At a time of crisis, the borough came together. During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities united to help support one another and Ealing Together – a collaboration between charities, local groups, businesses and concerned residents – was formed.

The council honoured some of our local COVID-19 heroes at the Ealing Together Honours celebration on Saturday, 15 October. The event was about thanking those who went above and beyond to support residents through the pandemic and who made a real difference to their community.

The special event aimed to bring the community together to have fun through a range of music, dance, and other performances, including Drew Drutherbard of Band of King, Laila Mai Knight and the Anita Arora Dance Company, all courtesy of Asian Events Media.

Council leader Peter Mason said: “Ealing, along with the rest of the world, faced the most challenging crisis since the second world war. But Ealing’s communities came together like never before, from supporting our elderly and vulnerable residents with food and essential supplies to the amazing ways people lifted each other’s spirits. Connection is what makes us stronger as a community.

“Now, we want to build on this connection and the million acts of love and kindness we have seen. We know that residents know best what their area and community needs, which is why we want to empower local people to get out there and make a difference. I look forward to supporting communities to build even stronger connections through the Community Champions programme and the community website dosomethinggood.org.uk”

Building on the success of Ealing Together, Community Champions was launched at the event. A new, dedicated network of local volunteers, or ‘champions’ who are passionate about making a difference to the wellbeing of people in their community. Could you be one? To find out more, visit the Community Champions hub on the Ealing Council website.