing support around isolation and mental health. Additional workshops are run at Cranford College and the Gurdwara, and they are also working with people in sheltered accommodation in Hounslow.

Al Mustafa Trust

Farah Khan from the Al Mustafa Welfare Trust introduced the wide range of work being done by the Trust, sharing how the funds received from the Thriving Communities Fund would support this work.